A PLEA
FOR THE
Higher
Education of Catholic Young Men
of America.
WITH AN
Exposure of the Frauds of the University of
Notre Dame, Ind.
PRECEDED BY
A CIRCULAR LE'nER TO THE ARCHBISHOPS, BISHOPS AND
PROMINENT CLERGY OF THE UNITED STATES.
BY
CHARLES VENEZIANI, A. M., Ph. D. (Heidelberg).
Professor at the University of Notre Dame from '96 to '99.


COPYRIGHTED 1900
BY
CHARLES VENEZIANI, A. M., Ph. D.
CHICAGO, ILL.





CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
3
Testimonial oí the Very Reverend James French,
Vice-President and Director of Studies of the Uni-­
versity of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.
Being the Director of Studies I am situated so as
learn and see the effects of the Professor's method in
teaching, ánd I must say, as far as I could see, he is
one who takes great pleasure in imparting knowledge
to others, and posseses the facility of eliciting much
study and work from his pupils. He is a conscientious
instructor and punctual to duty. He is a university
scholar and of his ability there can be no question.
JAMES FRENCH.
St. Mary's Academy,
Salt Lake City, Utah,
Aug. 25, 1894.
Having learned with extreme regret that the bearer,
Professor Chas. Veneziani, is about to leave this city
with the intention of continuing his work of teaching
elsewhere, it gives me great pleasure to testify to
his high personal character and his great merit as an
instructor. For a year past he has given a course in
Latin to a number of teachers in this institution, with
the most satisfactory resufts.
I most cordially recommend him to anyone desiring
a teacher of exceptional ability and irreproachable
character.
I am, very sincerely,
SISTER SUPERIOR.
N autical Almanac Office,
Bureau of Navigation, Navy Depai rrnent,
Washington, D. c., April 25, 1885.
I have been favorably acquainted with Dr. Vene­
ziani for more than a year. He has attended the math-


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
9
dent, who has exclusive authority to act in the mat­
ter." By so doing the Board of Trustees proved them­
selves to be either a set of liars, if they meant that the
Presid-ent has ex-officio exclu.sive authority, or men
who have not the least conception of justice, if they
gave that authority to the President-the Priest who
wrote those lying statements to me, and therefore the
last-person fit to be appointed a judge of my claims.
5. You cannot deny that the President of the U ni­
versity, to whom the Board of Trustees, in their wis­
dom and justice, referred me for my claims, by dis­
charging me when I called for an answer to my daims,
has clearly shown by his action that the University of
Notre Dame, controlled by the Congregation of the
Holy Cross, instead of being a university where truth
and justice are enthroned, is a university where lying
and dishonesty are openly and shamelessly practiced .
. 6. You cannot deny that when the President' of the
great University of Notre Dame brings as a reason
for discharging me the example of Mr. Studebaker,
who can discharge his workmen at a moment's notice,
without assigning any reason whatever, the compari­
son of the laymen Professors of the University of
N otre Dame to the workmen in the shop leaves noth­
ing to desire. Unfortunately the comparison between
the President and Mr. Studebaker is not so perfect,
since Mr. Studebaker might object, saying, that not
being a member of the Congregation of the Holy
· Cross, nor the President of the largest Catholic uni­
versity in America, he is a man of his word, and there
is no danger of his workmen being discharged for ask­
ing him to keep his written word.
7. You cannot deny that the only answer I re-


12
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
could make it an object for you to join our Profes­
sorial staff."
I never was deceived in university matters before.
I suppose that every statement the President wrote me
was true, and I would have considered it a lack of good
common sense to doubt the written statements of a
President, who was besides a priest belonging to the
Congregation of the Holy Cross. The first shock I
received was my learning through the newspapers that
I was holding the Chair of Romance Languages in the
University of Notre Dame, as the term "Romance
Languages" is not even to be found in the letters of
the President. This news was certainly given to the
press by order of the President, because these words
"Romance Languages," appeared for three consecu­
tive years under my name in the catalogue, and the
President is the only one who has power in such mat­
ters.
Truthfulness, in my opinion, should be the great
virtue of all institutions of learning, but of Catholic
institutions in particular, and I could not help think­
ing that by advertising me as the Professor of Ro­
mance Languages, the President of the University of
N otre Dame was playing false to me as well as to the
public at large, since there was no department of Ro­
mance Languages in the University of Notre Dame
to take charge of, nor is there any at present.
The second shock I received arose from this amus­
ing incident. A priest, who was teaching very ele­
mentary branches of Mathematics in the Preparatory
Course, was relating his experience on the "silver
question" in Colorado. The silverite papers lavished
their praises on him and styled him: "The Professor


14
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
the ensuing year, I was told that the university had
to support the missions in India, therefore no salary
would be increased. I appreciated very much the re­
ligious zeal of the University of Notre Dame in sup­
porting the missions in India, still I am a strong be­
liever in the proverb that "Charity begins at home,"
and teachers should not suffer in order to support
missions in India. Later on I discovered that it was
the policy and diplomacy of the University of Notre
Dame when engaging a new teacher t9 give him as
little as possible for the first year, promise a great
deal in the future, and perform nothing of what has
been held out to him.
One might ask why did you not, under such circum­
stances, shake the dust of Notre Dame from your feet
and try new fields? A man with a family, and not
overburdened with this world's goods cannot give up
one position until he has found another. In looking
for a position in a Catholic college there would be
nothing gained as the salary would be no better, and
to obtain a position in a State University must certain­
ly take some time, as I never heard of a Professor in
N orte Dame who succeeded in getting a position in a
State University, and the University of Notre Dame is
in the fifty-sixth year of her existence.
I heartily regretted my having declined, a few days
after coming to Notre Dame, the kind offer of a Presi­
dent of a State University; but I trusted so much to
the letters of the President of Notre Dame University,
concerning making it "an object for me to join his
Professorial staff," I was so sure that my teaching
would be satisfactory-and the written testimonial of
the Vice-President and Director of Studies of Notre


CATHOLI.C YOUNG MEN.
15
Dame University shows I was not wrong- I felt so
confident that my conduct was irreproachable, as far
as it concerns the eyes of man; I was so buoyed up
with the hope of a chair of Mathematics, that I thought
I was acting very wisely to remain with Notre Dame.
When the President perceived that I wished him to
keep his written agreement he told me, of course, I
could remain at Notre Dame until I had found a bet­
ter position, but my abilities were so great, and the
branches taught in this university so elementary that
I could not be of much use there, and therefore I had
better look for a position where my scholarship could
be better utilized. On another occasion he told me
their idea was to get rid of the laymen Professors as
soon as they can be replaced by members of the Con­
gregation of the Holy Cross, therefore I had better
look elsewhere.
I suggested that, perhaps, it would be well to raise
the standard of Mathematics in this university, but
the President answered the higher branches of Mathe­
matics bring no money. I cannot reconcile the Presi­
dent's written statement: "In course of time the Uni­
versity could make it an object for me to become a
permanent member of her staff," with the idea of get­
ting rid of laymen Professors as soon as they could be
replaced by members of the Congregation of the Holy
Cross.
When the President engaged me, he also knew
from the testimonials of my abilities, whether a man
of my acquirements would be useful in a University
of such low standard as Notre Dame. However, from
the opinion of the Very Rev. James French, Vice­
President and Director of Studies of the University


16
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
of Notre Dame, it appears that I have been very use­
ful in this University; see testimonial, page 3.
At last, in January, '99, I decided to take a step
which clearly shows that no matter how long we may
live in this world, we have never learned enough. In
my ,simplicity I was thinking that if I should send a
communication to the Board of Trustees of the Uni­
versity of Notre Dame, enclosing an affidavit of the
written statements of the President, stating my claims
based upon them, namely: that a real chair of Mathe­
matics should be given to me with a salary really
"higher than we ever give for tne first year," I would
certainly obtain justice from the Board.
The Board of Trustees was then composed of three
priests, and one "Brother," besides the President of
the University, and I sent a copy of my .comrnunica­
tion to every member, and to the Very Rev. Daniel
Hudson, President of the Board, the original. I ex­
pected I would be asked to send them the letters of the
President, and, if they thought I was correct, that my
claims would be granted, but if not, they would state
the reasons why they were refused. That is what I
had insinuated when I wrote in my first communica­
tion: "I beg to remind you, gentlemen, that I am
open to conviction, and in case my reasoning does
not seem correct to you, I wish you would state the
weak points, and, if I perceive my mistake, you will
find me quite amenable to reason."
Tw-o days after, I received the answer: "Having
read and considered the same (communication), it has,
by order of the Board, been referred to the President,
who has exclusive authority to act in the matter." I
called upon the President, who told me he did not


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
17
need my services after June 15th. His verbal answer
is to be found in my letter addressed to him of June
rst, where every statement of his is fully analyzed:
see page 65.
After two months I concluded to send a second let­
ter to the Board, stating the answer of the President,
and asking them to have my claim referred to Bishop
Scanlan, of Salt Lake City, whom they know to be a
man of the greatest honesty and integrity, with the
understanding that, if I were found to be wrong, I
would lose two hundred dollars fee, and if right, the
University would be the loser. N o answer.
On May 17th, the day after the Papal delegate,
Monsignor Martinelli, left Notre Dame, the President
wrote apprising me of my dismissal. I answered his
letter on June rst.
I have been told that the authorities of Notre Dame
felt highly indignant, because I called to pay my re­
spects to my illustrious countryman, and held a con­
versation in Italian with him. I do not know why
they should feel such indignation, nor can I under­
stand why the President of the University suddenly
left the company when I entered.
When the former Papal delegate, Monsignor Sa­
tolli, was on his way to Salt Lake City, the Right
Rev. Bishop Scanlan did me the honor of calling, and
inviting me to accompany him to Ogden to trleet the
distinguished Prelate. Monsignor Satolli, Bishop
Scanlan, and myself, visited the several Catholic In­
stitutions in Salt Lake City, and I was an invited guest
at the banquet given in the Prelate's honor.
On September 5th, I sent my third communication
to the Board of Trustees, and one also to the Very


18
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
Rev. J. A. Zahm, Ph. D., the author of "EvoJution
and Dogma", and Provincial of the Congregation of
the Holy Cross, with a letter. I did not know then
that he was the President of the Board of Trustees. I
advocated the principle of leaving the decision of my
claims to either Archbishop Riordan, of San Fran­
cisco, who, as a pupil of Notre Dame, would not
wrong his Alma Mater, or to Bishop Scanlan, offering
two hundred dollars fee, to be lost if either party de­
cide against me, but no answer could be elicited from
the Board.
It might be objected that my letter to the Presi­
dent, dated June i st, was rather too strong, but the
question is, whether the facts stated in it are true, and
if not true, any President would have forbidden me to
enter the University on the receipt of that letter.
The evil, however, was done before June 1St. It
had begun with the answer the Board wrote me Janu­
ary z r st : "referring me to the President, who has
exclusive authority to act in the matter," and the
evil was consummated May 17th, the day after the
illustrious Monsignor Martinelli left Notre Dame.
Why should I suffer without protest such intoler­
able wrongs, from people who by their very calling
ought to be patterns of justice, thus encouraging them
to inflict the same upon others?
Truth requires that the written statements of the
President of the University of Notre Dame should be
classified as lies, justice requires that I should not be
the sufferer on account of the lies of the President.
When the Board of Trustees of the University of
Notre Dame, with the Very Rev. J. A. Zahm, Ph. D.,
the author 0'£ "Evolution and Dogma", as President


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
19
of the Board, moved by pride and avarice, make them­
selves the abettors ond supporters of the lies and in­
justice of the President, the Very Rev. A. Morrissey,
by so doing they show themselves unworthy of wear­
ing the cross, the sacred emblem of our religion, and
the mask of the Congregation of the Holy Cross; un­
worthy of the priestly gown; only deserving that the
finger of scorn be pointed at them. And the best
proof of my assertion is, that they shall not dare to
prosecute me for what I state, knowing too well that
twelve self-respecting jurymen would find me only
guilty of not using expressions strong enough to stig­
matize such villainy.
Let no one suppose for a moment that if the Board,
headed by the Very Rev. J. A. Zahm, Ph. D., fails to
prosecute me, it is due to their kindness of heart-far
from it! Where truth and justice are despised, char­
ity cannot abide. They do not wish to make them­
selves notorious before the public-they would not
like to go to court, and have the veil, which covers
their shame, lifted up before the world.
They know too well that the written statements of
the President are a set of lies; that by referring my
claims, based upon the written statements of the
President, to the President, the Board made them­
selves abettors and supporters of the written lies of
the President; that if they refused Archbishop Rior­
dan of San Francisco, or Bishop Scanlan of Salt Lake
City, as arbitrators, when I was willing to lose two
hundred dollars fee, if either party decided against me,
it is because they are conscious of the injustice done
me. They know too well, that the difference of house­
rent, of which the President boasted as the increase


20
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
due to my good teaching in the University, has not yet
been paid since March, 1898; that the salary due for
my extra teaching was never paid; that my mail has
been purposely and maliciously delayed in the post­
office of Notre Dame, of which the Very Rev. A. Mor­
rissey is postmaster; they know too well the despica­
ble trick played upon me June, '99, in order to cheat
me out of my just claims. The assistant treasurer told
me he had been instructed by his superiors not to
pay me the $140.00, still due of the $600.00, unless I
would subscribe that I had been paid "in full of all de­
mands", and when the Board was asked for an explan­
ation, no answer was received. I They know too well
that if last year I have not been cheated out of two­
fifths of my salary, it was due to the fact that, rather
than subscribe to such unheard of roguery of the U ni­
versity of Notre Dame, I resolved to remain, and did
remain six months, without drawing a cent of my
salary.
The University of Notre Dame has money to erect a
magnificent building in Washington, D. c., has money
to erect a fine gymnasium, and has money for many
other purposes.
Froni the history of the University of Notre Dame,
printed in Notre Dame, page 94, it is known that
Father Sorin "often said that if he had two hundred
students he would feel that the future of the U niver­
sity was assured", and now the number of students is
almost four times as many.
One may ask, why should such a wealthy corpora-·
tion, composed of religious members of the Congre-
1. The University later on sent me a check without "in full of aU de­
mands" but as I thought 1 was entitled to an explanation I did not
deem it proper to accept the check.


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
21
gation of the Holy Cross, be so heartless and soul­
less as try to cheat the Professor of "Romance Lan­
guages" out of two-fifths of his salary of six hundred
per year? A crime which would never be perpe­
trated by any Agnostic or Atheistic University, if such
existed.
The answer to this question shows the difference be­
tween the heroic band which came from France,
headed by a man like the venerable Sorin, the founder
of the University, and the degenerate leaders of today.
In March, '98, I was ordered by the President to
drop one one of my classes, because the pupils were
only "waiters", and too few in number. I remon­
strated, stating that it would be a pity to drop in the
middle of the year, a class composed of such earnest,
diligent, and fine pupils as these waiters were.
My remonstrations had orily the effect of my being
rebuked by the President, who stated that the Uni­
versity could not afford to have classes taught for a
few waiter students, and gave me the peremptory or­
der to drop the class. From my own experience, I
know that the University of Notre Dame could afford
to have classes taught where there was but one pupil
who paid full tuition. The waiter-students, however,
are so eager for an education, that they give many
hours a day of their time in the service of the Univer­
sity, besides fifty dollars a year, but, nevertheless, in
the opinion of the President, the class should be
dropped. Moreover, a fine opportunity presented it­
self of robbing the Professor of "Romance Lan­
guages" of two-fifths of his salary, and it must be im­
proved.


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
23
Wer die Wahrbriet kennet und saget sie nicht.
Der ist F·ûrwahr ein Erbarmlicher Wicht.-German Kommersbuch.
A PLEA FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION OF
CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
Why do Catholics, in spite of their wealth and num­
ber-a number reaching perhaps over twelve millions,
play such an insignificant part in the progress of the
intellectual development of the country?
Is it not because Catholics do not have universities
like Chicago, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, N orthwest­
ern, Brown, Boston University, etc.?
Why do Catholics not have such universities, and
what prevents Catholics from having them? How
could they be started?
These are questions which should interest not only
Catholics, but every lover of higher education,-every
one who has at heart the interest of the country.
It is true our catholic colleges and universities are
of a very low standard compared with the above in­
stitutions of learning founded by our non-catholic
brethren, still it would be wrong to suppose, as sorne'
do, that this is due to the fact that the Catholic
Church is afraid of science; that the Catholic Church,
in order to better domineer over the masses, wishes to
keep her people in ignorance and darkness.
N o fair-minded person who has studied the ques­
tion could hold such a wrong opinion. If we look
closely into the origin of catholic and protestant col­
leges, we will be able to perceive that protestant col­
leges could become first-class universities, but catholic
colleges never.


24
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
Catholic colleges and universities controlled by re­
ligious congregations are corporations, quite inde­
pendent of Archbishops or Bishops, or any ecclesias­
tical authority except their own congregation; so in­
dependent, that when I proposed to the authorities of
Notre Dame university, the largest catholic university
of America, to have the decision of my claims, based
upon the written statements of the President, referred
to either Archbishop Riordan of San Francisco, who,
as a pupil of this university, would not likely- wrong his
alma mater; or to Bishop Scanlan of Salt Lake City,
a great friend of the congregation of the Holy Cross,
offering two hundred dollars fee if in the judgment of
either party I were wrong, my proposal was not an­
swered in writing, and refused verbally as the height
of folly, because, I was told, "this congregation allows
no interference".
This is a very important point, because I observed
that among non-catholic educators of the highest rank,
the notion prevails, that catholic Bishops have much
to do with the management of catholic- colleges.
With the exception of the catholic university of
America, in Washington, D. c., and one or two col­
leges, all catholic colleges and universities are con­
trolled by religious congregations. It would be more
proper to say that the higher education of catholic
young men was in former times forced upon the con­
gregations by circumstances rather than sought after.
It came about in this way.
ORIGIN OF CATHOLIC COLLEGES.
The catholics being widely scattered, and the priests
few in number, religious congregations of sisters,


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
25
christian brothers, and fathers were invited by the
Bishops to found academies, schools, and colleges; as
a rule, the Bishops offered inducements to religious
congregations to settle in their dioceses.
The good sisters
"Whose admirable life
Better in glory of the Heavens were sung,"
-Dante's Paradise, canto xi.
could never be adequately praised for the amount of
good they did, and the prejudices they dispelled, and
here is not the place to mention them, as we are con­
cerned with the higher education of catholic young
men.
The christian brothers, and several other congre­
gations, opened schools and colleges. I t would be
unjust not to praise the good will, the self-sâcrifice,
and the good results of their abnegation by helping to
form the character of hundreds of thousands of young
men, who, if in the storms of life they persevered
faithful to their conscience, owe it to the early train­
ing of these good christian brothers and kind fathers.
Thus came into existence the catholic colleges and
universities, a source of delight to the Bishops, who
saw the catholic youth provided with institutions of
learning where religion was not neglected.
The labors of those who thus labored with zeal and
devotion have helped to educate many who are now
the pillars of the Catholic Church in America; and the
praise of their former teachers from such pupils is the
best eulogy that could be bestowed upon them in this
world. Many went to receive the reward of those who
have worked diligently in the vineyard of the Lord.


26
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
We do not, however, intend to discuss the work of
catholic colleges of the past, as we are concerned- with
their actual work now, and the question arises,
whether the catholic colleges of today, in the present
state of science, keep pace with the advanced non­
catholic colleges or universities, in dispensing the
bread of higher education to catholic young men.
WHY CATHOLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVER­
SITIES CONTROLLED BY RELIGIOUS
CONGREGATIONS CANNOT DISPENSE
THE BREAD OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
The function 'of a university is to preserve and dis­
cover the truth. The function of a college 'is specially
to preserve the truth, but it should lead at least to the
discovery of truth.
The mind should not simply exert -its activity in as­
similating truths, but in starting from received truths
to new truths. The college should be a preparation
für the university, but it is, in my opinion, almost im­
possible to sharply determine the limit; and, as a rule,
many branches in a college belong properly to the uni­
versity. For college I mean the collegiate depart­
ment of such institutions as Harvard, Yale, Chicago,
J ohns Hopkins, etc., etc.
What .really constitutes the college or university is
not the bricks and mortar, but the professors and
pupils. The formation of the pupils depends large-­
ly upon the' teacher, therefore, let us examine the
kind of teachers the congregations can afford, and in.
order to relate what I know from personal experience,
I will describe the teachers of the University of Notre.


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
29
were offered, it would be hard for a congregation to
find a sufficient number of her members endowed with
those natural qualities-love for learning, constancy
in the pursuit of knowledge, enthusiasm in imparting
it-qualities indispensable to a college professor.
LAYMEN PROFESSORS IN THE UNIVER­
SITY OF NOTRE DAME.
There are three types of laymen-professors,-stu­
dent-professors, graduate-professors, and permanent­
professors of the staff.
These permanent professors, the pillars of the uni­
versity, receive a salary, as a rule, of scarcely over
seven hundred dollars per year. It would not be
worth while to mention the salaries of the student or
the graduate-professors. One of the brightest of Notre
Dame's graduates, in his third year of teaching, re­
ceives a salary of three hundred and fifty dollars per
year. An exception should be made in favor of the
professor of English literature. The former profes­
sor, Maurice Francis Egan, received a fee of one
thousand dollars a year, and the present professor re­
ceives one thousand, five hundred per year. It would
be a great mistake to suppose that this large salary,
according to the view of the university, given to the
professor of English literature, is due to the great love
the university bears English literature. It is due to
this. The university publishes a weekly paper, the
"Scholastic", which has a large circulation, and helps
advertise the university. The "Scholastic" is written
by the students, hence the necessity of a competent
professor to drill the pupils in writing themes, etc. As


30
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
the congregation of the Holy Cross had no professor
capable, a layman professor was indispensable.
Were it not for the importance of making a good
appearance before the public, if it were simply for the
sake of teaching English literature to the pupils oî
Notre Dame, this layman professor would be replaced
by any member of their Order. For instance, the
author, a Ph. D. of Heidelburg, was teaching an extra
class, for which extra pay had been promised. After
a few lessons the president of the university concluded
to give this extra class to a "brother", a former porter
of the university, to teach; and thus the university
was saved the extra pay I was promised.
The salaries paid to laymen professors are by no
means higher in other catholic colleges or universities
controlled by religious congregations, and while I do
not assert that all laymen professors are of a very low
rank, one cannot expect a fine set of college professors.
My conclusion is self-evident, still I will quote part
of a Special Correspondence of the Chicago "Record",
headed, For Catholic Students, Notre Dame, Ind.,
Feb. 26, 1899.
"The zeal displayed by the Very Rev. J. A. Zahm,
provincial of the Order of the Holy Cross, during the
year that he has been at the head of his order, is grat­
ifying to the great number of catholics who are de­
sirous of seeing catholic educational institutions offer
courses as varied and thorough as those of non-catho­
lic colleges and universities. He has realized that
competition in brains is a reality; that the institution
that offers the largest salaries gets the best teachers
and that a competent faculty and modern equipment
swell the class rolls."


34
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
Presidents of the Board of Trustees, and competent
laymen as professors, once started, our wealthy catho­
lics will not be behind non-catholics in making be­
quests.
V. St. Paul rightly advocates the principle that he
who serves the altar has the right of living from the
altar, consequently, he who serves Science ought to
be able to earn a modest living from Science. N on­
catholics have a number of colleges where bright
young men who wish to devote themselves to Science
by fitting themselves, may find employment. The case
with our catholic young men is quite different, and
they are thus driven into other professions. This is
why we catholics have so few really learned men in
comparison with non-catholics. Incompetent priests
and most ignorant brothers occupy the positions
which should be held by bright and learned laymen,
and the evil resulting from this exchange is incal­
culable.
VI. It thwarts the object the Council of Baltimore
had in the founding of the Catholic U niversity of
America. Our catholic young men who complete the
post-graduate courses of the Catholic University of
America could find no suitable employment in catholic
colleges where laymen-professors are employed, sim­
ply through necessity and only until they can be re­
placed by some priest or brother-professor. They
must compete with priest and brother-professors who
work for their board and clothes; therefore, the num­
ber of catholic young men studying in the Arts and
Sciences departments of the Catholic University of
America will always necessarily be limited-until we
catholics shall have colleges with Bishops as Presi-


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
35
dents of Boards of Trustees and learned laymen as
professors. The Council of Baltimore did not wish
to withdraw the patronage from the catholic colleges
and universities controlled by religious congrega­
tions, and thus the Catholic University of America
was intended to offer only post-graduate courses. One
might naturally suppose that this kindness would be
repaid by the catholic colleges using their influence
to send their graduates to the Catholic University of
America, to pursue the higher branches. Several cata­
logues of the Catholic University of America, are sent
to Notre Dame, to be stored away in places to which
neither professors nor students have access.
It is true that the Catholic U niversity of America
can really be of great benefit by improving those
members of the different religious congregations, who
are intended to become college-professors; but is it not
righ t that these religious congregations should endow
chairs in a university of which they avail themselves
for the education of their members? Is it not a shame
that laymen should endow chairs which will benefit
members of a congregation like the Holy Cross, who,
to use the words of the President of Notre Dame, in­
tends to treat their laymen-professors as hired help to
be discharged at a moment's notice, without assigning
any reason whatever? Why should not the university
of Notre Dame help to defray the expenses of the
Catholic University of America, since she enjoys the
benefit of profiting by the instruction of such an insti­
tution of learning?
VII. The religious congregations, having the mo­
nopoly of the catholic colleges, and not offering
courses as varied and thorough as those offered by


36
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
non-catholic colleges and the expense of education
being, as a rule, higher than in non-catholic colleges,
compel many of our catholic young men to seek in­
struction in non-catholic colleges. The evil lies not
in our catholic young men, studying in non-catholic
colleges, but in their being compelled to do so, be­
cause they cannot pay the expense of education, and
also in or'der to receive a better education. We must
analyze at length this evil, and the remedy the Uni­
versity of Notre Dame offers, then we may better real­
ize the necessity of founding catholic colleges with
Bishops as Presidents of Board of Trustees and
learned laymen as professors.
On page 192 of the catalogue of the University of
Notre Dame, for the year 1898-1899, we find this sad
state of affairs so described: "There were last year
I452 catholic students in 6 per centum of the nO-11-
catholic colleges of America, and very many of these
will lose their faith, and all will be weakened in that
faith, because our people look upon collegiate insti­
tutions as the property of private corporations which
are to be left to take care of themselves.
N otre Dame asks for scholarships for boys that can­
not pay the expense of education, and who therefore
are obliged to go to non-catholic colleges to the detri­
ment of their faith. A foundation of $5,000 will edu­
cate and board a student as long as the University
exists."
Here we find ourselves in presence of three very
important facts. First, there were last year 1452 catho­
lic students in 6 per centum of the non-catholic col­
leges. Second, Boys that cannot pay the expense of
education are obliged to go to non-catholic colleges.


38
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
this evil is due to the fact that our catholic people look
upon collegiate institutions as the property of private
corporations which are to be left to take care of them­
selves, it is now time that our catholics should be
thoroughly aroused to the great need of these new
catholic colleges, and it is to the Bishops that bequests
should be made for this holy purpose.
Even in the! hypothesis that the danger of our. catho­
lic young men losing their faith or being weakened
in that faith by studying in non-catholic colleges is
not so great, the fact remains that the more centers
of light the better it is for the nation. It is a shame
that we catholics of the twentieth century cannot boast
in the United States of educational institutions, where
courses are offered as varied and thorough' as in the
colleges of our non-catholic brethren, and we should
certainly have universities doing collegiate work where
one might be sure that our catholic young men in get­
ting the bread of higher education receive nothing
mingled with it which might be detrimental to their
faith, as for instance in the study of history, philoso­
phy, etc. The proposition of the University of Notre
Dame to be entrusted with the faith and education of
catholic students who go to non-catholic colleges be­
cause t'oey cannot pay the expense .of education, and
asking only $5,000 apiece for each student, could not
be considered even for a moment by one acquainted
with the crooked ways of dealing of the University
of Notre Dame, besides, there are other drawbacks
which should not be passed over in silence.
In the first place many catholic 'students go to non­
catholic colleges because they offer courses more
varied and thorough than our catholic colleges. The


40
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
of Philosophy, all to be found in her Spanish cata­
logue. It is the duty of the State of Indiana not to
allow an institution of learning like Notre Dame.
deriving her authority of granting degrees from the
state, to abuse this authority in order to deceive
the Spanish speaking people. How could the Spanish
speaking people believe that a university which is both
catholic and American should purposely state false­
hoods in order to decoy them ? Yet it is with these
fraudulent methods that the University of Notre Dame
secures her Spanish speaking students.
Let us suppose that a good soul bequeaths to. the
University of Notre Dame sufficient funds to endow
a number of scholarships, how would the students
enjoying the scholarships be treated by a university
like Notre Dame who robbed her waiter students of
the instruction due to them, for paying fifty dollars
a year besides giving many hours in the service of the
university, and who used the dropping of this waiter
student's class as a pretext to try and rob her Pro­
fessor, a married man with a family, of two-fifths of
his salary of $600 per year? Other universities that
have scholarships state on what condition they can
be obtained and the names of students enjoying schol­
arships are mentioned in their catalogues. N ot so
Notre Dame, although according to page 192 of her
catalogue she has one .scholarship. Who knows
whether these scholarships would not be offered to
young men who have distinguished themselves in ath­
letic sports in order to induce them to enter the uni­
versity? It is' a well known secret that during the
vacations the University of Notre Dame hunts up ath­
letes and offers them inducements to join her athletic


42
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
state institutions in the departments in which they
grant degrees will be revoked. It is for the benefit
of the public as well as the institutions of learning that
the exercise of the power of granting degrees should
be used only in those courses in which colleges have
a competent faculty.
A standing committee of Presidents and Professors
of different colleges of the state appointed by the gov- .
ernor to report at every session of the legislature any
shortcomings which need the action of the legislature
seems for the present the best remedy for correcting
abuses which become more and more glaring in a uni­
versity for example like Notre Dame.
Suppose such a committee visited the University of
N otre Dame; the gentlemen would certainly go to
admire the law school which is not one of the seven
wonders of the universe, but something incomparably
greater. With a faculty where are to be found Pro­
fessors who do honor to the University of Notre Dame
by allowing her to use their names and that is all, in
the twenty-five pages devoted by the university to the
explanation of her great course in law, she modestly
states in her catalogue: "It is believed that nowhere
in the country is the course in law more comprehen­
sive, thorough and practical than at this university."
This may be supposed by the gentlemen of the com­
mittee to be only a figure of speech used in order to
show the excellency of the course in law of this great
University of Notre Dame. It is a mistake. God's
great wonders can be excelled by others still greater,
but the course in law of the University of Notre Dame
cannot be excelled. The university expressly states in
her catalogue: "This course of instruction is com-


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
4S
of Functions; therefore the professor who wrote the
course had not taken the trouble of examining the
book; in fact, he had "never seen it.
It is useless to state that Dr. Craig's name was
scratched anc1later replaced by Murray's. When I met
the layman-professor entrusted by the President with
the writing of this course of advanced mathematics for
the catalogue he acknowledged frankly that he had
never seen Dr. Craig's Differential Equations, but he
supposed it was all right because he had seen that book
in the catalogues of great universities, and of course it
should find its place in the catalogue of the University
of Notre Dame. To study Dr. Craig's Differential
Equations after Osborne's Calculus is the same as to
study calculus after arithmetic. It is with such mathe­
maticians that the University of Notre Dame offers
to the Spanish speaking students opportunities for
deep studies in pure mathematics to fit them to become
professors in mathematics or to lead them in the
obstruse path of original research! ! ! !
To think that the newspapers unwittingly help to
cheat the public with their puffs, enhancing the work
of such a lying institution as Notre Dame! To think
that the Very Reverend Dr. Zahm is so highly praised
for his zeal displayed in the interest of higher educa­
tion l The great number of catholics who are desirous
of seeing catholic educational institutions offer courses
as varied and thorough as those of non-catholic col­
leges and universities may indeed be pleased with the
zeal of the Very Reverend Dr. Zahm who has realized
that competition in brains is a reality; that the insti­
tution that offers the largest salaries gets the best
teachers and that a competent faculty and modern


46
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
equipment swell the class rolls! !! But this is sheer
nonsense anel the facts prove it.
The Very Reverend Dr. Zahm, Provincial of the
congregation of the Holy Cross and President of the
Board of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame, is
simply an abettor and conniver of detestable frauds.
As President of. the Board of Trustees of the U niver­
sity of Notre Dame, Dr. Zahm is responsible for the
spreading of the falsehoods set forth in the Spanish
catalogue to deceive the Spanish speaking students of
Cuba, Mexico. Central and South America. As Presi­
dent of the Board of Trustees it is his duty to see that
all informations in the Spanish catalogue sent or con­
veyed to the I Latin Americans are correct. It is his
dutyto see that the Latin-American young men should
not be decoyed by the most shameless misrepresenta­
tions of the greatness of the University of Notre
Dame.
The Very Reverend Dr. Zahm understands Span­
ish. Let him open the Spanish catalogue on page 8r
and read: "The degree of Doctor of Letters is hon­
orary, and is granted to former pupils of the university
who write some remarkable work in literature or in
any other branches of the course." This is a false­
hood and Dr. Zahm is aware of it. The object of this
falsehood is to convey to the Spanish speaking people
the impression that in the faculty of the University
of Notre Dame there are literary men of the greatest
rank and that such a degree is really granted. I t is
not so, however, and the English catalogue of the Uni­
versity of Notre Dame is silent on this degree as well
as on what is further quoted on page 8r, Spanish cata­
logue: "Bàchelors of Letters may enter the course


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
49
catalogue to the University of Notre Dame, should
bring a suit before the United States court, praying
the United States court to have the U niversity of
N otre Dame restrained from continuing to cheat his
countrymen. He might rightly state: "The University
of Notre Dame is deceiving my countrymen by lead­
ing them to believe through the false statements of
her Spanish catalogue, that she is a great university;
that her work is exceptionally high; that her staff is
composed of eminent specialists. I shall limit myself
to the most glaring falsehoods in her Spanish cata­
logue and which the university does not dare to print
in her English catalogue. I. The University of Notre
Dame lies when she asserts on page 18 of her Spanish
catalogue: "Notre Dame and the principal universi­
ties of this country have endeavored to make the title
of Doctor, a degree granted only for exceptional work,
and when the pupil shows that he possesses special
aptitude for original research." The University of
N otre Dame has not granted one degree of Doctor
on the above conditions. It is entirely unknown to
the students and professors of Notre Dame, that there
exists a three years post graduate course leading to
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy-a course printed
in the Spanish catalogue and which does not exist in
the University of Notre Dame. 2. The University of
Notre Dame lies when she asserts on page 19 and in
other places of her Spanish catalogue: That her de­
gree of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws and Doctor
of Letters are honorary and granted only for some
remarkable work on those branches. This is a false­
hood leading us to believe that the University of Notre
Dame has a faculty in which there are eminent special-


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
51
of the Holy Cross, to have advertised in the Cuban,
Mexican, Central and South American newspapers
that her Spanish catalogue is not to be relied on.
The University of Notre Dame is guilty toward her
Latin American students of breach of promise, since
the University of Notre Dame did not furnish us with
the eminent specialists which her several doctors de­
grees, granted only for some remarkable work, re­
quire. The University of Notre Dame is guilty of
breach of contract because the University of Notre
Dame exacted our money on conditions which she
knew at the time she could not fulfill.
The University of Notre Dame is guilty of obtaining
our money under false pretense, since her Doctors'
degrees and eminent specialists are only imaginary
and not to be discovered in her institution of learn­
ing.
Such being the case, the Latin-American students
of Notre Dame university have a perfect right to pray
the courts that their money should be refunded, and
that damages should be granted them for losing the
best years of their life in a university-a university
entirely different from what she represented herself
to be.
The catholic University of Notre Dame should feel
happy of a judgment in favor of her Latin-American
students, because, according to one of her religious
tenets there is no absolution without restitution. I,
however, waive all claims to any indemnity to which
I may be entitled, provided the catholic University of
N otre Dame ceases to deceive Latin-Americans."
What a disgrace that would be to the catholics of
America, and to think that such a disgrace should be


52
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
brought about by a religious congregation whose
object should be the edification and not the cheating
of the public!
REMEDY OF THESE EVILS, AND THE CATH­
OLICITY OF THE NEW CATHOLIC
COLLEGES OF THE FUTURE.
We have seen what is almost evident, that it is a pre­
posterous idea to suppose that religious congregations
could furnish our catholic young men of America with
colleges where the bread of higher education is dis­
pensed ..
Let us bear in mind that for colleges is meant the
collegiate departments of universities like Harvard,
Yale, Chicago, Northwestern, Brown, etc.
We have seen that the root of the evil is that our
catholic people look upon collegiate institutions as the
property of private corporations which are to be left
to take care of themselves. We have seen that it would
be dangerous to furnish religious congregations with
money in behalf of those boys who cannot pay the
expense of education and are therefore obliged to go
to non-catholic colleges, besides other drawbacks all
the profit goes to enrich the congregation. Who is
not acquainted with the evils with which the Catholic
Church has been afflicted on account of religious
bodies owning too much, and their avarice increasing
in proportion with their wealth?
The only way left is to found colleges with learned
laymen as professors and Bishops as Presidents of
Trustees.
To start the new catholic colleges, the real difficulty


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
55
word of God, transmitted to us in the Holy Scripture;
that Book that surpasses all books, past, present and
future, and which, alas, is not read by our catholic
students studying in catholic colleges and universities
controlled by religious congregations?
Is it not a shame that while Pope Leo XIII. so
strongly recommends to catholic laymen the study of
the Bible, religious congregations controlling catholic
colleges and universities offer no opportunities for the
study of this great Book? The Bible is a sealed book
to our catholic students in catholic colleges controlled
by religious congregations.
It is evident that no college can be called catholic
unless it offers opportunities to students to become
thoroughly acquainted with catholic topics.
In a real catholic college there should be in every
course leading to a degree a'certain number of elective
studies, and the students should be strongly encour­
aged to take some religious topics, which should count
as much as any other secular branch.
Why should catholic students who are advanced in
Latin not have the opportunities of becoming
acquainted with some of the Latin Fathers of 'the
Church?
They might read, for instance, with a professor of
Patristic Theology, "The Confessions of St. Augus­
tine" and many other works in which their knowledge
of the Latin language would be utilized both to exer­
cise the brain and at the same time to more rationally
educate them in the catholic faith.
The same method could be even better pursued with
the "Greek Fathers of the Church." The motto of
Emerson should never be forgotten: "I do not ask


56
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
what my child studies, but who is his teacher." There
is depth in this saying.
One of the differences between a genuine college
professor and an incompetent college professor is that
a good student taught by a genuine college professor
will acquire a taste for the subject taught, and some
few hints given in the right time will be the cause of
stimulating the student to further pursue the subject,
or at least give him a desire to do so; whereas a stu­
dent taught by an incompetent professor may study
because he wishes to graduate, but after graduation
he has no desire to further pursue his studies.
It is for this reason that the real worth of a genuine
college professor is thoroughly appreciated only later
in life by a student.
These new colleges will certainly offer opportuni­
ties for the study of Hebrew, Ecclesiastical History,
Natural Theology, etc., but what is sure is that the
Word of God will be most zealously read and ex­
plained.
N o college can rightly be called catholic unless with­
in its halls the catholic students have opportunities to
study the Word of God, so strongly recommended by
our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII.
COMMUNICATION OF THE AUTHOR WITH
THE AUTHORITIES OF NOTRE
DAME UNIVERSITY.
South Bend, Ind., Jan. 19, r899.
To the Board of Trustees of the University of Notre
Dame, Notre Dame, Ind.:
Gentlemen-I send this communication, to present
before your most honorable body some claims based


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
61
that I am entitled to the chair of Mathematics, I wish
to make some few suggestions which if adopted by
you, the University of Notre Dame will soon have a
magnificent mathematical department and the engi­
neering courses better attended than they -are now.
In my opinion the University of Notre Dame offers
a fine field in the line of Mathematics. but it must be
properly cultivated.
There should be a Department of Mathematics lead­
ing to the degree of B. S., requiring the same amount
of Physics, Chemistry, English and Philosophy as it
is prescribed in the Civil Engineering course, and a
r�ading knowledge of French and German. It would
be advisable to offer a one year post graduate course
in Mathematics leading to the degree of M. S., just
as it was offered in the University of Deseret, now
University of Utah. The pupils of the Mathematical
Department would have at least one elective study
,
every year, if not more. Advised but not compelled to
choose them in anyone of the Engineering courses,
when they take the degree of B. S. they will perceive
that very little is left them to graduate in the Engineer­
ing course from which they choose their elective
. studies, and by remaining one year longer they might
graduate in it and perhaps by taking some postgradu­
ate courses in Mathematics, if fitted, they will receive
the degree of M. S. Of course, next September all I
could do would be to take charge of the beginners of
Geometry and third Algebra. These two studies
should begin simultaneously, divisions shall be made
according to fitness, and I shall take charge of the
best division and keep it with me to the end of the
year. I purposely refrain from stating the amount of


66
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
from Mc Millans Books I�eview, that you may see
that the position of Furchte was actually filled by Ed­
win M. blake.
I remain, gentlemen, yours very respectfully.
CHAS. VENEZIANI.
Notre Dame, Incl., May 17, 1899.
Mr. Chas. \7" eneziani, South Bend, Ind.:
My Dear Sir-In an interview with you some
months ago I told you that I would not need your
services at the !_1l1 ivcrsity after the present scholastic
year.
You requested me to put this clecision in writing,
and I said I would do so before the close of the term.
1, hereby, notify you again that your services will
not be required after the closing of our school on
j unc IS, 1899. .\1l1cerely yours,
A. MORRISSEY, C. S. C.
South Bend, Ind., June I, I899.
I I7 S. St. Louis St.
Very Rev. A. Morrissey, C. S. c., President of the
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Incl.:
My Dear Father Morrissey-Your letter of May
I7th, in which you notify me that you would not need
my services after June 15th, is at hand. In the same
letter I notice you made a big mistake, which is quite
excusable, because, as once you told me on the
veranda, you easily forget many things. In your letter
I see "You requested me to put this decision in writing
anel I said I would do so before the close of the term."
Allow me to tell you, Father Morrissey, that I am
far more logical than you suppose. What you should
have written is "You re,quested me to put this answer


68
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
year is correct, when I asked you: "Do you mean to
say that Dr. Egan was engaged at a salary less than
$600 per year?" Y ou answered I could not compare
myself with Dr. Egan; you stated that my teaching
was poor, and to m y asking" Did you not tell me once
that my teaching was very good?" you answered you
never said such thing to me. To my question, "Did
you ever say to anybody that my teaching was so good
that the university on this account increased my sal­
ary?" you replied it would be impossible for you to
have said such thing, since the university never in­
creased my salary; you expatiated on your great kind­
ness in having promised me that I could remain here
at Notre Dame as long as I had not found a more
suitable place, when I answered that I did not see your
kindness in taking away the teaching Dr. Zahm in­
tended to give me during the vacations, and you replied:
"How can you prove that? Besides, it is my duty to
see what kind of men are employed at Notre Dame;"
and when I asked was the vacancy alluded to in state­
ment No. I of the affidavit, the vacancy of Prof. Me­
Griskin, whose house you promised when you wrote
about locating me nicely, you replied you did not wish
to answer that question.
This was the verbal answer I requested you to put
in writing, because before you would have finished it
you would have perceived so many contradictions and
so many lies that the answer instead of being sent
before the close of the term would not have been fin­
ished before the close of your life. There is no need
to be a Doctor of Philosophy of the University of
Heidelberg and to have received the prize bestowed
upon the best mathematical scholar in that great uni-


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
69
versity in order to see the complete absence of sound
logic in your verbal answer.
In the first place, if you have promised that I could
remain here until I found a better position, what great
crime have I committed that you may break your
promise? If I had had the misfortune, as it has been
ordinarily the case with the teachers discharged in
this institution; of being found drunk, or arrested for
disorderly conduct, I could easily understand the
necessity of discharging me; but to suppose that be­
cause I sent a communication to the Board of Trustees
of the University of Notre Dame, stating my rights as
I see them, you are exonerated from keeping your
promise, I must frankly acknowledge that there is not
only a lack of sound logic, but als\) a want of honesty,
such as you would find in a heathen and certainly
ought to be expected of a Christian, a priest, one who
binds himself with three vows in order to reach heaven
with more surety.
Concerning the comparison with Dr. Egan, I an­
swer that comparisons are odious, but the question
here is whether my salary is higher than Dr. Egan's
salary, and since it is not higher you lied when you
wrote the statement that $600 is higher "than we ever
give for the first year," and you know very well your­
self that you were lying when writing such a statement,
and that you were only confirming a lie when you
asserted the truth of that statement.
As to my communication being an impudent one
because I want the chair of Mathematics in spite of
you, I answer the question is whether according to
your written statements I am entitled to it and I proved
that I am. When you said "You never told me that


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
75
whether your written statements set forth in the affi­
davit accompanying my first communication and on
whose account I declined the Purdue University, are
not a set of lies, and whether the university is not
responsible for your writing as President. Suppos­
ing even that my teaching is poor, as I am teaching
Languages, it would not follow that . my teaching
Mathematics is poor, and as I am entitled to the chair
of Mathematics your pretext would fall flat. Besides,
from the testimonial of the Vice-President of the Uni­
versity of Utah, my teaching of Mathematics is an
ideal one, according to you my teaching of Languages
is poor; then why should you hesitate to give me the
chair of Mathematics to which I am entitled? By thus
doing the University of Notre Dame would gain an
ideal teacher of Mathematics and get rid of what you
style "a poor teacher in Languages." When I asked
you at the close of my first year whether I would have
to teach Mathematics the ensuing year you answered
that my services were needed to strengthen the Mod­
ern Languages Department. No person could under­
stand how (what you style) "a poor teacher" would be
able to strengthen a Modern Languages Department
in a university. There are three reasons, besides, why
you should not slander my teaching. I st. Your testi­
mony is worthless, having just told the contrary to
Mother S-o zd. I have in my possession irre­
fragable proofs of the contrary. 3rd. The work itself
is the best proof. My pupils, the beginners in German,
on three recitations a week, of three-quarters of an
hour each, at the end of the first year understand
Schiller's Wallenstein and Goethe; and you have only
to glance at the catalogue to see the immense work


76
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
the beginners in French did under me last year, and
they woulcl have clone still more were it not that you
through your criminal weakness retarded the progréss
of my class. When my pupils neecled a dictionary
the Brother in the office refused to order the one I
wanted for the class because he wished to dispose of
some worthless dictionaries which the university had
for sale. Whenever I tolcl you about it, you would
send me to the Brother, and meanwhile for several
weeks the class could not do the work it would have
done otherwise. At last I spoke to the Director of
Studies about it and added that if the parents of the
pupils had any conception of such shameful proceed­
ings of the University of Notre Dame they would be
indignant. The Director of Studies told me to come
into the office the following day and he would see
that the dictionaries were ordered; thus what you left
dragging for several weeks was dispatched promptly
by the Director of Studies, and the dictionaries were
ordered at once. Now, my dear sir, compare your
criminal weakness in allowing a Brother who has no
conception of French, but dictates under your very
nose to the so-called Professor of Romance Languages
of the University of Notre Dame what kind of French
dictionaries must be used in the French class, to the
detriment of the pupils-compare, I say, such criminal
weakness in regard to that Brother with your criminal,
idiotic and tyrannical proceedings toward the same
Professor of Romance Languages on the occasion you
requested me to take charge of the beginners in Latin.
I told you I would take charge of that class as a favor,
not as a duty, because we agreed that I would not
have to teach beginners in Latin; you answered it


CATHOLIC YOUNG MEN.
83
should show causes which justify you in my dismissal.
I am sorry that all I can afford to give as a fee is
$200. I wish I could make it $2,000, but it is impos­
sihle. If you are willing to arbitrate the matter, we
will easily arrange all further details. The only im-
I portant thing is, that we should wish that the whole
matter should be settled according to justice,-for my
own part I am willing; if you are also willing, you
win apprise me which of the two you prefer as arbi­
trator, Bishop Scanlan or Archbishop Riordan, and
we will speedily succeed in settling our differences. I
will furnish myself the $200, which wrll be added to
my claims, if I am right; if the judgment is against
me, I am willing to lose them.
Hoping that this suggestion will meet with your
approbation, I remain, my dear sir,
Yours very sincerely,
CHAS VENEZIANI.
South Bend, Ind., Sept. 5th, 1899.
To the Board of Trustees,
Of the D niversity of Notre Dame,
N otre Dame, Indiana.
Gentlemen :-On March 23rd, 1899, I sent you a
second communication in which, after having stated
the result of my interview with the President of N.
D. D., to whom you referred me in your answer to my
first communication, as the one who. has exclusive
authority in the matter concerning my claims, I sug­
gested that Bishop Scanlan, of Salt Lake City, be
taken as arbitrator. N o answer was vouchsafed to
the second communication.


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HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
Un May 17th, I received a letter from the President
of N. D. U., in which he notifies me that he does not
need my services after J une 15th. I enclose a copy
of my reply to his letter, as it is intimately connected
with the present subject. You will observe, in reading
my reply, that I advocated that the whole matter be
referred to either Archbishop Riordan of San Fran­
cisco, who, as a pupil and friend of Notre Dame,
would not certainly be inclined to wrong his Alma
Mater, or to Bishop Scanlan of Salt Lake City, but
the President declined to accept any arbitration what­
ever concerning my claims, and repeated that my
services would not be needed after June 15th.
Well, my dear gentlemen, I intend in this third and
last communícation of mine to speak to you the truth
and nothíng but the truth; there is a power in right
which might alone cannot give, and which constitutes
might in itself, and I feel within me that right and
that might. One would reasonably expect from relig­
ious people that their actions should be a model, a
light to us laymen, and their honesty in business
transactions above reproach. One would reasonably
expect from the Board of Trustees of the University
of Notre Dame, that its members would have enough
conscience if a claim is presented by a teacher to make
a thorough investigation for fear of incurring the
curse of God for keeping a human being out of what
is due to him. If the Board of Trustees of the Uni­
versity of Notre Dame, instead of being composed of
four priests and one brother, all five belonging to the
C. S. C, was composed of four saloon keepers and one
gambler, all five belonging to the A. P. A., I am fully
convinced I would have found better consciences in


86
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR
tiff! ! ! � N o Asiat ic court ever prostituted so low its
sacred functions of dispensing justice, as did the Board
of Trustees of the University of Notre Dame with
such an infamous answer.
Far from accepting the President of the University
of Notre Dame as my judge, I denounce him before
you as a first-class liar, a faithless man, a scoundrel,
an unjust despot, and a low deadbeat.
I brand the President of the University of Notre
Dame as a liar, when he asserts that he never told me
my teaching was very good, and I call God as wit­
ness, that he did so.
I brand the President of Notre Dame U niversity
as a liar, when he asserts he never told anybody that
my teaching was so good that the University increased
my salary, and I call as witness Mother S-, the
Mother Superior of the Novititate of St. Mary's, who,
when she congratulated me for this good news, told
me, she heard it from Father Morrissey, himself,-and
who shall dare to question the veracity o.f a Mother
S-?
I brand the President of the University of . Notre
Dame as a liar, when he wrote that $600 is "higher
than we ever give for the first year", and when he as­
serts that the statement he wrote is correct, and I call
as witnesses you all, members of the Board of Trus­
tees of the U. N. D., beginning with you, Father Hud­
son, President of the Board; you, Father Connor,
Vice-President; you, Father French, Secretary; and
you, Brother Edward, Treasurer. You know very
well that he lied, still, if you entertain any doubt, you
may go and verify with your own eyes, and you must
agree with me, that the President of U. N. D. was a