Catholic+Clergy+of+New+York+&+The+New+Deal

Catholic Clergy of New York & The New Deal
__**Introduction:**__ In September 1935, Franklin Roosevelt penned an open letter to members of the American clergy, asking for them to "write me about conditions in your community" and to [t]ell me where you feel our government can better serve our people." Approximately 30,000 responses were sent to the White House, covering a variety to topics. Overwhelmingly, the letters from Catholic, Jewish, and Protestant religious leader were congratulatory. Yet a number of the responses took the President to task, claiming that the New Deal exhibited a failure to promote the work ethic that made the United States great, a shortfall in equalizing the distribution of wealth in the country, or a bias against particular populations.

//**In each of the excerpts, please identify both the complimentary and critical comments made by the author. What suggestions are made to correct the shortcomings found in the implementation of the New Deal programs?**//

Dear Honored Mr. President,

It is my opinion that our government can better serve our people by strengthening and increasing that confidence which you won from us in 1932. "Political promises" have for sometime carried the odium of suspicion, because officials, State and Federal, have so often ridden to victory on a political lie. And that supreme trust which we are asked to, and sincerely wish to, accord our highest representatives, has at time been so shamefully abused by an almost sacrilegious traffic in the moral convictions of our fellowmen [sic] had been insulted, and with it, very often, our intellignece.

Your own efforts to keep your campaign promises have brought back much of our trust, and we look to th coming year (perhaps the next five years) for even greater incentive to assurance. Can you give the people a clearer exposition of the __advantage to us as a nation__ of the various Federal projects; the significance of budget statistics; of various points of special legislation, e.g. "soaking the rich", [sic] etc., which your opponents have succeeded in cleverly and intentionally garbling, and the newspapers have so handsomely mystified by persiflage and varbiage, for the "man in the street", [sic] and, if truth be told, for many with four-figured salaries?

A clear-cut, well-defined exposition, which will convince the people that our government is pledging itself to our interests; serving the common good and not the favored few; dispensing justice with the consciousness of that sacred trust postulated by a God-given authority, will unify and solidify our millions into one national heart, that [sic] will beat with the spirit of our Fathers, whose habit was loyalty."

Thomas A. Donoghue, S.J. Manhattan, New York 6 October 1935

Dear Sir:

Yours at hand. Conditions in this community are very bad. The spirit of the old pioneers to do things has been knocked out of the people. The false teaching that man is creature [sic] of the state had been propogated, and the people think that the state must support them.

There is a common feeling that you are spending, as the expression goes, like a drunken sailor. As no one can buy himself out of debt, so the Nation.

It is my opinion that is America if American is to get on its feet again, politics must keep hand sout of business, to stop corruption and adopt the merit system. It is a common expression that it doesn't count what you know, or what you can do, but whom you know and what graft you are ready to pay for the job.

No public debt should be contracted without knowing how it is to be paid within a certain period of time. To get out of the depression we've gt to press on, that is, consume less and produce more. The thought that the richest man is he tht has few desires, should be spread.

With best wishes, I am

Respectfully yours.

Anthony Castoggia (sp?) Staten Island, New York 28 September 1935

Dear Mr. President: I was more than pleased to receive your letter a few days ago asking for my suggestions wherein the Government can best serve the people. Well, my dear President, this would be a big undertaking as I know not all the minds look at the same subject in the same manner. First, let me congratulate you on your great effort to help the people of the U.S. arise from the maelstrom of depression that has engulfed them for the past few years. I know you have been criticized, for your noble effort, by those who do not understand the conditions not the evils of fallen humanity. But I say may God bless you and give you strength to carry on your noble work. I think your idea of getting the suggestions from the Clergymen of the different denominations will greatly help you in the solution of your problems, if all the Clergy will give their honest opinions and not take this opportunity to criticize and find fault with the government, forgetting even the dignity of your own person and the virtue of charity toward all men. The conditions in this parish are very poor. Heads of families not working and not getting relief because they own their homes or are insured and trying to keep their families together. Many come to the Rectory day after day begging for food or clothing. When they apply for a job to the welfare office they get very curt answers and are told there is not job for them, and they see young men and women sitting around in offices doing nothing but drawing big salaries while they and the members of their families are starving. In some places they are asked their religious belief, and are told they cannot help them. Around New York and Brooklyn the Jews and Italians are well taken care of. There are others that have to live and eat but are starving because they cannot get work, especially those who were at one time prosperous but through depression lost their all and are too proud to beg for help. You are doubtless aware that there is no organization so well conducted, as far as morals and love of the poor are concerned, as the Catholic Church. With one Supreme Head, the Holy Father the Pope, under him Bishops, and, under them priests who carry out the teachings of the master to the last degree. There is no body of men who have their fingers on the pulse of humanity like the Catholic Pastors of their flocks. They see humanity at its worst and at its best. Give to them the distribution of the monies assigned for the welfare of the old, the infirm, the poor and the children and you will find the work done in a most efficient manner. There will be no overhead expenses and no large salaries. I know you would be criticized, and all kinds of pressure brought on you to avoid such a plan from the critics, the chiselers and unscrupulous politicians. Allow the St. Vincent dePaul Society, the Knights of Columbus and the many other societies professing the Catholic religion to go after the poor, the infirm and the needy in their own districts or parishes and report to their pastors those in need of help and the distribution will be a success. Let all other religious denominations do the same and surely no one deserving of aid will be missed or neglected. Too many chiselers and too many high salaried officials are now spoiling the Works Program and will continue to do so unless some legal curb is placed upon them. This is my council and advice sincerely given, as you asked.

I am, Sincerely yours,

Rev. James J. O'Reilly, C.M. Brooklyn, New York October 3, 1935

Your Excellency,

1. Since the welfare of our people both temporal & spiritual is intimately & closely connected with the liquor question, I maintain that every encouragement should be given to our citizens in the practice of temperance & every discouragement in the practice of intemperance. Every government agency federal as well as local must insist on the strict observance of those laws which regulate the sale and transportation of liquor. In my humble opinion I would suggest that minors should not be allowed to buy any kind of liquor unless they are authorized by their parents or guardians.

2. Every well-organized government is built upon an up-to-date system of education. Since religion is held to be an essential factor in the line of education, in such a way that one supports the other, I suggest that children who go to public or quasi-public schools & whose years range from 10 to 15 ought to be taught religion by a competent teachers if parents give their written consent to this proposition.

3. In connection with the vital question of education I wish to submit to your consideration the following proposition, namely that children (especially boys) whose years range from 15 to 20 who neither go to work nor study should be obliged to go to some kind of a trade-school--this, I think, will be an effective means to learn in time the rudiments of some useful trade in which they become more & more interested and which may prove helpful to become useful citizens.

4. May I suggest that all textbooks on history used in public & quasi-public schools by those children who attend the 7th & 8th grades have an appendix wherein is printed the following documents 1. the 10 Commendments as God has revealed them to Moses. 2. The Constitution of the United States. 3. That part of the Gospel of Matthew which contains the words of Christ, Our Lord" "Render to Caesar the things that ar [sic] Caesar's etc." (ch 22nd). 4. Washington's Farewell Address. 5. Your own Proclamation made at the time when 36 States of the Union had vpted against the 18th Amendment.

Father B. Rudolph, O.F.M. Manhattan, New York 15 October 1935