Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-09-21
Sectnriau Schools.

The Journal says =
"The Wings in the last Legislature, in
troduced and supported certain amendments
to the constitution, which are now before the
people for their action, and among the num-
Der is this identical precision against Seotarian
schools"
The Journal is very much mistaken. The
Wings had nothing whatever to do with the
introduction of that amendment to the notice
/ of the Legislature, On the contrary, the
Wing leaders resisted its introduction. After
the Committee had been appointed, on motion
of Col. Newell A. Thompson, and of which
he was Chairman on the part of the House,
this subject of sectarian schools was brought
forward by George w. Coburn, Esq, of ORA
cut, Free Soil Democrat. Several weeks
/ passed, the Committee reporting on various
| other subjects, until the session approached
| its close. The subject was brought to the at
tention of the leading members of the Com
mittee individually, but they answered that
they did not think it eXpedient to take any
action. A meeting of the Committee was
notified and held, at which 1t 'oaS 0oted not to
report the amendment coace1RtRg SectariGn
schools. Mr.. Coburn, determined that 1t
should not be his fault if the Legislature did
not have chance at least to oote on the sub
ject, introduced an order iRStructing the Com
mittee. This order passed the House, but
was rejected by the Wings IN the Senate. Still
persisting in his purpose, Mr.. Coburn, greatly
to the CONSERVATION of the Wing leaders, IN
tyoduced the amendment ITSELF moved a sus-
pension of the rules so as to allow it to be
considered without going to the Committee,
hourished that legislative scourge, the yeas
and nays, about the ears of the timid and
shrinking politicians, and it went through by
a large majority, all parties sustaining it.
I, ~, = 81, cod 1N,r,
unanimous vote.
This whole matter of the Sectarian School
amendment is anything but creditable to the
Wing party. From beginning to end, their
course i'll relation to it has been marked by
nothing but partizan motives. In the Con-
vention, it was first brought forward, in the
shape of an order, by Free Soiler. 1t was
faeorably reported on by the Committee on the
Encouragement of Literature. A leading
Wing, Judge Parker of Cambridge, proposed
modification of it, and it was his draft which
was finally agreed to. The opposition which
was made to ii by few of the leading coali-
tionists was stimulated by the a0o,oed purpose
Of the Wings, declared IN debate, that they IN
tended to press 1t for the purpose of arraytng the
Catholic vote against the Constitution! And,
after placing in in the amended Constitution,
what did they do: They procured the servi-
ceS OF BroWnSon ana hOQuan, 10 array tHe
Roman Catholic voters against the whole
Constitution, because it contained this identi-
cal school clause, which they had been instru-
mental in introducing there, and not only that,
bvt SIXTY THOUSAND WHIGs VOTED AGAINST IT
at the polls last November. In the last Leg
stature, as we have shown, they resisted its
introduction among the amendments and
NOW, they claim that they introduced it We
doubt whether the tergiversation of this course
was ever equalled, by any party in Massachu-
sets. or any other State. Here is party, re-
s0lujnq in its State Contention IN AUGUST 1854,
IN FAVOR Of the identical proposition, word for
word, letter for lettlr, and comma for Gamma,
which they VOTED AGAINST, sixty thousand
strong no longer ago than NOrember 1858 And
yet this party preteDds to be consistent and
deserving of the confidence of the people of
Standardization Commonwealth.