Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-08-23

institution can be imagined, orreaa Of with
such capacities for wrong and oppression a.
the public schools7 When the experiment
Of selfgovernment In America has resulted
in placing the children under the control OF
such persons as the average Of those who are
elected to ofHce in party scrsmhles, il win
have been played out; and then H. would
have been betterif Il never had been born.
And let II be remembered that however the
school system may have become demoralized
in this way, it win still cut off all private
educational undertakings, for 1t win mo-
nopolize the public means, and all other ef-
forts win still be waste Of money.
We know Of a large town where the pub
lie schools are great, magnificent, and almost
perfected, where they have only been saved
from destruction, for several years past, BY
whispering the alarm on election day, that
the Catholics are trying to get the control
of the schoolsp According to the most
hopeful friends of the system in that place,
It is only saved from ruin by that game.
There, too, It was announced by the pecu-
liar advocates Of the system, at the last
school election, that IL the school elections
were not kept out Of politics, which iu re-
ality means, there, II the Democrats are not
kept out of The control, the schools will be
ruined. AS the school elections are provided
at different time, and in q different manner,
from all ether elections, so as to escape no.
tice, and "keep politics out" and as not one
quarter of the voters usually think of the
school elections this game has been success
frl several times. But can II be relied on
for permanency2 Cana school system which
already hangs by such slender thread, be
said to have the elements of perpetuity?
| When this religious dodge is stated in
large terms, as principle, it is that if secta-
rian considerations enter into the control OF
the schools, they will be ruined. All the
friends admit this. As interpreted, it means
that the schools are now in the control Of
Protestants, and if the Catholics get the
control, they viii be ruined. We care not
to dispute this point; but does not Protestant
control equally ruin the schools for the
Catholics; and have not Catholic citizens
equal rights in the schools7 Furthermore,
will any rational man, who observes the pro-
gress and the politics of this country, say
that system which will be ruined if the
Catholics carry the school elections, is a safe
one TO build mp, to drive out all other means
of education? There are plenty of Prot
estant politicians now, who, to carry their
own elections, would give the nominations
for school officers to the Catholics.
Besides, the Protestants have the control
Of the schools now, and they insist that GER
tain of their religious observances shall be
used in the schools, or else they will be
utterly Goddess and, therefore, ruined. Has
not this set precedent for the Catholics,
when they get the control of any of the
schools, to insist on their religious observ-
ances, and will not this ruin the schools for
the Protestants? Several of the Ward schools
in New York have been s'ruined" in that
way already. 1t will thus be seen that this
system which is driving out all other educa-
tional means in the country, and making all
education depend on its fate, is, by the ad-
mission of its most jealous advocates, as
easily ruined as woman reputation. Yet
any one who suggests the rashness of this
venture, will be.denounced as an enemy Of
education, and maligned as if he had denied
some religious dogma.
We have merely referred to the elements
of ruin to the system, which its friends have
announced, and our space limits us to mere
suggestions for consideration in that. We
have not entered into the subject by any
means. At some future time we may.