The weekly Butte record., 1867-11-30
Fanatic .. our Public schools.

Catholic Church-the redoubtab,e Zach Nontgon-
cry. has published il his paper, the San Francisco
Occidental and Vanguard series of resolutions
on our Common School system, with 4 request tha,
every editor in the State shall Reproduce them
We should as soon think of reproducing the sage
productions of the Rev. Mr. Crisis, or the procla-
nations of Emperor Norton. as of strictly comply
ing with the request, and permit them to pass with
q seeming endorsement. As their author claims
that his position upon the school question as been
misrepresented and these resolutions calculated
to give him his true position that question,
propose to devote little space to the subject, and
give Zach fair chance, although his correct posi-.
ton may be Of no more consequence to the public
than his incorrect one. Be it known then that our
present system contemplates the maintenance Of
public school in every neghborhood, orgaized into
a school district, which every child between GER
tain ages, is entitled to attend. These schools are
supported in part by the public school fund, and
the deficiency if any exist, is usually provided for
by a district tax or by rate bills. The State public
school fund arises in part from taxation, but chiefly
from the interest the sales of land granted to the
State by the general government for public school
purposes. Under the system it is expected to see
institutions Of learning spring all over the State
and the opportunity Of acquiring common school
education placed within the reach of every child in
the state. So much for general outline of the
system. Now for the objections of the great pub
lie school luminary, Mr. Montgomery:
The resolutions are preceded by nine 'whereases,'
the first referring to San Francisco grand jury
report, concerning an over-crowded schoolroom:
I'd, to the partisan falsehoods taught in the
San Francisco schools; Sd, the internal strife
and endless civil wars. with all their horrible and
bloody consequences of such teaching; 4th
State tax of ss59.229 to maintain such teaching;
5th. there are 81 O52 school children in the State,
and but 80 $50 in atte ndance upon the public
schools; 9th, 44,273 children are deprived of the
benefit of the school fund.- because their parents
prefer they should grow up in ignorance, rather
than jeopardize their minds and morals with false
teachings; 7th, quotation from Swett's report; sth
that the doctrines avowed in Swett's report pre-
vents thousands of parents from sending their
children to these schools; 9th that in order to
open the school room to the stayaways ait will be
necessary to shape educational system more in
harmony with the natural relations established by
the Creator between parent and Child Then fol-
lows therefore y and the accompanying resolu-
tions:
Resolred, That the parent is the natural and God
appointed Guardian of his children: that he is
endowed by his Creator with the inaenabe right,
and charged with the inalienabe duty of determin-
ing in what manner and by whom his own child
shall be educated.
Resolred That we hold with DR.. Wayland-late
President of Brown University-that the teacher
is only the agent and that the parent Is the prlnc
nal: that he (the parent) is bound to select such
instructors as will best accomplish the results which
he believes will be most beneficial" And that IF
the teacher and the parent cannot agree, the con-
nection must be dissolved"
Resofred That the right which We here claim
for the parent to direct and control IN the matter
of the childs education. is derived neither from a
political party nor from religious sect, but comes
directly from the Creator himself. 1t belongs
equally to the Democrat and to the Republican; to
the Catholic, the Protestant, the Jew and the nom
religonist, and is so inseparaby connected with
the parental Office that no man can rightfully d.
vide it even with his brother, though that bro
ther belong to the school of politics and reg
ion with himself for the simple reason that no man
can either transfer to another the paterna love
which he bears to his child, nor can he throw
upon another the sorrow the shame, or the domes
tio misery which must accrue to himself from the
bad training of his child. Therefore, be it
Resoired, That We oppose any partition OF the
school monies on sectarian basis. whereby the
child would have to depend upon the consolidated
will of the church members of some religious con-
gregation just as he now depends upon the consol
dated will of the dominant political party instead
of the untrammeled voice of his parents to
say who shall be his teacher and what he shall
study.
In view of the foregoing premises, be it further
Resolved. That, we. the unders gned, citizens of
the State of California representing various shades
of political and religious belief hereby declare our
selves in favor of amending the School Laws of
this State. that they will enable every parent. un-
der certain general rules. regardless of his political
or religious opinions. to select the school wherein
his children are TO be taught and will cause each
school to be paid ont of the common fund, sum
proportionate to the number of its pupils; thus
rendering the teacher or principal OF every school
amenabe to the parents of each individual child,
and not 10 irresponsible board of politicians on
the one hand nor TO cabal of fanatical intolerant
and bigoted sectarans the other, for the manner
| in which he discharges his professional duties
towards such child.
| This, then is the whole aud substance OF Mr..
| Montgomery's position on the Public school ques-
ton. We appeal to the candor of every intelligent
reader if they have ever witnessed more dema-
gogical or basphemous sppeal frcm political up
starts or religious laudlCs aSdlust uuulau lustt u
tons. That there may be faults in the adminstra-
tion of our public school system, is possible; but
they may be corrected, and the system till be
tanned. Admitting all that is set forth in Mr..
Montgomery's preamble, there is nothing to justify
his resolutions; the former irregularities which
the people are at liberty TO correct without des.
.roying the system of public schools. as Mr.. Mont
/ gomery proposition would do. Fairly administer
ed, the public school system would shun religious
creeds and political platforms, and bestow opon
a child the elementary branches of an education,
leaving the parent, "the God.apponted guardi
Of his own children as this itinerant fanatic
has it, to say what profession business the child
shall adopt The elementary branches taught in
public schools, the essential foundation for
any and all professions and business pursuits, and
if Mr.. Fitzgerald conducts his office in the spirit
and letter of the law, every objection urged BY this
political demagogue and religious fanatic will be
removed.
/ Weare not told by Mr.. Montgomery what is TO be
the practical effect of the change be proposes. The
entire burden of his song is Parental control"
and his nursery busaboo is"John SWEET Sup
pose the public fund should follow the child into
any school designated by the parent. and something
] sr. ~ IL,