The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1868-08-27
Ednoation and Religion.


Education and Religion,
The Milwaukee Neao8 puts forth very
singular claim on behalf of the Democ-
racy, in respect to its being the party to
which the country is indebted for its sys-
tenn Of popular education, alsofor its NOR
al and religious progress. This is one of
the most extraordinary claims for the
Democracy, which has yetappeared. That
the educated men of our country. are In
the Democratic ranks, is an assertion that
will surprise even the most obtuse read
ers Of the Ne5os itself Whoare the prom
inent educators in the eastern, the middle
and the western States? Who make up
the members of our Educational Copyen-
tions, and literary Associations Il IS safe
to say that seven-eights of the College
professors, Academical preceptors and
teachers are of the Republican faith How
many Democrats does the Neacs suppose
can be found in the higher institutions Of
learning in Wisconsin What proportion
Of teachers in the state, are willing to ac-
knowledge themselves Democrats? Since
the Noes has invited inquiry in this di
rection, it can be furnished with more
statistical facts, than it would dare to pub
lish .o
One of the sustaining elements Of the
Republican party is educated mind; tits
the diffuser of popular education
everywhere. Eight years ago tie States
of the south under Democratic rule, were
made upSof an unlettered and Ignorant
population; only the white arislocracy
received the benefit Of educstion The
poor whites, as is shown by the U $. cen
sus, were largely unable to read OF write
education for the negro race was in many
of the States forbidden under the most
severe penalties. The war broke the fet.
ters Of Democratic power in the South
and the result has been the establishment
of many hundreds of schools under Re
publican auspices where none before ex
listed. If Republican ascendency be MAN.
tained every state of the south, will soon
have systems of public instruction, as com
plete as Wisconsin or Massachusetts,, and
the school house will be found in every
neighborhood, where ignorance reigned
supreme under the old Democratic
regime.
But the rarest claim set up by the Ne,cs
is, that Democracy is the party Of moral
ity and religion The Ne,os says
In the matter of morality and religion
the facts are equally apparent A much
larger number of protested christians in
the United States belong to the Democratic
party than to any other political organiza-
tion in existence"
How the conductor of any respectable
newspaper could venture such an extraya.
CANT assertion is marvellous enough. The
evidence on every hand proves the sheer
folly OF such pretensions. The Religious
Convention, Associations, Conference
National, State and local, wherever poIit
lcally tested, have shown almost an entire
absence of that kind of element, known as
modern Democracy. In most Of the an
nual gatherings of our large religious bod
les, where declarations have been adopted
bearing upon the great political issues
OF the country, there has been most 81.
traordinary unanimity of Republican sen
timent Probably not single instance
can be found in the northern States. with
IN the past dozen years, where any con
siderable religious body, has put upon its
record any resolution, indicating its SYM
pathy with the Democratic party. While
on the other hand, the express. 0 As OF. SYM
pathy with the Republican party from
these sources might be numbered by hun
dreds. 1t has been stated that of six or
seven hundred Protestant clergymen il
Wisconsin, there are not thirty who are
ayowed Democrats. Were an investigation
deemed necessary, the foregoing statement
would doubtless not be found illiberal an
the side Of the Democracy. The geacs
might as well attempt to prove that the
Mississippifows north, Or that the exist
ence ofthe Atlantic ocean is only . myth
as to make it appear, that the education
and religion of the country is found in the
ranks ofthe Democrtic party.