The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-04-14

had found her at last.-h""sas cry
JOnFRW.
Tho Attack Upon tho Common
Schools.
Last week we spoke Of tho assault OF
| the New York "rin@" upon the public
schools. The object Of the ailack we
stated to he not merely the control OF
the school moneys for the benefit OF
the Democratic party. but for the sec
lnrinn advantage Of the ltOni>h Church.
This week we have to record another
and Il palmer movement for the same
purpose, which should awaken every
citizen to the necessity Urcou,tant Wig
ilnurc to save the public school system
! from its most rr-olutr and most skill
! rul enemy. The hostility Of the rom
i.h priesthood to the common schools
! j. nrovcrbial. aud their attempt to dl-
vert the public none! TO their scciarIan
! schools is not confined 10 this state
! Il is known in Ohio rs wrll,aS in New
! York. and will be always felt when
ever aud wherever they. obtain sulll-
cirut numbers aud power.
| The system OF the liomiSh Church Is
n strictly "patcrnal y system. The
, priests are shepherds; the people arc
! Sheep. But shrrp are silly and want
TO go nsiray. Sheep unmatched will
smell u, walls; they will even put
their noses over: they, will even
squeeze through and trui of into am.
pier and more llowr"y paslurrs--silly
Sheep. Sheep must Ihcrrinrc hc strict.
" guarded by pastors or shepherds,
who declare that the pastures beyond
: the wall ar.. horrible traps and qua"-
uIirc>. and all the hcrbngc growing III
them deadly poison. and who keep
dogs TO persuade sleep VIII" Il" not be-.
! licve il. Upon this sheep theory.
! therefore. il is essential that the lamb.
Of the Church be prevented ''rom'.>o>
ing and lookin. and longing bcs"md
the prescribed limits. The Church
! seeks To make itself Irl. nj cvrryimo-
! mcnt and in every occupation Of the
! mrmbrrS. Father Hrrkrr, with excel.
lent h,lmor snvs that it is slandtr~t"
, >av that his Church does not allow lib.
rrty. Undoubtedly it does allow lib
rriy-within the Church. It nIlow>
! the liberty ihAt sheep have under the
;ryr Of the shepherd and his dog. II
allows liberty just rs thr Propaganda
allows freedom OF the prr>S--lhat Is.
the freedom Of publishing whatever
the Propaganda approves. And the
! Propaganda approves nothing that do">
! not tend to the supreme control OF ih"
! Romish Mother Church over the mind
and conscience Of mankind.
! OF course such Il church is hostile 10
free common schools in Il country that
rigorouslv separates church from state.
land which in every way illustrates
and stimulates intellectual and moral
liberty. But it is unliring for it, own
purposes and never dismayed, aud so
we have the extraordinary spcctrcle Of
the government in Austria, lately the
stronghold Of the RomSh priesthood.
which controlled the whole system OF
public education. taking the schools
out Of priestly control. and of n pr0po'
sition in the Legislature Of New York
to support vast number OF schools
absolutely controlled 10y the same
priesthood. The Austrian Emperor
releases the schools from the priests. n
committee Of the New York Lc@isla-
lure reports bill to subject them TO
the priests. DO New Workers pro-
pose 10 submit?
This extraordinary bill il reported
to have been drawn by the priests. and
was introduced in the Legislature by
Mr.. Tweed. a member Of the Commit
tee upon Charitable and Religious So
cic,;cs. 1t provides that
Whenever there shall be or has been cS-
tnhlishcd and maintained in any city Of this
State. any free school or schools, in which
not less than POO children have been or are
taught and educated gratui,iouSly, it shall
he the duty OF such city, or Of the Board Of
Supervisors of the county Of which such city
is whole or part, to make provision from
year to year for the expenses Of such school
or schools"
With the passage Of such bill the
priesthood would instantly issue per-
cmptorv orders that no child Of the
Romi.h persuasion should, under any
circum,tnn be sent 10 the common
schools, but should BIZ forced to at
tend the priests schools. Every other
sect in the State might do the same,
and the contest that would follow
could very easily end III tho abolition
OF the whole school system.
1t il one Of the most subtle. and
deadly blows ever aimed ut the indc-
pcndcnce Of church and state in this
country. Mr.. Palmer, the chairman Of
the Committee. who WIS absent when
the bill was reported tavorably, dis
scntcd from the report. Mr.. Folger
objected to its being considered in an.
other committee, and the other Repub-
| lican Senators, true to the fundamen-
tai party principle of civil and relig-
ions liberty, resolved unanimously to
oppose the bill. The subject is of the
most vital Importance. But the peril
CAN be avoided only by the continued
prcdominancc Of the Republican party.
The proposition is Democratic mons
ure, and should the Democratic party
gain the control Of the Legislature 1t
would become law.-Harper's Week.
ly. ...
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