The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-01-10
OUR FREE SCHOOLS. '9''
5ls.--, a.. ..i.an5i ri
The Weston school District


EDlroks DEMocrAT:-It is with min.
gled pain and surprise . that, NO have
learned of.be action Of the school COM
,nissiouers Of the corporation Of Weston /;
and their nnrrow.miuded views ID refu-
sing to do justise to Tie few Catholics in
their midstA Equity should have con.
stralued them to have made u fair diyi-
sion q the school fund but on the con-
.rary setuated, We conceive, by spiti.
ofreligious intolerance, they refused to
grant to few humble Catholics tia,
measure Of justice which they always
loudly claim for themselves, on the ground
ithst!the school, as established by them,
(tlc commissionerC vas and is'free TO
all. Now no Catholic, no matter how
humble his prctensiops, will send his
children to II svctarian school 80 We do
not agree. nor will we willingly acquicsce
in the conception tia. Professionals haze
any right 10, force their religious opinions
upon the children Of rcluc,an. Catholic
minority.
Plainly speaking, thoro is no more
right to tax persons for educating chill
drcn in the principles Of Nlcthodists ar
Presbytetians than in the doctrines Of
Brigham Young or Tom Payne. Eluca.
tim properly belongs to tue families ind
their approved n,inistors-not to the
siate; and there should not be fois,ed
upon The people horde Of would.bs the.
illogical locusts, in the shape eff itinerant
teachers, carrying in. one hand Bible
and in tho OTHER forulo. to impress upon
the young minds Of our children their in
tcrpctation Of hat book, in accordance
with the ipse DIRT Of those who run the
machine. -pg .56 g4s mf..r,'fqg.
Aside from all this, it is deeply to be
regretted that the fytid breath Of political
aud religion. intolerance should spring
up in our midst, 10 din and mar The
smooth surface Of life in q continuity
which has hitherto been provsrtisl for Ia
Uniform liberality and courtesy-a .piri,
which now has attempted to raise It's by
dra.henl, a ct type Of its twin sisters,
Rsdicalisin and Puritanisn,. thus making
trio at which even Jacobini.,n should
stand appalled,. q 81 a7i
Professor Doncgan, an accomplished
English scholar. Who taugh! school here
and gave general satisfaction, was refused
a position in the free school, OF any share
in tho school fund. No reason was as.
signed for this. but II is easily explained.
His being an Irisbinan and Catholic
was enough to condemn him viii, tho
trirartite assenblage who rule Tie roo.t.
Miss Brown, young lady highly &C.
eoihplished III her role as tcachcr-alnia.
able and courteous III deportn,snt---wn,
also oitracised, although her patrons p,y
4 large proportion Of the.taxes Tie rca.
sou fur which i, simply tllis:---Alsi
Brown has no sympatlies in common
with the agrarian sentiment, Of those III
power.p'ati gl ,aigj tsifFtsfTttf7 Z |
Lastly. our 'oullni brudlers' have
been treated better than We, bu. still not
fairly. If tlisy arc IL become citizens.
let u' educate them properly, and give
then, All equitable sl,ate 81 The school
fund III proportion to their itimbe rs--not
. miserable pittance doled out by parties
whom We have learned to look upon as
patrons Of tie Institution. Cone up.
johnny kroonan claim your cqu,l
right,-anl rarhaps you may be more
suttss,fhl than yair white hr.,hron.
In eonclision. w ore. gr,iifird that III.
school commissioners hare at last shown