The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-17

ll1h WAN YIN OOh OOblhlOAN 'JSAASCAA
From the NJ Y. Times.
From all parts of the State remonstrances
are pouring into the Legislature against CIV
ing public money to sectarian schools under
the provision smuggled into the city tax levy
of 1869. We say ''smuggled in, because
this is q proper description of the way the
obnoxious enactment was foisted upon the
people The last Legislature adjourned at
midnight OF the 10th of May, 1863, after
prolonged and desperate struggle over the
January tax levies The Senate and Assem-
bly disaereeing on many points, the tax levy
was nut into the hands of conference com
mittees towards the close of the session, and
thence il emerged with a section providing
that thereafter an annual amount, equal to
twenty per cent on the excise money received
for said city New York; in 1868, should be
distributed 'for the support of schools, edu-
eating children gratuitously in said city, who
are not provided for in the common schools
thereof, excepting therefrom schools receiv-
ing contributions for their support from the
City Treasury" Mr.. Morgan, Mr. Van Pat
ten. and others in the State Senate at once
Indignantly opposed this appropriation of
public funds to private uses. But IL was too
late-the last day of the session had Gomez
Mr.. Humphreys protested against any dis
cussion of the school question at this time;"
and the opponents of the measure were help
lCSb. III llllb way b6CJuIldn SCuOOlS WOAO oO7
up against common schools, and our whole
system of public education, the pride and the
glory of the city, was put in peril.
The question now is, shall this vicious and
destructive legislation be repealed? Is the
party that rules at Albany prepared to meet
the storm of public indignation which will
surely break upon them if they fail to repeal
this law? Mr.. Bergen was right in declaring
on Monday that 'the importance of the sub
L. Al,oAs o1r rI,x IL Of
We can assure the Legislature that though
log-rolling trick may be pardoned, deliberate
refusal to listen to the public voice will rouse
a resentment it may now little suspect The
subject indeed, surpasses any partisan
bounds, and we record it to the credit of the
leading Democratic organs of the city and
State, that so many of them have also pro-
tested against the war on our school system.
The remonstrance of the Union League Club
is non partisan document, as are many of
the protests now before the Legislature
signed by people of opposite political faiths.
It must be understood that this is only the
climax of q series of measures to rob the pub
lie schools and endow private ones For years
there have been deftly introduced, on philan-
thropic pretenses, items in the tax levy for
the support of sectarian charities, which
turned out to be mainly schemes of anti
common-school education; but last year the
mask was thrown off, and open war declared.
In the twelvemonth just closed there was
diverted to sectarian purposes a total of
$52S, ,742. This sum was divided among
churches, schools, asylums and other institu-
tions specially devoted to the Roman Catho-
lie, Protestant Episcopal, Hebrew, Dutch Re-
formed, Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal,
Baptist, and German Evangelical Churches.
How the money was distributed is not the
main point. Had Baptists secured the largest
sum and Catholics the smallest, the principle
would have been equally vicious No public
money should be given to private schools,
| and, above all, to sectarian schools We
| have thus far had no union of Church and
| State: let us not commit the worse folly of
| uniting State and sects
The cunning phrase of the tax levy spoke
| of children not provided for in the common
schools, as if this great number of sectarian
schools was designed to fill out a deficiency
in this respect. But no such deficiency ex-
| listed then. and mono such exists now. On
the contrary, the Board of Education reports
that 1.-The average number of vacant seats il
the common schools is $1,000 and ou1
schools, as the Union League we'll says, fur
nish gratis to the children of the city, with
| out distinction of sect, everything that sec
tartan schools furnish, except sectarian reli
gious instruction. The question comes uI
whether the people shall be taxed to furnish
the latter item, or whether the sects shall no
pay for it themselves.
We have at length made our common
schools as perfect as they can well be. b.
what right, then, are we now taxed to sup
port rival establishments, when nigh upo
10000 seats remain vacant in our own
Were there no other objection to seotaria
legislation, it would be enough to know tho
it, like subsidy legislation, points straight t
financial ruin. Once take money from tn
public purse for sectarian uses, and there
no end to similar calls.
We have pronounced this sectarian onset
move to rob and ruin our public schools
; robs them, because whatever educational fun
ID given to rivals is taken from them 1t wi
ruin them, unless resisted, because privat
schools will make continual inroads on con
mon schools until the latter die out. To othC
, incentives, the former will add the powerf
: one of religious enthusiasm and sectario
t zeal and, while each strives to surpass i
t neighbor in subsidies, all will Join in war {
e the public schools. That will be an evil d.
Q when our children shall be offered the &
a lemma of ignorance or sectarian instructio
. Our pride has been hitherto that public ed
IL cation here is unsectarian, and bigotry II
o known; but we shall be likely to lose for o
o children the advantages we have enjoye
J. unless the present retrograde movement
IS resisted with spirit and determination. Men
II rials, and, if need be, public meetings, mi
show the Legislature that the citizens
, New York will not stand by with indifferer
and see their public school system destroy,
al GOVERNOR GEARYS VETO.
at From the NJ Y. World.
re Every now and then there crops out v,
TO of sound, wholesome, constitutional doctri
uyha do At lo q. 4