Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-05-03
OUR CITY SCHOOLS.

The claim made by Father Finnegan on
behalf of bis people is prosecuted by him
in a way calceIated to siis5kni the decided
opposition it deserves. he says in letter
published elsewhere, thatthe Catholics %
| not demand that we shall break up our
system of common schools, but simply
that they shall be allowed to take their
share of taxes and organize schools OF their
own. We have endeavored- to show THAT
such policy would result, first, in the de-
struction of our common schools, !. e.,
schools open 20 an creedsE to tie rich and
poor, the Jew and Gentle; aud, second,
in giving oyer to the Priests the control 81
a public fund for the organization and
management OF Catholic schools hools
that, in their teaching and tendency are
anti-American and subversive, as we be
lieye, of the principles of our Government.
Both of the results the destruction Of one
kind and the encouragement of another
class of schools we think would be great
public calamity. sss d1V
But Father, Finnegan says they do not
demand the destruction of our schools.
We know they do not demand it, but that
is their Interior purpose. The demand
they seek to enforce, ificonceded as to their
church-or as, to every dissatisfied parent,
Father Finnegan insists- must, Of course,
be conceded as, to the Baptists, Jews, or
any other denomination. Thevery policy
they contend for is, therefore, fatal to union
or common schools. The very object of the
public school system would be by such a
policy utterly defeated. We'say' therefore
that the claim of the atholicsyencegranted,
opens the door to. numerous Subdivisions
of the fund, and to the utter annihilation
of the school system. Fhfs' is just exactly
what we believe is wanted, but just what
the people of this city are detefminedsshah
not be done. What reason is there for this
division of the fund? Father Finnegan
says they do not like our school system.
Well, they eRnew we had such schools be-
foremost of them cameE to America, just
as they knew we had many other features
of government that did not suit. their
church, and if they thought taxation to
support the schools and the other objection
able featurespof our institutions was not
consistent with freedom, they ought not
to have come here. But if their church is
infaui6ye,s what fear have they to allow
their children TO besedueatea, as Jews and
Unitarianssares with denominations !?
The very few objectionable features in
school books of which Father Finnegan
complains ought not to shake powerful
church to its foundation! But If they are
really fearful of the consequences of such
liberal school training, they of course can
have their own schools. This they are free
to do, and no one objectssol sssye ,seanlr RI -
But we most seriously object in this di-
vision of public money, because it goes into
the hands of the Priests and would become
a most powerful agent for flrthering the
schemes Of that church. Father Finnegan
may be right and we may be wrong, but
we know, in many. sections where the
church is strong and bold, the paramount
allegiance of the church to the Pope is dis
tinctly asserted as we'll in political as re-
ligious mattersT Toepcou rage the extension
of such church by, aiding them with
public money, to establish purely, sectarian
schools to be controlled by their Priests
and the Pope, would be to build up under
the protection ofthe Government a power
hostile to it in its spirit and objects We
say therefore, that we oppose the division
Of this fand because It would result in estab-
fishing purely seetarianT schools through
publis aid 81 policy we oppose whether
those schools are Catholic or Methodist.
But we do not desire to press thissdiseus-
sion further, lest it might seem that Father
Finnegan was at the disadvantage of con-
tending with two. We have answered only
a few points. p here is too much to be said
on the subject to coverall the points inIone
or two articles. Zone of Very Many and
Father Finnegan areewelcome to carry out
their discussion, and we will be glad to
furnish them On alternate days such space
as they may need. we know such able |
minds will always carry, OF OF, the controyer-
~ literally and fairly, and we think the |
public wantto hear both sides fully spre- |
'ented, as the great Importance of the SUBJ
ect merits. ne . sTIETh 81 sTETT hit