Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-05-03

MESsRs. EDITORS: In common with
many of your readers, would be plad to
know the precise condition of the fund for
our public schools. iFiE
| have been informed that Influences are
at work in favor of diverting q portion OF
this fund from its original method of dis
| bursement.
My informant assures me that the repre-
sentatives of the Roman Catholic Church
are seeking to gain control ola certain pro-
portion of the money raised by general tax
alton, TO support q sectarian school which
shall be controlled by their Priest and in
agreement with their own peculiar reli-
gious views.
would fain hope this information is in
correct, but the source from which it is de-
rived leaves little ground for the indul-
gence Of such hope.
Note the cool assumption of this effort.
This city is Overwhelmingly Protestant
city.
The Protestant population pay probably
nine-tenths of the tax by which this school
fund is created. This Protestant commu-
nifty regard and treat the Roman Catholics
as fellow-citizens. They are willing in all
things to give them an equal chance in the
race of life with themselves. Civilly, So
cially and in business relations, they ac-
knowledge them as peers and are willing
to pay the tax that admits their children
education as their own.
One would think this fair and liberal
enough. NAY" say our Roman Catholic
citizens or rather their Priest, acknowledge
ing supreme allegiance not to the govern
ment that protects him, but to the Pope
This is not enough: we must have part
of your money to support q school whose
principles shall be hostile to yours" This
must be the force ofthe demand, for, if the
principles they desire to have taught are
consistent with the principles prevailing
in this community, why attempt the une-
economical plan of supporting a separate
school at all? / say then this demand is
marked by cool assumption.
II. The scheme of dividing the funds
for sectarian purposes is suicidal. If the
Roman Catholic Priest may demand part
of the fund, SO may each one of the Pas
tors of the several Protestant churches.
They have just as much right to make
this claim, and their principles are as dear
to them as those of the Priest to him. Let
their scheme then be carried out and you
have no longer a common school fund at
all. The city becomes but the creature of
the denominations, TO raise money for
them to teach sectarianism. All the
force of common school training
to fuse the growing youth into generous
sympathy and religious homogeneousness
is lost. Narrow systems of. education pre-
naturally results. Let the people of Knox
vile be warmed.
THE RELATED TENDENCIES OF THIS
MOVEMENT.
III. Shouldn't succeed, it would be but the
opening wedge for n series of aggressiOns,
which, before long, would be aspiring to
State aid for various institutions of the Ro-
man Church. .....
In New York the working of this scheme
is seen on gigantic scale. Little by little
the aggressive steps have gone on, until the
entire system of public schools-almost the
finest in the worlds lettering and will
soon be destroyed if the people i'm that
State do not at once rise in their might.
The Roman church has acquired property
in the city of New York alone, as shown
by the late census, to the value of fifty mil
lions of dollars! A very large portion of
this has been drawn from the Legislature,
through the pliancy of politicians. And
during this same time, the various chart
ties of the same church have been largely
supported by annual grants from the pub
lie treasury of the State and city. Do our
people wish to have a repetition of this
process in Tennessee-in Knoxville?
We had best meet and settle this ques-
tioa distinctly and finally, nolO. | do not
speak unadvisedly when ! say the people
of this community ,pW meet it now. They
will demand of our rulers that their school
fund be expended according 10 the original
intention. Their motto will be the trite,
but no less expressive one, o6std loriacipiis.
They win resist the beginnings of this evil.
There are men enough, and more, to de-
mand of those who manage this school
fund that it be not diverted from its pur-
pose. They will not even tolerate "shuf-
Hing" in this matter, but will hold the
board of mayor and aldermen, without re-
gard to political party, to strict response
bility Where is the Protestant and
American among them who is ready to be-
tray them in a concern so grave and ser-
ouso ftaa ONE OF VERY MANY.