The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-05-05
Politics in the School.

Mr.. Conway, Superintendent Of Public
Education, has politely favored us with a
copy of his last annual report, which we
have only had time to examine partially
80 far. Ono Of the most startling PROPOSE
lions upon which we have fallen in our re-
searches is the following:
1t is folly to assert that politics has nothing
10 10 90 with public education, public educa-
non Is 6y nature element of Rcpublicdnisn,.
This truism is felt and appreciated by modern
democracy and the Roman Catholic Church ;
Tue former and none at all from the latter.
This, it is but fair to say, is quoted from
the report of Division Superintendent,
but as Mr.. Conway gives place to it with
out commen', we must suppose him to he
faverably impressed with it.
" Public Education is by nature an Gle
ment Of Reputlicanism." This depends
upon the meaning which you attach to the
word Republicanism. If you mean the
Republicanism of the Republican party,
granted: if you mean the republicanism of
a republic, wrong. Repubiicanism in tire
party sense is despotism. Republication
in its general sense is freedom, or self-go-
vernment. Public education or the inter-
ference by the State with paternal authori-
ty is a pure and stupid despotism. We
see that it aourishes principally in strict
military despotisms like Prussia, and in the
light of that fact we may understand what
Mr.. Conway's friend mean by his "Repub-
licanism." "Public Education" he means,
sis by nature an element of Republication
such as is found in Prussia"
In the American sense of the word, a
Republic is that government where the
people are the least governed. In such a
country the State leaves to private individ-
uals the control of every interest and
of every affair which is not absolutely and
Enthusiastically within its necessary province.
The foreign relations of the State are ne
cessarily under the control of government;
so are many of its internal affairs such as
the organization of courts and the framing
OF laws to regulate the relation of man
with man in their various affairs, but when
through it's agents and officers it is another
thing. The State may cay that banks
must do 80 and so, but it does not follow
that it should carry on banks it may say
commission merchants shall have such and
such privileges in case of furnishing
supplies, but it does not follow that the
State ought to set up that business on it's
own account, make advances, sell crops
and enter into an active rivalry with it's
citizens. This would be entering into a
boundless field of operations totally unne-
cessary to the mere idea of governing men
in their mutual relations and totally dis
tinct from the Republican idea of govern
nen:. AS we have said, that idea contem-
plates simply the regulation of business as
between citizens, not the carrying on of
that business in competition with them.
This principle is manifestly correct if we
refer it to the actual meaning of the word
government. A government ought to be
satisfied with governing or controlling, if
in addition thereto it enters into the multi
furious affairs of business, banking, rail-
school teaching, merchandising,
doctoring, etc., besides being
a government, it becomes an agent; it is
not only a political sovereignty but is be-
sides vast business corporation. Men
are constantly forming corporate bodies, in
surance companies, ETC., for the advantage
of business, but they would hardly do well
to encourage the practice on 80 grand and
complex scale and where the directors
and officers are 30 far beyond their reach,
IS in the case of state government
merged in a business agency.
If the State may carry on one business
If a naturally private character, it may
another. If it may do a banking business,
t may do factorage business, if it may
larry on the schools of the country in OPP
position to the private teachers, it may put
fleet of steamboats, on the Mississippi rs
public carriers in opposition to the boats
which We have already; if it may take the
hild from its father to school him, it may .
AXE the babe from its mother into vast
NATIONAL establishment of wet nursing; it ]
nay prohibit the infirm and homely from
marrying, it may prescribe the kind of e.
lothes one shall wear, the regularity of
mes hours and the quantity one shall eat c
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