The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-10-22

lhfI ltcbA Il r. IN VA liobiA
NtvOI.kNT UN1OS-SpIRlTED SpEnCuES
THE SCHOOLS OF RICHMOND AK.
RAi6NFD AND DEFENDED - THE RE-
MARKS OF MAYOR KEILEf--EECIT4NG
SCENES ON THE FLOOR.
The st. Louis Democrat Of the 18th in
slant contains full report Of the debate in
the fri.h Catholic Benevolent Union on the
public-school question. We copy the parts
heretofore impcrfectly reported By telegraph,
with additional interesting matter ON the
subject
rUBLLc-scHooL SYSTEM.
Rev. Father PheIan read the report of the
Committee on Resolutions. The report en-
bodied preamble and eight resolutions, the
last Of which was:
"That the present system Of public
notwithstanding all supernatural authority
and making God, the first movable, the last
thing 10 be learned--is n curse to our coun.
try and Hoodgate Of atheism, Of sensuality,
and Of civil, social, and nationa! corruption"
A SPIRITED AND EXCITING DEBATE
followed.
Mr.. Kelley, of Richmond. Va: think,
Mr.. President, the resolutions in regard to
public schools should be modified little. /
think they are almost too severe; should
like to have them modified somewhat,
Mr.. Herman, Of Philadelphia: 1t will not
do to modify the resolutions in regard to
public schools In the city of Philadelphia
we have public school which suppose is
equal to that of any state in the Union. The
organization is complete, and the more COM
plcte they are the more Objectionable they
are. When you get out into the country
places, where the schools are small, they are
Of little account; but when you have nor
NAL schools 10 instruct every teacher in the
district, if the normal school is contaminated
the contamination is made the more COM
plcte, and the organization is the more OBJ
iectionable for this reason. Ii we meet here
every year and make no objection to this
question think we shall fail in our duty.
Are we 10 be taxed every year TO educate
cur own children, aud educate our neighbors'
children, without letting the world know that
we are not satisfied with the present condi-
ton of things? No, sir; We should not do
il. As | s;ld in the beginning, the more
complete the organization Of these schools,
! the more Objectionable they are.
MAYOR KEILEy's VIEWS.
Mr.. Kelley, of Richmond, Va: l had
desired to say 4 word on this matter when
the resolution came up in order, and was
mark which has Dcen made by the gentleman
OH my left from the fact that | would hive
been out Of order in making it at that time.
concur entirely with him that that resolu
luton should be recommitied to the commit
tee with instructions from this oody TO make
some modification Of its language, but /
would do mySef very gross injustice if
! were TO stand silent IN this hail and hear
without some protest the imputatious which
ale contained in that resolution. | am, by
! virtue of my office, President Of the Public.
S.,aoul Board OF the city of Richmond. The
people of that city have been content that Il
Catholic should be at the head Of the school
system of that great city in Virginia. have
/ the concurrent consent OF the School Board
. of that city that there Shall be no religious
! instruction OF any character in the conduct
: of the public schools OF Richmond, and
undertake to say they are conducted there, in
! that city,
WITHOUT RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION,
! but with rs keen sense of truth, and with
as lust regard to virtue, honor, and the
! good character Of the children, as it is pos
! sible for / secular instruction to be conduct.
! ed and |, therefore, cannot vote for the re-
| solution in its present form without Stutify.
| Ing myself ana blackeninS my own charac-
| ter and official position without casting a
| slur on a generous community, who, al
though Protestant, have chosen Catholic
to he their chief magistrate and the head OF
their putlic-School system!
Father Phelan, OF st. Louis: AS chair
man of the Committee of Resolutions, ]
! think it deyolyes on me to defend both the
sentiment and the language in which the re-
solution is couched. MIR. Kelley may have
unusual reasons for
ToLERATING THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
for one have none. Mir. Kelley may be
surrounded by very liberal and generous
citizens they may have shown their indi.
yidual appreciation Of the man by electing
him to the presidency of their School Board,
but we have naught to do with the city OF
| Richmond, nor with MIR. Kelley, nor with
the president ofthe Richmond School Board
we have 70 do with our own children; we
| have to do with those whom God has placed
in our holy keeping and for the doing OF
that we will be held responsible, not to the
people Of this country, not to the people OF
Richmond, but to God above.
MIR. Kelley has stated to you that through
his inlercesSion all religious instruction has
been banisEed from the Richmond schools.
| ] am very sorry for it; it is the very objec.
! ton we have 10 those schools and if what
| Mir. Kelley says is correct, think that
| THE SCHOOLS OF RICHMOND
are the most Objectionable of all the public
schools of the land. [Applause.] Religion
is the very thing we want. What do we
! want TO teach our children If 1t is not our re-
ligion? What do we want to educate them
in unless it is in the principles Of our holy
fajthP What do We want them to know un
less il is to know God and to know them
selves What is it We want them to learn
EXCEPT to walk in the way of Gods COM
mandments? To do right to their fellow
men and to attain their last and final des
tiny.
those who have originated or those who
manage or conduct those institutions. We
simply say to them, they are not for US.
The resolution states that these schools are
THE FLooDGATEs OF CORRUPTION.
T am prepared TO substantiate that assertion
From these public schools, as conducted In
the last bali or quarters OF century,
have come forth the heightened ProteStaDts
of Ibis land; have come forth our poiltl'
clans: have come forth our public men
have come forth our officers; have come
forth our leading merchants and business
men and | am safe to say to-day that the
public men of America, as class, are the
most corrupt that exist in the civilized
world. [Applause.]
There is more peculatiou, there Is more
stealing, there is more defalcation in this
land than there is in all the Governments OF
Europe put together. Why is this? 1t is
simply because we have lost all sight and all
knowledge OF the principles of morality. A
man who steals sou in France will be put