The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-03-20
Com BliIl2icdtioaS.
GALI.1rzrN. March Q. 1s7t.

cei ming the free school system, / took the Iib-
crty to express my views through tho same
channel, takin.s care not to criticise speak
harshiy or any article that had appeared in
louS to avoid personal controversy, opposed rs
L 3 NJ TO using newspaper for the purpose of
criticism or c:trryinsro! a con troversyt bit must
or necessity amount to nothing in the end.
Such diatrI5eS are not news, neither are they
OF interest TO any one.
l gave my views 0s briefly "a possible, and al
lowed your readers to accept or reject them as
they saw fit | statedFt the same time that /
Cid not by any means consider myself COmpe-
tent TO argue so important subject Treating
the question as did in this spirit. what was my
surprise to see the initials II. J. p" SubSc-
quentty and frequently intcrpolaied in an ar
ticIe from one Of your correspondents signed
or, if not. then be is Bogus article. Having
ble sydney, and having always found his pro-
auctions worthy OF peruSal and TCplete with
instruction, WAS not prepared to see such an
article as that or your correspondent over such
a signal ure- | was compelled TO stop and
fleet. His article reminded me of the first time
| was called on 10 deliver speech in a debate.
i had nothing to say until heard some one else
express his views, and then found il easy to
get up aud contradict the speaker and tell him
what he had said was not correct.
sidney" does not seem to possess any origin
al IDEAS OF hlS own. lie merely contents him
sell with criti i5ing and cnntradic;inG the views
ney still livcth. Were he not here to enlighfcn
them they would doubtless accept as true ali
that Fl j. P has said concerning the public
schools. Not one Of them of course yvOuld
have common sense enough to read and Judge
for himself. and hence. il was important that
some such brilliant genius Is sydney" sbOuld
assume the role of a second Moses and lead
your readers out Of tI.t wilderness,
The gentleman asserts that in our village,
which he represents as Il place of great imDOr-
tance, we have everything in our own hands
that if the schools are not what they should be
it is our own fault-thRt we have a majority OF
Catholics, etc. Fully one-rhirt Of our roni!la-
tion are not Catholics, but belong to other r.
ligiOus denominations. and 'Syd1eT' nav rs
well understand that we, being = laws abiding
npnDlp- Z
StruCttOn In our schools whea the law strictly
fnrbfds H. We practice the golden rule and
advocate liberty Of conscience in its bTOadusr
sense. and hence wou!d scnrn to take advantagC
of the minority simply because we have the
The gentleman heads his production "PuJIic
Schools" but has the imPUienC9 to attGci, pa
them as FAR superior to public schools. Now,
the truth is, did not mention par1CfIiaI schools
that those pupils who have been taught their
prayers and catechism are the worst he ever
saw. and that they DO not make better citizens
or better Christians than those who failed 10
obtain such instruction. He charges me with
being inconsistent, anG claims - he consistent
himself. strange consistency. indeed. that
child instructed To pray. to know the catrchiSIu
and to understand the duty it owes to God and
TO bod creatures, docs not grow mp better
citizen and Il better Christian than the one who
is reared without any religious instruction
whatever! He still further alleges that those
who have been educated in psrOchial schools
Will curse and swear. fight aad steal, far more
readily than those VINO nave bSea educ1 ed at
the public schools. lie cries consistency. Is
this"OnSiStency? Is it consistent with tFiiih to
say that a child taught to ShUn those vices
would be more likely to practice them than
those who received no religious instruction.
and consequently have no conscientious scru-
pies; for remember that if you give any rcIi-
giOns instruction in school you dIsOley the law
and outrage consist Cncy-
The learned gentleman charges me with not
being true American. From the best iufOr-
nation at my command, I was born and raised
here. ,aud here attended public schools and no
other kind; paid Uncle sam three hundred
dollars during the late rebellion, and have
f1F i leu aFNt fa
OF the United States. If anything else is re
quired to make man Il tTJ;e -fmCTjcdH ! con-
tleman made q mistake, however, e'f'l intended
20 say N.Itire 1 cTicdn or those down
vor religious persecution, political chaos, free
love, no marriage. and like iuiquitias- II he
had said that I would have believed him.
Sydney says that / am oppose l:tO Justice,
which, If true, IS very unfortunate for the peO-
10 the office OF justice or the peace. PITY 'tls
the learned gentleman did not cnilghtCu them
in time. Had they been so enlightened they
surely would not have made such m iSt0kc-
He says | am unworthy the projection of a
back on his boosted consistency. nave PAID
taxes for twenty years, part of the time very
heavy ones, and now il / should need protee-
tlon from Tree government am 20 ne d-tfi-
cd unworthy of su a boon. Ectwithst2n nding
he declares ia another paragraph that have
the right to denia.d protection. DO yGu te1ch
such doctrines in your bCGStcd public schools !
This great t;tmiHdl4 which shines 50 rcful-
gaEtly in behalf of public schools says that
children learn and become hardened in almost
every species of vice long bcf~Te they are old
enough 70 leave home. He also says that If
you were to instruct such children six hours
day for all eternity SCu CUH!d o. Improve
them. If he means such instruction as is gen
eTaIIy impaired in the public schools, l fully
agree with him. Otherwise deny the aSSer-
tion. ana do not believe, dear reader that you
are willing to admit that such is the case. \
child is admitted to school at the age OF SIX
wears which is as soon as they come 10 the use
of reason and are able to discern between right
RENTS. and viii be held responsible hv a Just
for
ted t0 his care Are you willing 10 admit that
such Il child is not susceptible Of instruction
and reformation in far less time than ne asserts
if the proper instruction IS lmpartedE These
last assertions are too ridiculous to merit fur
ther notice.
This very abIs gentleman likewise declares
that compelled to pay taxes to support
and nave not a word OF complaint 20 utter,
Well, this rs poser In his cStlm&t tOn-GEu
no doubt he thinks he has got me now. But
VIII answer hiin IN this wise; v 9 nave no con
ScientiOus sCTUplCs against making use of the
are W., f"rbidden texcept by the gentleman
himself, who says that at least am unworthy
are very willing to pay taxes to support what
is right and for the good of all classes without
regard to race, creed, color or previous con-
The talented Sydney censures me for re
feTrirg only to our own village, End intiHatcs
that my remarks should have been more gen
eTal. ] hope he won charge me this time with
him. iuismuch as he Is the only correspondent
Of the FREEMAN who has deemed my prOduc-
ton worthy OF notice.
I see by the report of our county supeTin-
tcudeut that bUj one professional certificate
was granted during the past year. Tho lucky
recipient must Eavc been Sydney as he Is
the only one who seRElSstO be uhie to interpret
my article. He certainly must be TIE only one
in Cambria county VINO found competent
to teach Il public school!
Dear readers. am ashamed to be forced to
resentment in the vindiCatiOu of what firmly
believe to be right-tAat IS, the principles / ad-
vocated regarding the public schools. The gen
tleman does wei! to make much OF the bridge
that carries him safely across. Those from
whom he derives his support he has right to
to do it in moro honorable way, and not to
instruct ami cn.ightrn them. il he wishes to he
considered worthy the name or a good teacher.
Bat enough OF this. We are commanded not
to throw pearls before swine l therefore beg
pardon for having occupied so much space an
answ erinG him-space which might have been
devoted to something more useful. I was not
the aggressive party, but when attacked and
misreprcscntcd / claimed the right to respond
further from his pen however. viii
be treated by me in the sln- way that the Irish
man accepted the kick from the donkey VIII
consider the source. So good bye! Long ire
ana many happy days!
And now, in conclusion. permit me 70 say
that still hold to the opinion expressed IN my
tCrT- er letter. j.. that after eik MY years e&-
pericnce OF the public school system, we are
sorry to say that it is failure and that society
is growing worse ana crime or the most afro J
cious character becoming more widespread
I n these assertions | am backed by some OF the