, 1874-02-07
C0MPuL sorry EDUCATION.
A Denial Of the Proposition that Edu'
cation Diminishes Crime.
Advocacy Of Legislation Compelling
Paronts 10 Have Their Children
Taught Some Employment.
A Catholic Wow af trao Question.

A. Catholic Wow of tho Question.
TO tie Editor u Tho Chicago 1ta1nna:
SIN III yiew Of the great intoroBt and dlverso
spiniona entertained III regard to education, tlio
question Of compulsory education becomes ono
Of extreme Importance.
Catholics hold that education, to be complete
In tho fullest aenBo Of tho torn, nhould DO
Christian TINT IL, that 1t should comprise sound
Catholic toactling as we'll as instruction In the
primary branches Of knowledge Tho truo Catho-
Tic maintains that to educate tho mind only anu
ucglcct tho soul, Ia worse t1lan tho rovorso; in
pthcr words, TINT education without Christianity
Is worno thnn Christianity without education;
sl1at the preparation for tho world to como III
Of us
MUCH MORE IMPORTANCE
kan tito preparation for this life only as tho In
tiniic is beyond the finite.
10 this 1t will DO objected that tho religious
education should bo a home-lnty, aud Ia not tho
duty of the stato This obtootion Inns boon as
pfton mot as it hns boon ofton made. To tho
first point in tho objection would answer:
Very truo. selte,v practicable. The second is in-
deniable. But, III regard to tho praoticability Of
the first It ia O well-known fact tint tho far
rroator majority OF Catholics i'll this country be-
long to tile pooror, and consequently tho lenst-
educatoa classes Now, even though these un-
educated people themselves hold and maintain
tic true faith, thoy may bo-most OF thom
ITO .-...-.-
QUITE rNcApAnLE
of giving instruction III tllat faith all tho moro
80 whoro their pupilH-that ia, thoir children
nro better educated than they arc themselves,
which will usually bo the case. Childron must
10 instructed by poraonH whom thoy can LOOK up
to md respect as their aupcriora; and tho sl-
ueror education Of tito child. relatively to TINT OF
Tic paront, will weaken maternity tho offcot OF
the lattor'H religious teaching; moro especially
if tho education Of tue child 10 &C., dorlyoa from alo
it 5ority Of Their companions viii be
aliti-catholic, and whore, II experience
Of Young Amorica be any index, tllial reverence irene
il 9t very nFgem{ nfo9'Gea Of tero @
foro, tllut they must iupart religious instruction
to their children at home, is, az Afr. Gcrrit
Smith Justly observed, to mock them.
Aa regards Sunday y-scl1ool instruction, have
only to say that it Is totally inndequato to ina-
part to Catholic children thoroughly religious
It is, therefore, casoutial to tile preservation
of tho Catholic rclgion among u.s. tlas our
cl,]dron ho educated vt schools established and
maintained
uSDEp THE SHADOW OF THE CHURCH.
Tho bill Which, on Tnent|ay, tho 2oth ult..
passed. ono branch Of the Illinois Legislature, 20
way dobar Catholic Children, from attending
Catholic schools, or oven from being educated Ut
holuo; but 1t clearly refers tho decision ~ to
rcctorH, Board Of Education, Trustees, or other
scllool-o0icera having eoutrol Of my SCHOOL,"
while tho bill itself specifics tho branches Of
education in which the children are to bo IN
structcd, namely: Reading wiring, English Ell
this opens ! yory largo field to the oxorciBe Of
arbitrary power and pctty persecution, and adds
ono moro to tho maily proofs existing OF tho
rrtr1opn1ETy OF RTArE INTERFERENCE
in matters beyond its sphere, especially where
the conscience OF mon may 10 affected.
Suppose, for instance, that tue head OF q
Catholic family, possessed Of 3 little educa-
lion, and living Within two miles Of O public
school, prefers to impart to Lis children suoli
education NJ no himself possesses thnn to expose
them to the promiscuous Influence (as lie might
doom it) oftho public school. According to- t11o
notice from my taxpayer served upon my two
Or mora Of tho officers Or Observation-Disclosures
above na,nel, they shall, under pnin Of tne, i'll
stilutc suit against such \ person for tho ro-
coyory OF tic poualty imposed BY the bil upon
any person not complying with it's terms. "nn-
tcna such ponnlty shall sooner DO paid without
suit, or unless, upon investigation during that
lime. they shall bc satisfied that no penalty has
actually leen incurred"
1horitioH to
INVESTIGATE THE DOMESTIC AFFAIRS >.
Of this supposed individuals family, and leaves
i1nnarts to his children be i'll accordance with
The provisions Of the bill. Now, tlls individual,
while competent to teach reading, writing, and
tho rr,timcnts Of arithmetic, may be incompo~
tcut to tcnch English grammar, geography, or
lilo higher branches Of arithmetic Tin
itsolf q very comprehensive study, and
capable Of an extendod intcrprctation) !;
and vet he Inns tie right to prefer they should
know more, learned at tho public, schools. still,
undor the provisions Of tic bill. ho would rla-
doubleday 6o l!ablo to c,--snld tins to ! DC
paid iu to the Yrensurer for tho use OF tho dis
currcd,"-cousequeutl for tho support Of i
schooi-Byatem which the ofrondor ~ conEcien'
tiously belleven to he peraicous. Even suppos.
ing s1iel. an individual woro capable Of lnlpart
INK, and did inlpatt, to his children instruction
in all the branches roforred to, those school
authorities themselves Interested i'll the recovery
Of o penalty, would bo tho solo Judges nB t.
whether, his instruction wy sttEi;s'y i'll eo1npl
10 oil this it will be objected to quote the 1an
gupgo Of The tribune, TINT Tile theory o
no1-intorferouce must yield whenever it comot
into contlict with the doctrine Of the creates M
come to tho worry marrow Of tho bono OF conten
ton. Admit this proposition, md all furthe
arguments aro ,,aolcsH.
Ihatit ID sound to q certain extent, tilero can b
noloubt; but, unless admitted with MI inlportan
qualification like 1na,Iy other raaxims general.
tlmittod because tLoy sound soell, it boeones th'
basis Of
THE pUnEsT cHsAR1sM,
md OmparIsrn in itB worst form, reduced to TIL
1lcspotism OF . mob. ...-..
The important qualification to this apparon
trlbm is this That tho smaller numbor hav
;crtnin rights which tho greater number ar
hound to respect. This limits tAc power OF til
greater number in u very important roRpoct ;
prevents their boing invariably tue Judges Q
tlloir own caae.
At proHent, this MISUNDERSTANDING is in som
rasos carried out regardless Of tho rights Of IL,
minority, nj in tho case Of the public;achool sya
ION, Which taxes tho Catholics for the Huppor
If schools the advantages Of which thoy canno
eonbciontionaly oujoy. Tho only rulo which ca
bo lnt down in this regard is, that tho mn jorft
noyor layo tho right to commit njuatice u re
gard to the minority. And the Gully, judge @
ills rule Which eau be allowed IL tho principle Q
litornal Juatice ag set forth in the Christian Re
ligion.