Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-09-17
The Catholic School oue,tion.

Ii is an alarming fact that public ejuca-
ton has become an element to create issues
in party politics
In Ohio in the pending exciting canvass
for the election Of state officers, the question
whether the school fund shall be divide for
the support Of the separate Catholic schools,
is to be settled as really as the question in
regard to paper or specie currency. The
fact that one Of the political parties has
formed a league with the Roman Catholic
priests, to secure the Catholic vote with the
pledge to grant the division Of the school
fund, is creating no little excitement through
out the country, as we'll il may. Wehad a
Benedict Arnold in the time of our Revolu.
ton, but we cannot now tolerate an army of
traitors who are willing to surrender our
free school system into the hands of its
avowed enemies !
The Catholics in Ohio had already secured
the passage of a law which forbids the read
Ing Of the Bible and other devotional exer-
cises in schools where any objection should
be made. But the clergy are not satisfied
with this. They are determined to press the
issue ofseparate UNCONVENTIONAL schools, with a
division Of the school funds for their support.
And now they seem to have purchased
the aid Of a large polite al party to aid them
in completing their infamous work.
The dangerous elements involved in this
demand must be evident to every intelligent
mind.
Ifone religious denomination may claim a
share of the school money, then every sect
may do the same. and our public schools,
which are the very basis of our free institu'
tons, are destroyed forever. 1t is treason
for any sect or party tomake such a demand
it is bigoted intolerance, and open hostility
to our free government, on the part Of the
Catholic priesthood, and it will be we'll that
the question is now squarely before the peo-
pie, if they are led to see the scheme in this
light, and are ready to meet it.
Judge TAFT, in his celebrated speech, well
says: "But the Church cannot be permitted
to interfere with the policy Of the state. II
cannot be permitted to set aside the civil Law
on the claim of superior sanctity. Nor cal
it be permitted to set aside any department
Of state government on the ground that !
is goddess No church in our government
can claim to mouopolize the favor or the at
tributes of the Deity, or to WELD them a
its peculiar power against the state, or Othe
churches. II the priesthood Of any churcl
put forth claim, they must not expect tn,
state to recognize it, and much less can they
expect it at the hands Of other sects. L
has been a great mistake in the CathOli,
priesthood to characterize the commo
schools as goddess 1t comes from SQUIRE
and culture foreign to our government"
And it is a dangerous fact in gov
eminent like ours, that political party ha
undertaken to subserve the ends of any churc
or sect; even more dangerous than seryilit,
to the slave power. This bid for politics
favor is from those claiming iuialhbility i
their assumption of power. They deman,
support Of this measure to divide the schoc
fund for their benefit "as consideration {
the Catholic vote in the past and a condItiO
of receiving it 10 the future" Here the Sc
called "Holy Catholic Church" is Oferin
, itself to the worlds highest bidder for plac
5 and power, aud in the polluted pools of pc
itics, is selling its birthright. For the SAL
, of our children and our country let US crus
I out this hostile spirit.