The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-29
Ghe 99ailg Atens,
Continued from second page. J
No "RLRLE IN TILE SCHOOLS y

Thirdly, they should be so constituted
that men of all creeds should send their
children without any fear of propagandisn.
They must not be called religious in the
just sense of that word After the manner
and speech of men the common school
must not be regarded as a religious
institution. IL is secular; it must be kept
secular aud defended against anything that
will uiake it other thal secular. On!y on
that ground can you have national schools.
1t is not just and fair that | should be
taxed tor the education of my boy when |
canhot send hlm to the common schGUl
tor fear his conscience will be perverted
aud where he will be taught the things
that abhor. 1t is not fair to compel the
children of a Jew-a citizen like me.
AK payer like me, free American citizen
ike melt is not right that he should be
compelled to pay muney so that his child
may hear the New Testament read day by
day, which he d'seE't believe in Applause.
Ii is not right that our substantial Catholic
fellow citizens chould be compelled to send
their children to schools where the Bible is
read. when they do not believe that the
Protestant version is the faithful version OF
God s-will. Applause it is not right
hat they should read their Douai Bible in
tie common schools and compel US to hear
them, Fair play! Fair rlay! And it is
Mt fair play that the majority should
dictate to the minority. A little while ago
the enumeration OF this doctrine would not
have drawn the appreciation Of your feet,
Laughter Those journals that at first
were disposed To vindlcate the old order of
things, by larger reflection, by the light of
a better second thought, have come, or are
rapidly coming. to the ground that our
common sch"ols must be secular and not
religious institutions, and that only on that
ground can the state support them. Ii they
| are secular,the state has Il right to support
| them, because in doing So il Is preventing
us own decline and overthrow, Does this
| uake IA dly school? In on sense it does
| Special functions being developed, specia
| 'r9ans must perform. In the education
| Il the community there is another work to
ue done: there is sciiuol work We do not
axe the ground that a child can he educat-
"a with Ut religious culture. You must put
| he child through different Institutions.
| fhe common school does not undertake 70
ducate the whole man. 1t educates him
~ far as is Necessary to make him good
/
priest, You must do the rest" When
therefore you say the common school is
godles>, L say it is goddess in precisely the
,he same way that Il halter shop Is god
less, the same that tailor shop is god
less. Suppose l should have a shop for
manufacturing chairs, and man should
C me and say, DO you manutactur,
b bles?' No Then you have IA god
les shop" The spirit OF the commor
schools is not to circulate religious culture
and the school is not guuless on tha
account. The common school system doe.
mot take away from young citizens tn,
relig iOus elements. 1t merely says tina
tina, must be performed elsewhere 1t be
longs to the parent and to the priest
Commonachools do by religion just wha
they do by trade. bv the farm, by the shol
by the ministry. So far as the chur he
are concerned, if they choose to hav
parochial schools. there Is no law agains
it; but as matter ct pulley, | think
would be bad. The tendency is to max
the church k,nd ut Noah ark. Ii can
not undertake the management II AN thUS
interests tina. are developed 10y lis yiiallsy
Ii there be anything III which Gcd' 5 prOVl
deuce Is clear il is this, that the churct. o
God is to be simply power, "a stimulat
ing influence. The growtns are to tax
place from their own root. The cultivatin
/. to come as well from different nstitu
iiuD