New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-03
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE CATHOLICS AND THE Pubhi0
SCHOOLS.

SCHOOLS.
,,,rvs or PRESIDENT NELSON OF THE BOARD of
vDrc,r1oN AND r. R. couDERr OF THE cAIho-
Lie COMMITTEE. =,
President w. H. Nelson OF the Board VI
Esueat,on detailed TRIBUNE reporter yes'eru"1 Elm
v,ovs on the subject OF tbs petition OF fasno' 90
and the trustees Of tho Catholic Paroehsl ecn'o's
admit those schools to the benefit OF the -,
svstem. He was reluctant at hrst 70 spo'a rrow
,h cuestion because as be said, he did no. yos
-, che esn4lemen OF the Catholic Committee eA"ous
,ronosed. and again his views as aireauy P..A 49,.
been in some instances misreprese"oI .+,o, "a ~
80, -vo,ds " nisundersteod." TO tue quo'
no,her he did not think the plan OF couiolnns s.o
,,h ,ha publlc schools would, were treas'oo' %
eAiai WIZ" '"o in substance that any plan which
80 an bodies In tbs cause OF educstlon anu
49, oh,ldren under the benefits OF common edu
,Io ould be good He could give no Idea as 10 "na'
,na Catholic Committee would demand consequently
o,1 Give no idea as to what the Board OF Education
,or,d no asked 20 ooncede They on tnef part "ere
ranored 70 meet whatever question might Vurn up Ir
=, .na souarey aud in the friendliest spirit. When
skad whether ne thought the Catholics would surren-
.n,r demand for religious instruction, he replied
ho oould not saw The law settled that point and
,s olear aad unmistakable in its provisions No re-
lions instruction Of any kind, favoring any
-eligioas denomination, was to be allowed IN
=, tho common schools in this State. No public
sny o were allowed by law be devoted to any
schools where such instruction was given Inc oniy
exception tAi' ruling was the reading OF tne Bote
Without note comment and the Board was NOT COM
ueent 10 decide what version OF the BiDle snoud De
in the schools 80 that as iar as Tue bloie went
Thought fl law this subject mad been the same
~ ms st,te for the last thirty years or more
MT Nelson gave his own opinion as 10 the afvisa
bity OF excluding religious instruction very emDha-
sally He considered thai 1t was question which did
not affect tbs country alone but every nation wherever
education was provided IL was desirable TO Introduce
some plan not only here. but IN England, Ger many
Eraue n.
enable them 10 DO away with the dlncuty altogether
IN was to TINS that all we're working and could IL only
be achieved. he held that it would be happiness Tor
every body, and tend largely 10 the Depeng OF
cation itself Tie question raised by the Catholics Mr.
Nelson considered Important one, and one that
would be settled at the nrst conference. 1neFe
Woud probably be many such After the first meeting,
handed of the Board, he would probably De IN posi-
top TO sneak more freely and fully on the matter than
he now could he could not tx the date Of the first
meeting which would most HkHY be private, BECAUSE
the question having raised such general interest and 10
many cases excitement among the community, It was
feared a crowd might assemble VINO would lnterIere
with the harmony Of The meeting by unnecessary
n r. Coudcrt Of The Catholic Committee said he
Thought the Committee would meet Oh Monday next,
and that the Catholic sdo ~ the question would In the
first instance, probably be presented by single mem
her OF their Commute. He tho gh that the 1eetng
would be public. He III favor VI public discus
sion-at Tar tae press was coneernedoi 30
ceeply interesting question: he thougnt tnat sne
great difficulty of tine admission of Catholics 10 the pen
EFT OF the Common school system was that they were
not understood II Nas great bistaAe 70 s sn.n o.
Catholics opposed 70 the public school 81 stem OF
in They had always Deen IN faVOr
OF e. and their present action Was an euort 10 ptVeu
It's failing 10 pieces, ling 10 pieces In c0nse
duence OF iTeugO spirit generated 0Y IN tne
minds and heart, o. the children Indeed, Tue CatnIc
demand only for return 70 the oder ana so1uae
system OF public education az IL originally preVaeu ~
this country and sui prevails III many OF our 5tates
Originally religious Instruction was given IN tne pu9ilo
schools Ia reply 70 me question why tne id s
objected to II then, MI CDuueFt sau thh they u o'
object 10 IT, They thought IL sound and goOd prln-
cple but they objected having their children taught
o religion which vas auJaROulstic 70 their own -
Touching me Jaw tue state fOrbdding tue granting
OF public moneys seetarlan institution Mr. C0-
dert cited numerous examples vi AoIs o. thc Lc-sa
ture empowering certain distinctly sectarian insttu-
tIODs to receive public moneys They were MssIonaIy
Societies, the CAiidreAs Aiu ooclet INC rive nOnS'
House OF Industry aud oilers Where DISTINCTLY SCI
tartan teaching prevailed Wien asked whetner una,
not al Iutringemcn' OF the law MI O0uuert saIu
he consider IL nothing OF the kind Tue Legislature
certainly had tut power to make THESE AeIs ana ~ was
night aud proper course OF action, only Jug SAM
privileges should be tDted 10 Catholcs AS 20 the
Feasibility Of the llan Mr. COudert had no oOuo. wuac
ever about IT, IL WIS TOT case Wnere OntJ WV IT, W
three children concerned, but some SO,VOO me
whole number Of children taught IN the pubic scnoo
only 10000 lie thought tha SO ialge snu n ~
section OF population and or the scnOOl pupis he
The Catholics IN ms cry naIe were y ,1ea co
numbers ana unitylf LOT no Oe''eT reason, t
fair consideration and hoarlng. Aud ne was
that fair hearing would De gwen theIn II no. a.
dately later For himself he ie!t uH IA
the Board OF Eucatiol They Wond co WDst was Jus,
The gentlemen who composed the Committee hppoiuteu
90 meet them were, a. lar as he was aCgulteu 49,.
them aud liberal men, who had the interests OF we
people at large, well as education, al heart tnele
dOuot as 10 the excellence o. CatIoio
a. far as imparug the elementary knowledge required
by inc STATE Went There was no question as 70 70
superior economy. There was no question az 10
It's moral results the mlDds OF tue childreh;
doubt regarding tne moral failure OF
teaching that excluded religiOn aItogether
Tue objection that II ale Catholics petition Tor sepa-
granted IT, Would Open the door to a similar demand
from every denomination, Mr. Coadert could not re-
Catholics uNt on the SUBJECT II al others were
content with The system, WY not let mem nave III
II they were not 80 would not be SO dlncut 10 allOw
the different denopiuatIons the same privilege Us
Catholics, we're IL dCnIIGeu'