The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-04-23
PAROCUIALAND"G "GODLESS''
SCHOOLS.

fact that these parochial schools are es-
tablished by the Catholics for seetarian
purposes, that they are under the strict
est supervision, that the teachers are APP
pointed as Catholics who can be trusted
to teach the tenets of the sect, that the
pupils are children of Catholic parents,
and that the object of the schools is to
keep the pupils from the goddess" pub
lie schools.
Now, if the Catholic clergy are honest
indenouneing the public schools as god
less, it is evident that they can not mean
to merge their own in them, for that
would be to make their own schools
goddess" But if they do not mean this,
they inlend to retain the virtual control
of them. 1t is therefore plain either that
the Roman party has abandoned its pur-
pose, which is not supposable, or that its
present proposition is a desperate al
though vailed attack upon the public
school system. The Roman priests and
party intend to change the parochial
not. If they do, there can be no posi-
BILE question between them and the Board
of Education except that of rent or sale
of buildings. IL there is any other ques-
ton, and the account of the meeting of
the board and the committee shows that
there is, it is because they do not intend
to make such change, but, under the
form of union, to make the public pay
for supporting nurseries of the Roman
creed. That, and nothing, else is the
precise purpose Of this negotiation, and
the Board of Education should be aware
that the plan is thoroughly understood
by the public.
An important contribution to the dis
cussion of the question since our last IS
sue is the protest and memorial which
has been widely circulated and signedi in
the city, and which presents the case
against the union with great force and
simplicity The protest asserts most tru-
ly that our school system, by bringing
ali the children of every kind together,
tends to produce that common sympathy
which is vital in a republic The school
assemblies the children of all nativities,
sects, and parties, and is itself the SYM
boil of that equality which our institu-
| tions are meant to secure. This equal
association Is an attrition that serves to
| rub away the little differences which in
youth are easily removed, but which in
adults become tough and sharp. And this
Is one of the very things which are most
| distasteful to the Roman priesthood 1t
reIaxes their despotic hold upon the
young members Of their Church, who,
by constant contact with children Of all
denominations, insensibiy become more
| generous and free in their religious sym
pathies.
The protest also allirms rs a principle
of distribution if the public money
could be lawfully devoted to sectariiIn
/ Instruction. division among the seets
in proportion to the amount of taxes
paid by each sect, so that none may be
compelled to pay for the increase of
another This is a view not always
clearly understood. If the public money
could be divided, it would be because OF
the desire of sects to have sectarian
schOOls-schOols to teach sectarian ten
ets-and it would be only fair that no
sect should be allowed to force Other
sects to pay for its propagation. But
this is by no means the dsere of the
Roman seetarian party which is attack
ing the school system. The amount oi
taxes which it pays Is quite out of pro
portion to the number of children thai
it supplies; so that it is really asking not
for an equal and proportiOnates shaIe of
the school money, but for one vastly dis
prOpOrtiOnate to the amount it furnishes
If the State undertakes to divide citi
zens into sects, let it do the work thor
oughly; and If the Roman party wishes
to have public money to pay the ex
penses of teaching children, Roman
Catholic doctrines let it have the
exact proportion OF the amount of taxes
it pays The proposition is so prepos-
terously impraeticabIe that it should
dispose of the whole scheme.
We repeat-and it should be constantly
repeated until the Board or Education
hears and heeds-that there Is 30 way
Of merging paroehial schools in the pub
Iic-school system except by absorption.
The law is precise and inexOrable, and
any arrangement is but an evasion Ol
the law IfCathOlic schools with Cath
OIic teachers appointed by Catholic
priests, schools established to teach
Catholic doctrines, are to be received a
public schools under the school laws, ,anC
to be supported by public taxation, up
on the sole formal condition, whicl
from the necessity Of the case can no
be observed, that there is TO be no relig
ious instruction in school hours, theI
Methodist and Baptist, and all other sec
tartan schools, must be received upOI
the same terms. And when that Is dom
the whole system Will have been over
thrown, ard the public schools will hav'
become sectarian. The Pope may vel
make his Archbishop Of New York I
cardinal If his priests have succeeded a
the end Of the first century of American
independence in destroying the public
school system OF the United States
HdTpers' Weekly.
THE Canadian Parliament has appro
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