Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-09-10

children attend the parochia school two years pre-
| paratory to confirmation in the church.
POSITION OF PROTESTANT CLERGY.
When the subject was first agitaied the Protestant
clergy felt similar reluctance 10 eoncede the secular
character of the schools They felt that there
was occasion for sweeping measure as that
proposed by the rule of the Cincinnati Board of Edu
cation, and resisted. But second sober thought,
they concluded that the law and the Constitution, as
| expounded by the court furnished the only solid
groundOn which the system could stand fast and safe
1 against all attacks from whatever source.
In former times the clergy had conceded authority
in the schools. They better qualified to exercise
an oversightin the secular, well as the religious
training Of children, than any other portion Of the
It among the Purtans, and among the Protest.
| tants generally.
DIVISION OF SCHOOL FUND WOULD BE DESTRUCTION
| OF THE SYSTEM.
To divide the school fund would work the destrue-
ton Of the system. Nor would any satisfactory divis
ion 0e practicable. If it attempted the small
sects and those who affiliate with sect could hope
for but little advantage from their share Of the fund,
and OF the fractional schools resulting from di
vision of the fund would have more than mere SEM
banee of the power and usefulness Of the system In
its present integrity.
But the State can not delegate to any the admin
| istraton of any part of the school fund To do so
would be abandonment OF its duty under our Con-
stituton. besides being palpable violation OF the
principle that there must be no union oil Church and
The real difficulty is that our Constitution and the
Roman syllabus directly in conflict on the school
question. By the Syllabus our Constitution IS "a
damnable error" and with the Catholic clergy the
| Syllabus is an authority.
CIVIL POWERS SUPREME.
The Catholic Church has long history. 1t has for
ages shared the power of the State in many countries
and still shares it in 1t powerful Organiza
tioh. 1t has taught and believed that its creed
the only faith, and can recognize the claims
OF any other, and it continues to teach Our gov
ernment make distinction among the sects Its
position is of absolute impartiality. So long
OF the State, it protects but does not
interfere with it. The Mormon religion has peculi-
arty in it which has been supposed to encroach upon
the province of the State by encouraging bgamy But
in this country the civil law must be supreme. No
ordinance OF any church can stand moment against
it. The Catholic and Protestant alike must yield to
the civil laws Here is the theoretical difficulty with
the Catholic clergy: They divided allegiance
to the Head of the Church and the State. And if
there a line between the things in which they
allegiance to the Pope and the things in which they
owe allegiance to the civil government it is not always
apparent to the world, If it is to the Church Here
is difficulty, in practice well as in theory on the
| school question.
| PRIESTS MUST NOT CALL THE SCHOOLS Goddess
But the Church can not be permitted to interfere
with the policy OF the state II can not be permitted
to set aside the civil law the claim of superior
sanetity. Nor it be permitted to set aside any de
parment Of the State Government, the ground that
| such Departmental the State Government is ''god-
| less" No Church in our Republic claim to mo-
nopoze the favor the attributes OF the Deity to
WELD them its peculiar power against the State
other Churches If the priesthood of any Church put
forth such claim they must not expect the State to
recognize it. and much less can they expect 1t at the
1
the Catholic priesthood to cha racterze the common
| schools goddess" 1t comes from q source and
| culture foreign TO our government.
There was time when such Christians as Henry the
Eighth, OF England Philip the Second, OF Spain,
relying upon his divine right to rule, would have
characterized republic like ours goddess" Those
days gone. If there is anything divine in Ameri-
ca it is our republican form of government If there
is anything divine in the Republic it is its system OF
common schools. Ii is time that should all learn
the Infinite folly of attempting to fasten upon any
il as SoSe Tbe use Of the term IN
reference to the schools implies utter want OF ap-
probation of the relative position Of the schools and
| the Church In this country.
Ii THE CHURCH GOES INTO POLITICS IT VII BE
TREATED AS POLITICIAN.
The Church must be content with being protected
in its worship, and in the enjoyment of its own opn
ons but il must be taught to beware how it attempts
to interfere with the proper functions OF the state
it seeks to become political party, it must expect to
be treated as q partisani and any political party
which is willing to use the seetaran zeal of Particu-
lar Church to promote its political power, becomes
Justly obnoxious to the suspicion Of all other Churches
if not TO their opposition. The Democratic party at
the present time lies under that imputation II that
party and the Catholic Church have eonspired to ac-
quire and share political power, they can not COM
plain that other secs and other parties are becoming
| jealous of their rights
| GRAND DEsIDERATUM
| We come then to the grand desideratum Of our Re
public-popular education, free and universal. With
out this II would be ephemeral. No could rely
its permanency With Ignorance brooding over the
the brutal PASSIONS There would be no checks upon
demagOgueS. Tyranny would grow up in our midst as
naturally weeds grow up in an uncultivated garden
The people would be easily overreaehed, and utterly
unable TO detect the impositions and frauds upon
them and sooner or later the popular form Of govern
ment would give place to despotlsm, as the Roman
Republic gave place to C@sarism, and. the French
publcs have often given place to an empire. Igno-
rance is the mortal enemy of republic. 1t not only
breeds every form of crime which is the COM
monty assigned for supporting schools by axatioD but
it deprives the ballot Of its power and renders it
1 nf fha N vOter
always liable, in the hands Of denlagogues and
wicked aspiTants to power, unWittingiy to do IN
finite wrong their country. But keep in vigorous
operation the public common schools, and make their
support as sure taxes make it, and however
ignorant the people have been, intelligence will
gradually take possession of the land Like the sun
in the solar system, which and enlightens the
most distant planets the common school system, in
full operation, will gradually dsperse the clouds Of
ignorance and shed upon all the people the broad day
light OF universal intelligence. use the term COM
mon schools comprise the system OF public schools
with all Its improvements and departments; not
limited to its present scope but with Its growth and
improvement in the future as well as in the past On
this school education rests faith in the
republic. Though there may be thousands who still
vote blndly, the number will grow less as the COM
mon schools all over the country exercise their legiti
mate, uuperverted influence upon the of chill
dren who grew up in them. Hence it is the bounden
duty OF Tree republic to maintain the common school
system clear Of all sectariau control at every hazard
This obligation, Ifear, is TOO lightly regarded by
some even who are not influenced by religious eonsd-
erations; men vino are lar enough from wishing to
unite Church and State They think OF the high
taxes, and conclude that thousands who pay no
taxes derive greater benefit from the common schools
than men of large estates who pay the most. This
seems to them unjust and unequal. They see but
dmly the broad benefit of the schools to the public
while they look sharply upon the unpaid for education
of the children They realize the value Of education
to the children personally but forget the stake which
the public has in the Investment Many more depre-
ae the constant improving character of these public
schools as involving too high cost
to be paid by taxation. They say: "Why, |
these schools extravaganza They furnish almost
a liberal education. 1t is q robbery of the
men of property" Here is undoubtedly for diff
terences OF opinion among persons who not,
on account Of religious opinions voluntarily support
ing parochial schools. But they who oppose the i'm
proved schools do not realize how much the communi-
ty suffers from apprehensions of theft and robbery,
and murder, and that good schools the very best
prOpb ylacte against crime; that the chief COM
plant against Republican Government is that i'm
positions practced at the polls ignorant voters
We may pass laws after laws to detect and punish |
frauds voters but legislation will prove adequate
Till good education becomes universal 1t is greatly
be regretted that the Catholic children not in the
common schools with the approval of the Catholic |
clergy because il necessarily casts the influence of the
body Of the Catholic membership, who not able to /
share the full benefit Of the schools in favor
oil limiting the scope Of common school instruction TO
the lowest possible amount
But do not sympathize with those who fear that /
the schools will become too good good. and even
liberal education OF any young man or woman re-
gard as public as well private blessing and as