, 1875-10-04
CHICAGO MONDAY

division OF sentiment viii pEovsll among Proteat-
ant, tnd non. Roman Catholics ~ to the right or
otpedioncY Of the act OF The Board Of Education.
s nnitea front Till 30 presented rhen tho ne1t
detEhnd IL 1nsdo for tho establishment Of acc
tartan Hcisno1r, Through tho prcss. tue pulpit,
and tho ballot-box tlloy will bo mot. We cah-
not and we will not. At tie beck Of any refgiou
aoct abandon our fundamental American idea.
mensH o't scloot nyston. Va will mt
our thoueit..snd practice. Tuo donenin.tson-
Al afntsn las been trie'l for centuries III the Old
pressed by our teeth. That syHteu, has boon
tried ia Spain. and oul Of It. 001, ,00n Of peotIo
70 nro told shat ia'ooo'ooo arc unable to road.
In Tuscany. out Of every 1:t,o n,a!en only 800
could read. In Saples and stetiv. out IT ose1y
1000 na!ea but lG5 coud read, and but G2
ternaios out OF 1.0ug. Of tie males
between Tho ages Of and y years but i34 conid
tlon SO did not know their letters. And this
near the fonntatn-hesd Of prieasly poucr-tAs
~ the direct result oi lenomnational teaching.
protoetsus England, aud my eElceks 1oddcued
years aao. through her Parliamentary Htatistica,
that ont OF = population Of 22.n0o,0y0 orer
7ot01oo could not read or wrts. To her
glory DO It aaid that when sheso facts took hold
of British statessnen,-Cobden lrst. Bright next
-she abandoned tho tlenominattonal s5e.em.
which had produced sucA terrible roaults ard
adoptcd nstoual ayste,n closely akin to our
own pubic-scbool system. Tho census Of ts7o
tells ua that, in our own country. cut Of tho
p,4f3.000 adult males, who, AZ a rule, arc Soters.
16lol4 or mora than scyenteen in a
hundred, cannot write, and In effect
cannot road their ballots; and Of the 9.0o2 Y09
female adults, olG ~ or over 70 in every t'O,
aro 'llitera:c. Leaving ont tho colored popula-
t!on. the vast majority Of thcso l!itcraics are
thoae who have ]vej in other lands. whcra tLa
dcnoniust1onsl ssatom prevailed.
An opposer OF the public schoofs. an editor Of
prominent Protestant Episcopal paper. saya
"Onr common-tcAooI sYstem Is no EroHth Ut
our FcputllcaninU.' No. It ID not, and for tho
very be.t Of reaaons, VIZ. a consequent canuut
be lts nan Al ccctlent. The common schoola OF
Now Engl1ud wure among the moHt nctiyo agen-
cios in recurring and establishing the republican
tnssltntionA Of our country.
Liberty Of conscience ts no ontgrowth Of re-
rubllcan.rm for tho eamc season. Tho maiuten-
ance OF tbla liberty aud OF our glorious connon-
school system bolopg to tho very life OF tho
hopublic. We can make no sacrifices loo great
to secure them in porpotuity to our children aud
our cbilJrens children.
Tie q and at school Of Democracy is the pub.
lie schouL 1t ls the great leyeier. hut II leycls
UP, not down. the principles ot equality aud
fraternity arc prncticslly taught aud exompliAed.
6llhtp angles are knocked OIL differences are
rubbed down. class distinctions are prevented,
poor maus son meet together. Brains. not
money, weigh In tho scale Of scholarship. Merit,
snd not tho father'a soctal position. scnds the
boy to the hsad OF his class. Religious
enimoaity. finds no fuel to feed it. Nationality
1inda no barrier raised against it. Tho young
"kno.-nothings" speedily become know-Bome-
things. and are not apt to forget tho fact in flu
ture political life.
self-rolianco is taught. and ret profound ooe-
dlonee to lar. Eight mill,ona Of children gather
yearly in our PUBLIC schools. Tn tue play
grouud they are like herd Of colts let loose,
Tho tap OF a boil brings them 10 order, and.
like Napoleou's veteran troops At tho roll Of
the drum. they fail at once into their place.
A Hublmer slight tho continent does not Wit
moss.
The common school requires rcason for the
hope that is within the scholar, arlshmetical,
geographical. or grammatical. His whole lifo
afterwards is . series OF Interrogation points.
IIo carries tho habit Of asking reason. ia bis
dealings with alt subjects, all measuses. and al,
men. The ronld-bo keeper Of his conscience
finds It yerr incoDvenient habit. profanc and
old wisea' fablea fall from such qucstioner.
Leadang-strlugs arc snapped asupaer az tow In
tho flames.
Reason takes the place OF bind tradition,
religion the place Of superstiton, 4 cosmopoIt-
tan casholcisy tho placo Of an intensely bgoted
nArrowness-