The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-09-24
SECTARIAY EDUCATION AGAIN.
Catholic schools Already Drawing Pab!ie Hon'
in Ohio.

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SECTARIAN EDUCATION AGAIN.
Catholic schools Already Drawing Pab!ie Hanay
in Ohio
Iu Yesterdays State Journal was an
article showing how the stringent provis-
ions OF tire Illinois constitution had been
avoided 10y School Board of East st.
Louis. 80 as To appropriate public funds
for the support OF Catholic schools.
Since writing hat article information has
come to Us that already, right here in
Ohio, the same thing mas been done. The
Catholic religion r;:s already become so
far a State institutions. HAT the teaching
of it las been made 81 I';i,Iic charge, pay
able out of the school fuHd, ia more than
one town of Ohio.
We are aware OF the tender solicitude
| of the Democratic brethren Just now,
that religion should not be mixed up
with politics-although blr. Geghan and
the Catholic Telegraph were able to in
| duce the Democratic Legislature to take
a little religion in theirs, last winter.
But the Democratic orators and writers
are now very sure that the constitutional
prohibition, quoted in full in our article
| of yesterday, is sufficient to forever quiet
all reasonable apprehension that Ourpub-
| lie school system will ever be modified,
misdirecied or abrogated. 1t becomes
our painful duty to show that this Dem
ocratic faith i'm the Safeguards" of the
Constitution is not well founded.
Our information comes from three
sources: A gentleman in Northwestern
Ohio sends one statement; late citizen
OF Ohio, now of Jersey City, sends an
other: and this is vouched by third
gentleman in a central Ohio city. In ad-
dition to all these, let it be noted that
what we are about to state must be
public matter, so soon as attention Is
called to it, and If by any chance our in
formants-all men of the highest and
most responsible character-have been
led into error, nothing will be easier than
to show wherein they have erred, weeks
before the canvas is over. We prefer
for the present to contine ourselves to
single case of the five or six brought to
our attention, using the version of oEr
Jersey City correspondent, showing. as
it does not only the manner but the ex-
tent TO which this viOlotion has been
carried-not merely in the past year, but
for several years,-during nll which the
constitutional Safeguard" so pointedly
quoted by the Democracy has been III
full force and power.
The town of Delphos, Allen county,
Ohio, contains a population of about
twentysix hundred inhabitants. In CON-
mon with other enterprising towns IN the
State, due regard is shown for popular
education. To this end the town has
been at the expense of erecting Union
School house capable of accommodating
every candidate for education in the
place between the age of six and twen-
ty-one years. The building is an orna-
ment to the place, and contains no less
than eleven fine, large, airy class rooms.
let for the past five years four of these
have remained unocupied. The reason
therefor is simply as follows: A num-
Der of years ago the Roman Catholic
element, with the assistance of the De-
mocracy of the place, succeeded In OBJ
tanning control of the Board of Directors
having charge of the school fund, and
have maintained it ever since. n direct
agreement was effected with the Roman
Catholic Church in that place for the
Church to build another school building
and establish school under their own
management and control, the Board of
Directors to recognize the same as pub
lie school and pay all expenses, including
the salaries of teachers, etc, from the
common school fund. In this manner
it has been and is now conducted. The
school is in all intents and purposes
Roman Catholic parochial school. The
exercises are commenced in the morning
with half an hours instruction by the
priest, or, in his absence, by teacher
in the catechism of the Church, at the
end of which all The pupils are required
to cross themselves and repeat i'll con-
cert a prayer to the Virgin Mary. The
ordinary exercises then follow until the
hour of dismissal, when the scholars are
again required to cross themselves and
pass out. Among the rules of deport-
ment is this: That all pupils must stand
uncovered in the presence OF the priest,
and instances are plenty where children
of parents not belonging to the Church
have been severely punished in the
school for not removing their lnits when
meeting the priest on the streets. The
text books and course of studies are all
under the supervision and control OF the
Church, and in no way does the school
partake of the nature of the ordinary |
public school, except in name, 10y which |
it derives its support from the common |
SCuOOl lunu. anu EGt tilis Stlt-ustEus
which the Democracy would have us be- |
lieve Is all that is necessary for pTotPc- |
ton, is a part of the Constitution the
State.
We have shown how easily its prOviS-
ions are superseded in one instance and |
rendered Intellectual, and yet, there are
instances in the State where they have
gone even further than this, and in some
cases, even in Ohio, where this ''safe
guard" is so potent, instances can be
found where the children of Protestant
parents are compelled to attend the pa
TochIal schools of the Romanist Church
or obtain no benefit whatever from the
school fund.
To protect town, a city, or harbor,
a Government erects q fort or citadel for
protection or defense as occasion may
require. They may make its walls of
adamant, surround it with a moat
practically impossible, mount upon its
ramparts guns of the heaviest calibre in
the ingenuity of a man to construct, bat
ii left without a garrison the fort affords
no protection whatever to the place. So
with the safeguard" of the Ohio Con-
stitutioa in protecting the school fund.
1t may be good fort, but the people of
Ohio should see that it is properly gar
risoned.
T. |