The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-09-09

it h possible In some cities and SO, /.
ti0ns Of country to make separate
schools" But the real gist of the
| matter in hand is found in the remarks
Of Senator Howe, of Wisconsin, enc
Of the oldest Of the Republican Sena-
tors in service, aud distinguished
| leader OF his party. He said, smong
other things: aBut Senators say, sLet
us be careful: do not go too far; the
public schools are . creation of the
State; do not dare to say that the color
| of there schools shall be mixed; say
that and the schools will fall there
shall be nene.' hear the threat, and
Iadmit that am afraid l do not
know but that they will do it. Every
step in this terrible march has been
taken under sene threat. This is ono
that comes very near to me. do not
know but the schools viii fall If We
do not stay our course but when per-
il threatens Of any kind, I can meet in
but one way. Let justice be done
though tho common scheols and the
very heavens falLS Iha4e show own yon
fellow citizens, that under our Consti-
tuition ne property holder can escape
the sohoel-tax that .' . thorough and
efficient system Of common scheOls
throughout the State, " must be main
tanned and that no religious or ether
scot or sects. shall ever have any ex-
elusive right to, or control of, any part
the school funds Of this State" And
these provisions Of the fundamental
1sw, no man can deny, cover the whole
case. AS long, then, a. these provis.
ions Of the Consultation remain, the
common school system is as we'll pro-,
tected and as secure as the Govern
ment ITSELF But you new aud then
hear it insinuated that the Democratic
party and the Catholics may alter these
provisions; J, and the effort is studious-
'y made to inculcate that idea among
the people. Now, my friends, am
not accustomed to use harsh language
hut there are times when man must
speak plainly, however strong may be
Ills utterance., And this is time aud
occasion for plain language. When
Il studied and bypocritical attempt is
being made, for party purposes, to ex-
cite aud deludeI the people, to arouse
the worst kind of offanaticisrR, sectarisn
fanaticisin, to set neighbor against
neigh Dor and household against house
hold, there are no words of cendemna-
tion too strong for the men engaged
in work SO utterly vile. cay plain
~, because the truth warrants me in
saying it, that the man who asserts
that there is danger Of the cons.itu.
,ional provisions 1 have read being
either abolished or in any material
particular madifed, is fool, an ig-
noramus or a knave. Why, how could
they be abolished or altered in even
the slightest particular Look at your
Constitution aud you will see that the
only modes of amending it are two
first, by amendments proposed by the
General Assembly and adopted by the
people; or, secondly, by amendments
proposed by q constitutional conven-
ton and in like manner adopted. But
the General Assembly can propose no
amendment unless three.Jfths of the
members elected to each Honse shall
agree to it; nor can constitutional
convention be called before 1891 unless
sstwo.thirds Of the members elected to
each branch of tho General Assembly
shall concur in calling it." Now.
what man in his senses. can believe
that three-fifths or ortwo-thirds of each
House of the General Assembly will
ever be found in favor OF abolishing or
materially changing tho common
school system or, that if such thing
could Of any possibility occur, that
majority of the electors of Ohio would
sanction the prepoeition2 The thing
is too preposterous to need refutation
IA barei statement OF the Constitution
is sufficient to sho " it's ab.urdity. But
if anything moro we're needed here
stands the fact that the Catholic voters
in Ohio are less than one-twelfth,
probably less than one-fifteenth, Of the
whole body of electors. How can
they alter tho Constitution?
PRIEsTLY INTERFERENCE IN POLITICS.
In close connection with the false
clamor about the schools 10 another
false clomor Of priestly interference in
politics. We hear a great deal said
about bill passed by the last Legis-
'lature commonly called the "Geghan
bill" and to listen to q Radical stump
er or read Radical newspaper q man
knowing nothing else Of the subject
would suppose that the bin is a fright
iul enormity giving peculiar and I'M
mense advantages to the Catholic
Church over the other Churches OF
the State. But these alarmists take
good care not to produce the bill itself
because it is only necessary to read it
to see that there 10 no foundation
whatever for their denunciations.-
There 10 not . word about tho Catholic
Church in the Geghan law, not q pro-
vision that gives to that Church the
I slightest preference over any other
Church, not . provision that is not
found in substance In the Constitution
of the State, and that was not found
in our old Constitution. Ever since
Ohio has been a State, even since the
year of our Lord 1902. the principles
Of the Geghan bill have been part of
the fundamental law. The old Gen.
stitutiolf declared s'that all men have
d natural and indefeasible right to