The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-09-03
TBy REpUB1JcAy POSITION

a great hue and cry is being set up by
the Democratic press of the country that
theRepublican party is anti Romano Gath
ole In its views, in other words, that the
tendency of its principles is hurtfuI to
the health, growth and life of the Ro-
man Catholic Church. The accusation
is unjust. The Republican party is no
more hostile to the Roman Catholic
Church than it is to any one of the Pro-
testant Churches. The foundation stone |
on which the Republican party stands is
equal rights to all men, and the cor
ner stone of the Republic is ''Disassoci-
alton between Church and State" Re-
publicans hold to the belief that intelli-
gence is the basis of our system of gov
ernment, and as consequence favor
public schools for the education of chill
drer, said schools to be supported by
the people at large, and &c be unsecta-
Iian in character. Here is where the
conflict originates, not as between Re
publicans and Roman Catholics, but
between Republicans and Roman Cath
olic zealots Republicans favor the ho-
mogeneous education of American chill
dren in the rudimehts of study, leaving
ing the religious discipline of the mind
to teachers specially provided by the
parents or legal guardians of the youth.
Through the influence of some priests
and others Sin orders, " a feeling of an
tagonism to this idea has been gener-
ated, and the demand made that even
In childhood the line of demarcation
and distinction between Protestant and
Roman shall be drawn. This is Iepug-
nant TO the convictions of every Repub-
lican as to right and the true interests
of the country. All sensible, unpreju-
diced men will admit that difference in
religious views should not produce es-
trangement in social relations between
adults. Every man is the arbiter of his
own religious conduct. As he is held
amenable to man for infraction of mans
laws, so he is held by God for infraction
of His laws Conscience is individual
property. If, therefore, religious differ
ences should not disrupt social relations
between adults, is it not absolutely
wicked to draw the religious line be-
tween chiIdrenl The children of this
generation will be the men and women
of the next. Education is an acknowl-
edged help to man in every station and
vocation in life. No professional man
can subsist or procure livelihood with
ont il. The better educated the me-
chanic the greater his resources from
which to evolve perfection in his SCI
ence. The agriculturist is better able
through education to divine the nature
of his soil, and its propagating force in
the production of crops. Even the la
borer finds educated brain power a great
help to muscular effort. Surely then
education would quicken religious in
telligence, and instead Of requiring man
to feel and grope his way on the road to
eternity, it would enable him to stand
firm and erect as professor of Christi
anity, and reflect honor and lustre upon
his profession which ignorance could
not and would not admit of.
Roman Catholics would scarcely relish
a union of Church and State if the
Church were Protestant, and therefore,
as Christians and fair men, they should
not demand of others what they would
not freely accept for themselves. Yet
some of the teachers of their faith boast
of the growth of their numbers in this
country and more than suggest that the
time is not far distant when their Church
will here assume functions akin to gov
ernmental, and TO that end are endeav-
oring to inculcate in their youths preju-
dices antipodal to the interests of society
and the nation. Surely, religious liber-
ty is as important and desirable as pO-
litical liberty. Religious intolerance
cannot walk hand in hand with political
freedom.
The Democracy of several States have
catered to the imperious demand OF
the Roma u hierarchy to secnre the Ro-
man vote. In the city of New York that
party has for years controlled local af-
fairs, and in February, 1871 committee
of the Union League Club, after having
duly investigated the matter, reported
that their Democratic officers, during
the three years 1869, 1870 and 1871, had
Illegally drawn from the public treasury
of the city and county of New York, in
cash, for the support of Catholic Con
vents, Churches, Schools, Cathedrals
and Asylums, the enormous sum of ST., |
396, ,3SS 81. 1t is also reported that this |
sect, in the space of a few years, had
become possessed, without consideration,
of real estate belonging to the city OF |
New York of the value of $500, 900.
At the recent session of the Conneti-
cut legislature an amendment TO the
constitution was proposed prohibiting
any grant to sectarian institutions, which
on was rejected. only four
Democrats voting in opposition to the
motion to table it, while Ill voted in
favor of tabling it. In Ohio, the Roman
Catholic element of the Democracy fav-
or a division of the school fund, the Ro-
man Catholics to be credited with their
pro rata OF the school tax with which to
support parochial schools. And last
winter the party passed the well known
Geghan law at the demand of Catholic
Priests
1t is against encroachments of this
character that Republicans protest, and
we are pleased to add that in so protest
ing they are encouraged and sustained
by educated and representative members
of the Roman Catholic Church, without
as well as within the Republican party.
The Irish World is a journal of ac-
knowledged ability; and a powerful ally
alike of the Roman Church and Demo
cratic party. Hear its editor answer the
charge of hostility of the Republican
party to the Roman Catholic Chureh.