The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-11-19
The School Question.

The school Question.
Now that the election is over and the
returns counted, the Scranton Republican
thinks the school question" can be honest
ly and fairly discussed without subjection
to the charge of being actuaeed by par
''tisan feeling" In order to illustrate the
extreme moderation and fairnesss with
which it can approach such question the
Republican exciaims mo one but a fool
"wonld atte,npt to deny, in the face Of
''existing facts that nearly the entire Catho-
''Iic press and very large proportion of
.'the priesthood are the open and avowed
''enemes of the free school system" 'What
"they want are schools under the control of
''the appointed clergy of their church, and
''tbey want such schools supported out of
''the taxes levied for school purposes"
The Republican then proceeds to reiteIate
the stupid charge that the democratic
party is in alliance with the Catholic
church for the overthrow of the common
school SYSTEM e
At the peril of being set down among the
''foos'' by this republican newspaper, we
emphatically deny that any considerable
proportion of the Catholic clergy of this
country demand a division of the school
fund in this or any other state. Now and
then an irresponsible writer, an indiscreet
priest, OF over-zealous acolyte, gives ex-
preston to sentiments on the subject of the
schools which are carefully treasured and
repeated by Know Nothing organs with
the view of giving a sectarian turn to po-
litical controversy. But the great body of
the Catholic church can be made respon-
sible for these utterances with no more
justice than the republican party can be
held to account for tie sectarian bigotry
and rancor of the Scranton Republican or
the Harrisburg Telegraph. Even if the
prelacy of the Catholic church cherish the
hostility to the school system with which
they are charged, they are far too astute to
provoke in any state of the Union a conflict
over a division of the school fund
The history of the common schools of
Pennsylvania affords the most effective
answer to the noisy clamor that has been
raised on this subject. Since the establish
ment of the system it has, for the most of
the time, been under the fostering care of
the democratic party, which is DOW stupid
iy charged with being in alliance with the
Catholic church for its overthrow. During
all this time has any attempt been made in
Pennsylvania to separate the school fund
Is there the slightest evidence of the ex-
istence of that conspiracy which disturbs
the dreams of ignorant bigo;S? The new
constitution, ratified by the people in 1873,
contains the provision that mo money
''ralsed for the support of the public schools
''of the commonwealth shall be appropria-
tied to or used for The support of any
''sectarian schools In the constitutional
convention there were some Jealous laymen
of the Catholic church, yet they made
neither open nor covert opposition to
provision which put it forever ou5 of the
power Of the Legislature to make any diver
sion of the public taxes for sectariau
schools. If the Catholics are SO much CON
cerned about a separation of the school
fund why did they not make a stand on
this occasion? When the constitution was
before tine people for ratification it received
tue hearty support of the great body of the
Catholic citizens, who helped to swell the
triumphant majority of one hundred and
fifty thousand IN its favor. How comes it
that they did not rally under the lead of
their prelates in resistance to provision
which placed the school fund beyond the
reach of a temporary majority i'll the legis-
iature and put an eitectual bar against any
future attempt to raise controversy over
this subject?
Here was an opportunity that should not
have been neglected, were the Catholics
possessed of that deep hostility to the
school system with which they are charged.
it is matter of history that the new con-
stitution encountered the bitter, persistent
and unscrupulous opposition of the repub-
lcan leaders on account of its thorough
and unsparing reforms. Nothing would
have been easier than for the Catholics to
have formed an alliance with these repub-
lcan managers for the defeat of the new
constitution. The alliance would have
been most heartily welcomed in the utter
desperation of these enemies of constitu-
tuai reform. The Catholics could have
brought to the common stock the eumity
TO the common schools with which thoy are
charged, and the republican ring their
/ hostility to the legislative and other rel forms
of the constitution which they did not af-
feet to conceal. But instead of entering
into an alliance with the republican ring
leaders nine e-tenths of the Catholics of the
state voted for a constitution which placed
the school fund forever beyond sectariau
interference. Had the Catholic citizens of
Pennsylvania directed half the energy
against the new constitution which was
shown by its organized republican enemies
its ratification would have been seriously
endangered. If il be true that this pro-
vision of the constitution was obnoxious to
them, as is charged by their enemies, they
proved by supporting it that they preferred
tile political welfare of the common wealth
to their supposed sectarian interests. They
could not be tempted into this alliance with
the republican ring for it's rejection.
Yet in the face of this, the miserable
partisan cry is raised that the common
school system is in danger from the Catho--
lies, in order to awaken sectaran jeaousies
and hates. Any pretext, however, will
serve in this religious crusade. In Mary
land the nomination by the democrats of a
Catholic descendant of Charles Carroll OF
Carrollt"n, brought out of their political
graves the Know Nothings and Plug Uglies
of twenty years ago, who rushed to the
ballot box waving the banner Of s.No
Popery." In Ohio the Ghegan act, which
conferred on convicts in penitentiaries and
jails the poor privilege of choosing their
own ghostiy comforters, formed the ground
for another sectarian warfare. In New
York and Pennsylvania, whose common
school funds are placed under the protec-
tion of the state constitutions, the cry is
raised that the schools are in danger of
overthrow. This foolish and wicked ciamor
no doubt cost the democratic party several
thousand votes in each of these states.