Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-09-01
THE SCHOOL QUESTION IN OHIO.
How the Priests Have Forced Them
selves Into Politics.,


selves Into PoIitica.
Judge Taft delivered, at Cleveland on
the 23d inst, carefully prepared
speech on the school question, the
Catholic Church, and the Democratic
party. He begins with the proposition
that the Democrats, upon assembling
in Convention, feared the school ques-
ton, in which they felt they were
compromised, and tried to suppress 1t;
but, he says,
"The relation between the Demo-
cratic party and the Catholic clergy,
who are opposed to the common school
system, was such that the issue could
not be evaded by a platform, and the
attitude of the Catholic clergy, as be-
tween the parties, renders it impossible
to ignore them in our present contest
with the Democrats"
Under the head Grounds of Appre-
hension," the Geghan Bill is consider
ed, and the Judge mentions that the
point it raises is in this:
"That the Catholic clergy claimed
| IL as an important measure to which
their Church was entitled, and de.
manded it at the hands of the Demo
cratic majority, as a consideration for
the Catholic vote in the past, and
condition of their receiving it in the
future. On the same principle, il the
Republicans should promise to divide
the school fund, or to abandon the
school system, they might expect a
pledge OF the Catholic vote from the
clergy, unless the Democrats should
bid higher"
Again:
81 regret to see sectaranism intro
duced into politics. But the Democ-
racy have purchased the support of the
Catholic Church by "a sectarian consid-
Grafton, and are enjoying that support.
They have no right, therefore. TO
claim exemption from the natural con-
sequences. Nor can the Church COM
PLAIN, when it identifies itself with a
political party. that its political actions
should be canvassed. They, the Dem
ocrats and the Catholic clergy, have
agreed to combine against the Repub-
| licans. The Catholic clergy are sup
! posed to have no other object in this
coalition than to divide the school
fund, or destroy the common school
system. Is it right to trust this vital
interest of the Republic to such a COM
binatiOn ?p
The Democratic platform, the Judge
says, is "mere protestatioD," and he
says
THE Democratic politicians seem to
concede that their relation to the Cath
Ollie opponents of the schools is sus pi-
cious, and calls for explanation aud
protestation. Otherwise, why do they
make such plank, when they re-
proach the Republicans for doing the
same thing, as insulting to the people
of Ohio? They seem to have felt no
apprehension that the Democratic
plank would come under the same con-
demnation. 1t is for the people of
Ohio to say whether these protesta-
tions can be relied upon or trusted I'M
der the circumstances. The interest
is too vital to be left in any doubt
The Judge gives at length, with the
documents, the history Of the negotia-
tons between the Archbishop of Gin
cinnuti aud the Board of Education in
! 1869, and shows that though the Board
made the schools secular, excluding
the Bible and religious teaching, still
the priesthood would not consent that
Catholic children should attend the
common schools
And adopted at Cincinnati a rule
that no Catholic child should be con-
| firmed, unless he or she had attended
the parochial schools of the Church at
least two years-a rule which l am adj
vised had already been adopted in the
Cleveland diocese. The result has been
to keep large majority of the Catho-
lie children out of the common schools
which are undoubtedly much better
than the parochial, thus inflicting a
deep injury upon the parents of such
children"
OF the importance of schools, he
says:
"If there is anything divine in
America, it is our republican form of
government. If there is anything di-
vine in the Republic, it is its system of
common schools. 1t is time that we
should all learn the infinite folly of at
tempting to fasten upon any part of
Gods creation our puny condemna-
ton, by denouncing it as goddess"
The use of the term in reference to the
schools implies an utter want of appre-
citation of the relative position of the
schools and the Church, in this coun-
try"
And he adds that if the Church goes
into politics, it will be treated as a pol
itician. He draws broad distinction
between the Catholic laity and clergy,
and says:
A" But as the Democratic party is fran
tic for political power, and are willing
to ruin our currency in order to get it,
so some of these priests seem to be
frantic for the mastery of the schools"
What an old Farmer Says.
This is the advice of an old man who til
led the soil for forty years
am an old man, upwards of three score
years, during two scores of which / have
been a tiller of the soil. can not say that
! am now, but have been rich, and have
all l need, do not owe a dollar. have riYen