The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-09-09
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'SCHOOLQUESTION
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Senator Thurman addressed the
people OF Cleveland, Saturday eve.
ming, August %, and a large part
Of his speech was devoted to- the
School question. o On that subject he
said: .e9njsl booa :
al now turn to another subject,
about which much is being said by
Radical speakers and newspapers, the
public schools. In order to divert the
attention of the people from the just
causes Of Complaint that exist against
our Radical rulers, and which brosght
down upon their heads the emphatic
condemnation of last year, the man-
ayers of the party haye started the
cry that our public schools are in dan
ger that there is combination be-
tween the Democratic party and the
Catholic Church TO abolish the system,
or, at least, divide tho school fund
among the various religious denomi-
nations, or, II that cannot be done, to
exempt Catholics from all taxation for
the support Of the schools. A more
unfounded ipretense, more false, hol-
low and 1hypocritical assertion was
never uttered by mortal man. It
would be q sufficient answer to say
that no combination between the
Democratic party aud the Catholic
Church exists or ever has existed.
There never has been q public neas-
ure adopted or advocated BY the Dem
ocratic party that gave to the Catholic
or any other Church any preference or
over any other sect or body
Of men. II 1tas bsen tho boast Of the
party, anda just and proper boast, too.
that from ifs very foundation, it has
tho rights of conscience Of
every man, opposed every scheme for
. union of church and state, and main
tanned the perfect equality Of right OF
every sect and denomination Of man
kind. IT'S great foondet, The immor-
tai Jefferson, was one of the first to
sdvocatc this equality and TO give il
the sanction OF law in the Legislature
Of his native' State. For his omainte-
nance Of thfs principle he was unspar-
ingly denounced by his enemies, and
held up to the public gaze as an infidef
seeking to destroy the very founda-
lion Of religion. But the Democratic
party rallied to his support, and so
irmly established the principle that it
has become part and parcel OF our
Tree Institutions, as inseperable from
hem as our blood is from our lives,
md destined to endure as long as they
shall exist. Another and conclusive
answer to the charge isthat our com.
mon school system, in its present en-.
arged and benifcent aspects, is the
The child, SO TO speak, of the Demo
cratic party. Under cur first Consti
luton, it was left to the will of the
whether to establish COM
mon schools or not, and for nearly
Iwenty years after the adoption Of that
no such schools were es-
|sblished. But our present Constftn-
ion, framed by a Democratic Conven-
tion-of which, BY the way, yeur en-
nent liow-citizen, Rufus p. Ranney,
Was one of the most distinguished,
able and influential members-naakes
L the imperative duty of the Legisla-
lure to maintain SO thorough and eff
:ient system of common schools
the State" And this Con-
was adopted by the Demo
cratic electors of the State against the
opposition of the great mass Of the
Wing electors, who opposed and voted
against it. And the very first Legis-
lure that sat after its adoption. and in
which the. Democrats, had. an over
majority, passed .. school
law in compliance with its provisions,
which, as subsequently amended, has
been the law of the State down to this
very day: The only proposition cal
culated to impair its usefulness ever
made in the General Assembly was
by Republican member
10 abolish the separate white and coll
bred schools and mix all the children,
white and black, in the came schools.
And that proposition. which would
have created . powerful
prejudice against the system, whether
or not, never received lite
Quietus until the Supreme Court Of
the State unanimously decided that
The law separating the schools was
But / AN wrong in
saying that it received ,its quietus
then, for its advocates, defeated in the
State Legislature, defeated in the State
Supreme Court, resorted to Congress; !;
aud in defiance of your legislation, in.
contempt Of your General Assembly.
aud Supreme Court, aud. 1 may add.
In contempt Of the Federal Supreme
Court, the Radicals in the Senate
passed the Supplementary Civil Rights
bill of 1874 with the intent, among
other things, Of forcing mixed schools
upon the States, however detrimental
TO or even destructiye of the scheoI
system such measure might be. Il
took some ipartini ithendebate on thai.
bill, arguing tiiats it, was unconstitu-
tional, but thatsif constitutional, was
most impolitic, for pitssyery effect, il
carried into execution, would be to
destroy the whole common school sys-