Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1875-09-23
From the Ohio State journal.
sectarian Education Again.
Catholic schools Already. Drawing
Public Money in Ohio

visions of the Illinois constitution had
been avoided by the School Board of
East st. Louis, SO as to appropriate
public funds for the support of Catho
lie schools, Since writing that article
information has come to US that al
ready, right here in Ohio, the same
thing has been done. The Catholic
Religion has already become so far a
State institution, that the teaching of
it has been made a public charge, pay
able out of the school fund, in more
than one town Of Ohio.
we are aware of the tender solici-
tude of the Democratic brethren just
now, that religion should not he mix
ed up with politics--although Mr..
Geghan and the Catholic Telegraph
were able to induce the Democratic
Legislature to take little religion in
theirs, last winter But the Democrat
ic orators and writers are now very
sure that the constitutional prohibit
ton, quoted IN full in our article of
yesterday, is sufficient to forever quiet
all reasonable apprehension that our
public school system will ever be mod
ifed, misdirected or abrogated. Itbe-
comes our painful duty to show that
this Democratic faith in the ''safe-
guards of the Constitution is not we'll
founded
Our information comes from three
sources A gentleman in Northwestern
Ohio sends one statement; a late citi-
zen of Ohio, now of Jersey City, sends
US another; and this is vOuched by a
third gentleman in central Ohio city.
In addition to all this, let it be noted
that what we are about to state must
be public matter, so soon as atten.
ton is called to it, and if by any
) chance our informants-all men of the
highest and most responsible charac-
ter--have been led into error, nothing
will be easier than to show wherein
they have erred, weeks before the can
vas is over. We prefer for the pres
ent to confne ourselves to q single
case of the five or six brought to ouI
attention, using the version of oul
Jersey City correspondent, showing,
I as it does, not only the manner but the
l extent to which this violation has been
carried--not merely in the past year,
but for several years-during all which
I the constitutional "sate guard sc
pointedly quoted by the Democrac,
has been in full force and power
; The town Of Delphos, Allen county
y Ohio, contains population of about
I twenty-six hundred nhabitants. Il
u common with other enterprising towns
9 in the State, due regard is shown 70
IS popular education. To this end tn
y town has been to the expense of erect
$ ing Union School house capable o
. accommodating every candidate 70
le education in the place between thu
- ages of six and twenty-one years.
!e The building is an ornament to tn
e place, and contains no less than eleye
ii fine, large, airy class rooms. Yet fo
ID the past five years four of these hav
20 remained unoccupied. The reason
, therefor is simply as follows: A nun
Le Der of years ago the Roman Catholi
e. element, with the assistance of the d.
d mocracy of the place, succeeded in OF
Ut tanning control of the Board of Dire
% tors having charge of the school fun
III and have maintained it ever since.
d direct agreement was effected with Il
u. Roman Catholic Church in that plat
a. a. for the Church to build another schot
- building and establish school und,
~ their own management and contrO
a. the Board of Directors to recognil
'n the same as public school and pa
as all expenses, including the salaries
~ AZ teachers, etc, from the commc
ll' school fund. In this manner it hi
been and is now conducted. tt
y. school is in all intents and purposes
laG Roman Catholic parochial school,
en The exercises are commenced in Il
lIC morning with half an hours. instru
ne ton by the priest, or, in his absenc
hg by a teacher in the eatechism of &
iaU church, at the end of which all the p
.he pills are required to cross themselv
and repeat in concert a prayer to t
y Virgin Mary. The ordinary exercis
"a then follow until the hour of dismis
Ny al, when the scholars are again requ
cS' ed to cross themselves and pass out.
lcn Among the rules of department
~ IN this: that all pupils must stand uncc
uo cred in the presence of the priest, a
stS instances are plenty where children
Ite parents not belonging TO the Chur
'@S vas have been severely punished in
ln u school for not removing their b
l"' when meeting the priest on the sire
% The text books and course of stud
na' are all under the supervision and CT
Ie I troll of the church, and in no way d.
'oIe the school partake of the nature of
ay' ordinary public school except in mar
ese by which it derives it's support fr
Elll WI. the common school fund. And
Ilcs this Safeguard" which the Democ
10 cy would have us believe all that
'ese eI necessary for protection, is part
Tue the Constitution of the State.
tne have shown how easily its provisiC
l9u' are superseded in one instance s
AilN IL rendered Intellectual, and yet, there
Tue u instances in the State where they b.
the gone even further than this, and
>"o' some cases, even in Ohio, where t
''safeguard'' is SO potent, instan
l'oG Nc can be found where the children
~ Protestant parents are compelled to
- tend the parochial schools of the
'.ote ;t manist Church or obtain no ben
~ ,'ht whatever from the school fund.
To protect town, city, or
Dor, a Government erects fort or
adel for protection or defense as o.
1--WE sion may require. They may N
!" low its walls of adamant, surround it Y
! Gu moat practically impassable, mo
nHl' upon its ramparts guns of the he
o"s est calibre in the ingenuity of man
s construct, but if left without garri:
o.; the fort affords no protection wha
.ne er to the place So with the IS
Win guard of the Ohio Constitution
{ Is protecting the school fund, it ma,
oo%- S a good fort, but the people of {
pun should see that it is properly garri
e. ed
some -------- -" "-----
,tion Mark Twain, they say, is len(
s. 1t money at sixteen per cent. Twain