The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-09-24
An Instance Very Much to the Point.

An Jnstancr Very Much to the Point
i'lir Constitution of Ohio provides, in
tlre Bill Of Rights. that (Sec. T. ''Al
men have {, natural and iHdcfensible right
to worship Almighty God according to
the dictates Of their own conscience.
No preference shall be given
by law to any religious society .
Religion, morality, and knowledge, how.
ever, being essential TO good govern
ment, it shall DE the duty of the Gener-
al Assembly TO pass suitable laws, TO
protect every religious denomination in
1 the peaceable enjoyment of its own
mode of public worship, and to encOur-
| age schools and the means of ins.ruc-
tion-" In Art VI, Title Education, "
| Sec. 2, it is ordained: ''The General
Assembly shall make such provision, by
taxation or otherwise, as, with the in
come arising from the school trust fund,
will secure thorough and efficient sys-
|
State; but no religious or other sect or
sects shall ever have any exclusive right
to. or control of, any part of the school
fund of this State"
The Constitution of Illinois, GS70,)
Rev. Stat. of ILL.,, ed. 1874, p. a, ''Edu-
cation" Sec. 3, ordains: ''Neither the
general assembly nor any county, city,
town, township, school district, or other
public corporation. shall ever make any
appropriation or pay from any public
fund whatever, anything in aid of any
church or stctarian purpose, or to help
support or sustain any school, academy,
seminary, college, university, or other
literary or scientific institution, con.
trolIed by any church or sectarian de-
nomination whatever; nor shall any
grant or donation of land, money, or
other personal property ever be made
by the State or any such public cOrpo
ration, to any church, or for any secta-
rian purpose"
The most superficial glance will show
how immeasurahly more strict and
guarded the Illinois Constitution is,
against diverting the school funds to
sectarian schools, than the Ohio Consti-
tuition. 1t is justly held that the intent
of the Ohio Constitution is to prohibit
State support to sectarian schools; but
n lawyer of moderate abilities may easily
contrive means to drive coach and
six through the Ohio prohibition. The
craft of the Catholic Church in evading
such provisions is proverbial. No law
yer need be reminded that we owe our
whole system of states in trust, to the
skill of that Church in evading an Eng
lish law which sought to curb the enorm-
Gus accumulation OF real property in the
hands of the Romish Church, by pro-
hibiting such devises The Church pi-
ously accepted the situation, and invent
cd estates in trust, through which it was
enabled to enjoy all the fruits of the
land, without amy of the responsibilities
of an ownership in fee. The result was
thnt our thick headed ancestors. in en-
deavoring to shear the Church, found
that they had left the Church free to
enjoy all tire privileges of the wool,
while they escaped a!i responsibility for
the care of the sheep.
Dom Piltt's bill, t'irlltrd by Bishop
RnSeerans, shows that the ClIuich has
last none of lis ability ia evAdc obnoX
ious laws or cuus1 s1ituii"n;tl requirements.
The bill failed Icy ":,e vote cf :. comsti-
tutioma! mainri,y, thOngiI il had
working iii.- .fiiy' in lis favor, in ihe
House. The vote nn that and the Ge
girln bin shows iliat il will not always
rrGuirr even nn absolute Democratic
majority To pass tiie biil at amy time in
ihc fliigrt-ior il sGsnetiiues happens
that IA iniii;i;esinai number of Repnb-
lic:ins may l." found yuiinG with the Holy
Allies, oi a question of this sort. The
secular wing oi i.I.. Democratic party is
Just now busiiy engaged in trying to
prove shat the Constitution protects us
from any s,ciniian division of the school
fund. iiIough "" have tI.iS warning from
recent history in our own State. We
will not waste time or space nO~ nu the
Ohio Constitution The Illinois Consti-
tuition is so much more stringent IN IFS
prul.it;iian tii.s /; aiy1ElS u- better
example Of huw easily such provisions
may be eyadcd; and il also furnishes us
n practical exa:npl,. Of asa accomplished
fact. which l. worti columns Of hypoth-
esis
The unsophislica.eI reader, on eXain-
lining the provision Of the Illinois Con
stitu;ion which We have quoted, may
easily make up his mind that it would
he impossible To nave scctarian schools
Catholic schools Imported at the
expense of the State, under it.
The unsophsticated reader would be
mistaken. 1t remains as an accomplish
ed fact that Catholic sectarian schools
are already supported at the expense of
the State in Illinois. We shall now prove
this assertion by uudoubted Catholic au-
thority.
In East ST. Lnnis, which is in the
State of Illinois. although four iifths of
the taxes are paid 10y Protestants, the
Catholics have secured ii majority on the
School Board. We have before us the
St Clair Tribune, published in East ST.
Louis. showing the results of this
achievement The Board has not only
adopted the Catholic schools and allowed
the Church to nominate Catholic teach
zrs who were confirmed by the Board
and allowed 10 evade the law by draw
ING from the State school fund and Civ
ING sectarian instruction ''Out of school
hours. - but it displaced the old chosen
teachers of the colored schools, and sub
stituted teachers to lis liking, against
the unanimous protest of the parents.
But we have 10 occasion 10 quote this
reliable non sectarian authority. We
prefer to quote from the Catholic organ
in Louisville. "The Catholic AdcocGte. -
We need not add one word of explana-
ton or comment. The article is full,
| complete, and authoritative. We NAV
| submit it, in its naked simplicity, and
=