Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-31

thus contribute to the common school
fund ike theothers, mostof them decline
to use the schools, preferring to tax
themselves for parochial institutions
under teachers of their own faith.
This double burden is a source of
chronic complaint with this class Of
citizens in nearly all our large cities.
They say that, after paying for such
schools as they prefer and looking after
their own poor, they have done their
full duty to the community and should
not be taxed for schools from which
they derive no benefit. This extra tax
disposes them to criticize the public
system, and they contrast its costliness
with their own. The average cost per
scholar of the New York city schools
is something over $50 per annum. That
Of Catholic schools is only s., owing
to the fact that they are conducted
mainly by religious orders, whose
members. are under the vow Of poverty,
receiving no salaries and laboring for
their food and clothes only. This, of
course, aggravates the complaint, and
the Catholic asks why he should be
taxed $50 for education when he can
get an article more to his liking FOR IS.
The subject has come up in New
York more than once, and Archbishop
Hughes discussion Of it was the occa-
sion Of making him known to the
whole public Of American leaders.
The present movement, however, for
some compromise or accommodation Of
the matter, has gone further and gives
more promise Of q successful. issue
than any hitherto devised. Some ten
days ago, Vicar General Quinn
addressed memorial to the
Board Of Education, setting
forth that the Catholic population
of the city were, by taxation, annually
contributing thousands Of dollars for
education, from which they received no !
benefit; and suggestinga joint commit
tee Of conference to ascertain whether |
some means satisfactory to both par
ties might not be devised merging the |
public and parochial schools, so that |
the latter might receive.some share of !
the taxes paid In by those who prefer |
red them. The response Of the Board |
was favorable, and a committee was ap- |
pointed on its behalf consisting Of |
Commissioners Wetmore, Baker, Farr, |
Ver1nuyea, Kelly and Townsend, to |
which President Nelson was added. |
Yesterday the telegraph announced |
that the Vicar General had replied |
by appointing his committee of |
Catholic gentleman, whose names are
as follows: Henry L. Hoguet, Fred. |
E. Gilbert, john E. Develin, Fred. r. |
Coudert. Geo. Y. Hecker, Rignal T. |
Woodward and Rev. J. O'Reily. The |
Ne,c York Tribune speaks Of them as |
''an able and repres NATIVE court. -
We learn, from the Herald, that they |
viii be ready to 60 into joint session |
toward the close Of the week. That an
accommodation is not impossible, may |
be seen from the Jesuit Of a similar
movement at Poughkeepsie, which is
referred to by the Weekly Ne,rs Of that
town in the following language:
Under the auspices Of this Board our
city, nearly two years ago, passed |
through one Of those semi-religIous az
itations which have elsewhere resulted
disastrOuslY, or which have kept COM
mUnities IN continual disagreement and
turmoil We refer to the question Of
uniting the public schools upon a basis
agreeable to both Protestants and
Catholics. At the moment this sub
iect is attracting excited attention in
the city Of New York, and It would be
well if in that city it could receive the
same candid and dispassiOuate c0nsid-
Grafton which it has received here. 1t
was not difficult TO make an arrange
ment, which was not only then, but
has from that time forward been one of
entire harmony, and not only so, but
has elevated the tone and has increased
the interest and emulation in all the
schools. Il cannot but be gratifying
to all these gentlemen that the results
here have been so eminently beneficial
IN all respects. They may be pardoned
moreover for a great pride IN the fact
that their experiment has not only at
tTacted the attention and emphatic APP
prOval Of The State Board Of Regents,
but Of all educational observers within
and beyond the bounds Of the State.
We can add, with special emphasis,
that the arrangement here has been
productive only Of most excellent re-
suits The most complete harmony has
prevailed.
The Nsl1 England Journal Of Educa-
ton, published under the auspices Of
the American Institute CT instruction,
and the leading journal on the subject
in the Eastern States, gives additional
details Of the Pougheeepsie expert
ment:
Something over a year ago the Board
of Education Of Poughkeepsie, feeling
the need Of larger school accommoda-
tious-which the Roman Catholics pos
sessed in having two capacioUs build
ings-the necessityOf a more equal dis
tribution Of pupils in the different
schools, a more uniform transfer Of
qualified pupils from the lower to the
higher schools, and the better influence
Of a more general blending Of all classes
in the school systems, effected a trans
fer Of the Roman Catholic school
buildings to the Board at a nominal
rent, and an incorporating Of their
schools into the city system, under the
same general regulations which gov
erned all the rest. The Roman CathO-
Ole clergy Of the city, being men of an
intelligent and liberal stamp, the plan
met with no opposition, except from
so-called Protestant sources, and that
hinged quite extensively upon a sort Of
class hue and the cry relative to ''the
Bible in the public schools, resulting,
however, only IN a temporary newspa-