, 1875-06-07

THE SCHOOL QUESTION IN POLITICS.
1,ecn,,so tho Catholic clergy III this ssAto
hnyo not yet malo my aggressive effort to
secnre division of tho scl,ool-funtla, or in
liau thereof RELEASE from taxation for pub
lic-school purposes, wo should not look nti'f-
ferently upon tue subject. ANY movement
Of this nature in any part Of tho country
threatens Illinois md every other Stato. s,,c-
ccssful In any ono State, it 1uay be sncccssfnl
in others where the Cntholics dovelor snfli-
eient strength, either nMong themselves or
will, tho aid Of political tlen1agogacs OF QUO
or botl Of tho great parties, to overthrow tho
rrcsent Ryston,. Tho iss'1o IL really o1le Of
nnlional import wherever it arises Thero is
little doubt it Inns taken practical shapo in
Ohio, whero tho GEauAN bill concerning ro-
ligious services in pnblic institutions fright
enough in itself) WINS inatlo Catholic issuo,
md appealed to tho Catholic voters to range
themselves RI tnf,ssf, md Oh religious
grounds. with tho Democratic party. ~The
school question had nlreat1y been Rgitatet1 in
certsin loca.itios, sucl, rs Cleveland, Column
bus, Cincinnati, and Toledo, and it lecan.e
evident tlat the attack on the p,lblic-school
system wns Tho ultimate purpose Of tho
alliance between tho Catholic clergy aud the
Domocratic party il thu. State. Hence the
declaration Of .l.a Ohio Republican Conven-
ton against any division Of tho school-fund
was timely; nnd 1t nuqnestlonably reflects
tho sentiment Of TIM Republican purity orory-
where.
II appears tint tho extreme Catholics in
Ohio have no intention Of tlisavowing tho
purpose thus charged upon them. Thcir
organ III t1io Casho|te Telegraph, published III
Cincinnati. It took occasion in its last n,ln,-
ber to comment Oh certain utterances Of the
Presbyterian General Assembly; and, in n
reply to suggestion from secular nows'
paper to tlla elect TINT no Protestant sect
should assumo TINT tho advocates Of secular
education nro working in tho interest Of
protestantB, md TINT Catholics ought to MI
nit TINT it il not m opposition to thei.
Church to prohibit tho interference Of al
scc.s with tho school system, this Cincinnati
Catholic journal says:
Catholics make tho aboSe 'uI1naslon without
ccasug 10 b Catholics. Tho fortyasventh and forty
eighth articles ot the syllabus have authositstve1y ss
lied for MI tme that the exclusion Of religious natrc
ton frot daily education Ia iamnablc reg1ous
1ns, which Catholics cauuot approve without 1cu'n
| Of faith ans conniaaion sf ssn. Legislation docs
therefore, far Catholics iconcernoI interfere
with tho subject Of ro5gion The State has no inhe'
rcnt authority to exclude religion from public oduca
t,on When It doca 80, 1t plays the tyrans. clothing 1t
seif with commission Of power for which It can SHOW
warrant. X tho State l not tax iii to support In
siutiops that deny us nbosy Of conac!cnce NO woull
nut totnp3atr at least Of injustice. Tho ruin whiel
secular education will inevitably bring upon tho Stat
would, however, not 10 ayarted. hut ~ long ths
present syatcm preyalis thu State not only question:
fatb but denies to u its fros and unrestricted
! cscisr.
This may be construed rs an authoritative
clusion Of tho Bible from tho public schools
which has been authorized by decision o
| tho Supreme Court in Ohio,- the absence
OF every color Of religious tencling, does no
satisfy tho domand OF tho Catholic Ol,urcl,
On tho contrary, tho broad ground Ia take
TINT no Catholic can acquicsce in this system
and send his children to the public school
without committing sin aeaiust tho Church
We doubt very much whothcr mi
jority Of tho Catholio 1aity subscrih
to this doctrino. Those who Il
ought not to havo voluntarily sough
home in q country and under Goverumer
whoro tho separation Of Church mud State
ONO Of tho fundamental principles. IIayin
done 80, however, 1t Is their duty as eitizer
Of this Government to acquiesce in It's prlt
ciples, and not to eonspire for their overthrow
4 1t be tyme that their Church pronounces
a "sin" for them to aend their children