Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-10-22

The speech of Gen Grant, the other day,
at Des Moines. it will be recollected, touch
ed, among other things, upon the question
Of the public schools, and insisted upon the
strict application of the public money raised
in that behalf to the use of the schools
without especial direction, and especially
without ecclesiastical direction. Some sur
prise has been manifested at the fact that
the President had made formal and some
what extended speech. as though man who
had the good sense not to talk all the time
was likely when he did speak TO utter non
sense. Outside of the Catholic press, it has
been admitted that the utterance of the
President was timely, discreet and very
appropriate one. Let it be understood once
for all, that the Protestsnts, from Gen.
Grant, to the school committees ofour quiet
est village, have not initiated this discus
sion. The people Of the Eastern, and Mid
die, and Northwestern States had clear
and important idea resting upon their minds
when they taxed themselves to secure and
maintain a good English education for every
child in the Commonwealth, free of cost to
the child. Over and over again has the
principle underlying our free schools been
stated. Without regard to persons, class,
riches or poverty, the State held that was
for the interest of the State that its child
rem should be educated in the ordinary sense,
including, be it said, as truth demands,
general moral education, reaching but not
encroaching upon theological training.
This common school education has been
given all, including the children of Catholic
parents, and without the slightest desire or
attempt to influence their doctrinal belief,
just as it has been bestowed upon our native
American children. And so it would con-
tinue to be, so far as our taxpayers and
Legislators are concerned. 1t Is not they
as Protestants that have started this de-
bate. Ii began by the demand of the Cath
olIcs that certain proportion Of the school
money, drawn from the general public,
should be handed over to them to use as
they pleased. Certainly, the demand has
been modified, according to the nature of
the circumstances, in different States, but
the idea is still the same everywhere, and it
is the destruction of the fundamental idea
and purpose Of the common school system.
Now, II may Just as well be understood, first
as last, that the people of this country will
submit to no such abandonment of system,
which. with all that can be said in criti-
eism of it, is founded in philosophy, benevo-
lence, and the true Republican or Demo
cratic theory of government.
As we have said. this issue has been forced
by the Catholics. Carried to its ultimate result
as they would carry it, it would deth-one
the public schools. This cannot be done in
the United States in this century Now, we
are prepared to say that education, secular
education, is neither religion, nor a substi-
tute for it that one only being possible, it
is better for a child to be honest toward
God and man, than to be the possessor of |
any and all knowledge. When the Catho- |
lies call us - Goddess" because we do not |,
teach theology in our public schools, they |
beg the whole question, and they know it. |
The schools were not intended for theological |
training and religious instruction is else
where given. With all its untaxed proper |
ty, Its free entrance into the public schools, |
its perfect legal liberty, and its social free |
dom, IN this country, the Catholic Church, |
as IT appears to the ordinary American in
tellect, ought not, in justice, or as matter |
OF e1pediency, to set itself against the ideas
and practices Of the people in this matter of |
public schools