The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-05
The Bishop and tho PuDllc ScOolS

Editors Intelllgencer
In his note to the Register, Bishop Kain
says that in his address, he did not make
the assertion, that "the public schools are
hot.beds for the propagandism Of Pagan
lam and inadelity.n But he Is careful to
add that rs to the question whether such
an assertion would he true or false, lie Is
silent. II cannot be unfair to infer; that
he Ia silent, either because he has not yet
arrived at n decided opinion, or because
he believes that although such an aSser-
tOn would be true, It would not be pru.
dent openly to express II. We hope that
when he is n few years older, and has, by
longer occupation Of his exalted eCcle.
siastical position, had better oppOrtuni.
ties for observation, he may be able to
tell us that swarms of pagans and inf.
dels do not issue from these schools.
Others who are, no doubt, more familiar
with their working have not witnessed
such results.
There wns another assertion made by
the Bishop to which we would like to
call his attention. lie Is reported to have
said, "POint me to one single instance
where person has come from u secular
school n better or u purer man or
woman" lnasmucll M he has not seen
fit TO correct this report we fear that II
needs no correction. Indeed, II Is but the
repetition OF numerous utterances made
in high places in the church to which he
belongs. II is not very long since Arch.
bishop (now CurlinaD McCloskey, in
comparatively moderate but very Eignif.
cant sentence, said, II can answer that, 40
far as our Catholic children are concerned,
the workings Of the public school system
have proved, and do prove, detrimental
to their faith and morals" Says the
Fteeman's journal, "The horrible immoralities
of the youth in the public schools and the
disregard Of religion among those brought
up under their Influences prove our posi-.
ton, that the future Of the Catholic
religion In this land IL bound up
with the exclusion Of every school.
Ing not under Catholic direction
and CONTROL II these accusations
are true then every man and woman
who has been educated in these
institutions should be looked upon with
suspicion, until they are able to show
good character. The presumption as to
their morality is strongly against them.
The Bishops Language, though expressed
little less positively, Is Of tile same pur.
port, There are thousands In our city
who have been educated In our public
schools, And there are millions like
them In the country ut large. Those who
bring such charges need not be surprised
II these multitudes quickly hurl them
bnck IA a foul slander and insult And
this may lead to comparisons which will
not be pleasant. We do know that from
the schools Under the control Of the
church 10 which the Bishop belongs,
many pure men and women have come.
But Let the immortality Of the masses in
Italy and Spain and Central and South
America, where until lately the only
schools which existed were controlled by
the church Of Rome, be compared with
the morality OF the masses In any OF the
States Of this country, where the public
school system has long been established,
and the friends Of these latter institutions
need not blush at the RESULT.
We are sorry that the dignitaries of
the Church Of Rome seem TO he deter.
mined to press their antagohism 10 public
schools In way which Ia sure 10 arouse
a feeling Of which they have probably no
very clear idea. II Is perfectly evident
thai II they could they would destroy the
entire system in its root and branch.
Saws The Ereemdna Journal 1.-THE Catho.
lie solution Of this middle about the Bi.
bic or no Bible In schools il hands OIL
No state taxation or donations for any
schools. You look to your children, and
we will look to ours. We don't want you
to be taxed for Catholic schools. We do
not want to be taxed for Protestant or Tor
goddess schools. Leite public system 90 to
irhcre /, came trom-lhc derip But II they
cannot entirely overthrow the system
they insist that appropriations shall I've
made ont Of the public fund for the sup.
port Of their own schools. When these
cannot be obtained, they submit but they
put in the plea Of persecution, and wait
an opportunity 10 secure their
demand. Now we are under The i'm
preston that we know the mind
Of the American people sufficiently we'll
to qualify us to say with assurance, that
they will not permit the public schools
to he Overthrown OF to be weakened. To
the demand Of these dignitaries to be AL
lowed to put their fingers into the publ
Ia Nt,A AZ Nkata In,