Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-11-29
NONSECTARIAN SCHOOLS.
IErrEG rEcN SPEAKER BLAINr

WASHINGTON, Nov. e.
The following letter was written by Mr.. Blaine
to prominent Ohio gentleman just after the late
election in that State. Ii is printed now with at
least the implied consent of the writer:
AuGJ STA, Maine, Oct 20.
. My DEAR SIR The public school agitation in
your late campaign is liable to break out else
where, and occurring first in one State and then
in another, may keep the whole country in a iei-
ment for years to come. This inevitably at0uses
scctarian feeling and leads TO that btterest and
most deplorable Of all strfcs-the strife between
religious denominations. 1t seems to me that tins
question ought to be settled i'll some definite and
comprehensive way-and the only settlement that
can be final is the complete victory for non-secta-
rian schools. ] am sure this will be demanded by
the American people at all hazards and at any
cost.
The dread of sectalian legislation in thi. coun-
try has been felt many times in the past. IL be-
gan very early. The first amendment OF the Con-
stiution, the Joint product OF Jefferson and Madi-
son, proposed in 1889, declared that Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment OF
religion nor prohibiting the exercise thereof.
At that time when the powers Of the Federal gov
clnment were untred and uudeveloped, the fear
was that Congress might be the source of danger
to perfect religious liberty, and hence all power
was taken from it. At the same time lthe states
were left free to do as they pleased in regard to
ian establishment of religion for the tenth
anne dment, proposed by that eminent jurist, The
ophilus Parsons, and adopted contemporaneously
with the first declared that "al powers not dele
gated to the United States by the Constitution,
nor prohibited by it to the States reserved to
the States respectively OF to the people,
4 majority of the people IN any State in this
MON therefore, if they desire it, have an es-
tablished church-under which the minority may
he taxed for the erection of church edices which
they never enter and for the support of creeds
which they do not believe. This power was act
uallv exercised in some of the States long after
the adoption of the Federal Constitution, and al
though there may be no positive danger of its Ic-
yiva in the future, the ssibility Of II should not
he permitted. The suspicious time to guard
agans, an evil is when all will unite in preventing
it.
And in curing this constitutional defect all pos
sibility of hurtul agitation the school question
should be ended also. just lie, the old Jefferson
Madison amendment be applied to the states by
adding the following 10 the inhlbitoIy clau-es in
section 10, article l. of the Fcgera Constitution,
VIZ:
''No State shall make any law respecting an cs-
tabli shment OF religion or prohibiting the free en-
ercisc thereof and no money raised by taxation
in any State for the support of public schools, or
derived from any public fund therefor, shall ever
be under the control Of any religious sect, nor
shall any money raised ever be divided between
religious sects or denominations"
This, you will observe, does not interfere with
any State having Just such a school system as its
citizens may prefer-subest to the single and SIM
pie restriction that the schools shall not be made
the arena for sectaran controversy or theological
disputation. This adjustment, it seems to me,
would be comprehensive and coDclusive-and
would be fair alike to Protestant and Catholic, to
Jew and Gentle-leavlng the religious faith and
the conscience of every man free and unmolesed
Very sincerely yours,
j. G. BLAINE.