Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-03-26
Unsectarian Schools,

A very important contest is now
progressing in New York city over
the public school system, the issue of
which will attract attenti n, as it may
prove the entering wedge in the
effort, manifestations of which are
becoming more frequent every day,
to overthrow our system of unsec-
tartan schools, and to substitute for it
a system which shall make the schools
nurseries of warning creeds and the
vantage ground of crafty priests
The practical issue in New York is
embodied in a formal demand, made
by the Trustees of the Catholic "paro-
chial schools" for portion Of the
public school money for the support
of such sectarian schools. This de-
mand is supplemented by most bitter
and vehement assaults upon the pub
lie schools by portion Of the Catho-
lie clergy of that city, of which the
following, from sermon by Rev.
Father Walker, an Irish priest, de-
livered two weeks ago is a specimen:
"Woe be to the parents" shouted he in
the manner of one hurting anathemas,
''woe be to the parents who send their
children to these public schools! Woe be
those who secretly favor them in their
hearts! would not like to be in their
places on the day of judgment. The
public schools are the nurseries of vice.
They are Goddess schools, and they who
send their children to them cannot expect
the mercy of God They ought not to
expect the sacraments of the Church in
their dying moments. hope you and
will live to see the day when it will be un-
derstood that parents who commit this
great sin will be refused the sacraments OF
the Church. What! let them die without
the rites of the Church, you will ask
Yes, say so. l would as soon admins
ter the sacraments to dog as to such
Catholics"
The effect of such language is, of
course, to intensity feeling and to
take the question out of the realm of
calm reason and judgment. The
Catholic population of New York
WELD vast power, and the party hold
ing the reins of government there
being Influenced wholly by policy
and considerations of its own con-
tinuance in power, it is not unlikely
that the demand that the public
schools of New York City may be
speedily resolved into training
grounds for the different sccts. The
appropriation of public money to
build up one religious denomination
will be logically followed by appro-
priations to all, and the result will
soon be that our much Wanted and
cherished system Of free education,
untainted by sect or party, will he in
the hands Of those whose instincts
and interests it will be to narrow its
scope and emasculate its strength.
The question whether our public
school system shall be preserved il
its freedom from disturbing and I'M
harmonizing influences, prejudicial to
its highest efficiency, or whether it
shall become the instrument of dog
matte theology and the recruiting
sergeant for Il sect, is one that is
rapidly coming into prominance.-
The contest must be fought out, and
when it is, we have faith that the
better Judgment Of the members OF
all religious denominations will de-
eide it right. Any other theory than
the absolute preservation of our sys-
TEN Of public education, from politi-
cal or sectarian bias, will result in its
destruction.