Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-09-03
The Public schools auestion in ohio.

IhR NNuDlG RthObAh NtuNEhph 50
In an indirect way the public schools
question has come to possess very con-
siderable Importance in Ohio politics this
year. The currency question is the lead
ing issue, there can be no doubt, but the
distrus. OF the Democratic party as TO the
schools question will cost that party, ii is
said, more votes than it can gain from all
other sources. This is the judgment from
very intelligent observer, who prints his
observations in the New York Tribune,
and who is, undoubtedly, Mr.. William M.
Grosyenor of Missouri, who is now speak
ing for the Ohio republicans. He reports
that the feeling on the question is very
strong and deep in all parts of the state,
and the popular response is very hearty TO
anything that is said in favor of the public
schools. Protestant democrats are attend
ing republican meetings in unusually large
numbers, and there are indications of much
quiet scratching of the democratic ticket
on election day. Mr.. Grosveuor finds that
there is some danger of q reaction in favor
of the democrats on account of an injudi-
cious temper on this question on the part
of some republican speakers and editors;
and he thinks that the more The question is
left alone the more serious will be the de-
fection from the democratic ranks. Ever
since the Roman Catholic church took u
pronounced position against non sectarian
education, it has been growing more and
more vigorously hostile TO the public
schools. There is a very ultra Roman Ca
tholic newspaper in Cincinnati, the Catholic
Telegraph, which assails the public school
system violently and constantly. The
priests are also adopting coercive measures
to compel the withdrawal of children from
the public schools and there is a very
marked change of sentiment on the ques-
ton among the Catholics everywhere.
Very naturally the Protestant and liberal
thinking portion of the public is alarmed.
There is an intense anti-Catholic feeling
both in the western reserve, which was set
tied from New England, and in southern
Ohio, which was mainly settled by immi-
grants from Maryland, Virginia and North
Carolina, who detest the caste system
which they remember in those states.
These facts explain the popular feeling.
The introduction of this feeling as an ele-
ment in the campaign resulted from the
legislative proceedings of last winter. a
bill was offered by Mr.. Geghan, provid-
ing that clergy of all creeds should he al
lowed to attend as inmates of the various
state institutions. 1t did not refer TO the
schools in any way. But while it was
pending, the leading Catholics were so in
discreet as to demand its passage as an act
ofjustice due from the democratic party,
and 10 threaten The withdrawal of the Ca
tholic vote if the bill did not pass. When
the bill did pass, the Catholic organ prom
Used the solid vote of the Catholic citizens
10 the democracy this fall. 1t is unneces-
sary to say that this sort of talk subjects
the democratic party 10 the odum of being
subservient 10 Catholic influences, and the
Protestants of the state, already alarmed by
the demonstrations against the public
schools, are beginning to ask where this
thing is going TO end. They recall the fact
that when Tammany held sway in New
York the constitutional provision against a
div ision of the school fund was sought to
be evaded, and that immense grants were
made to Catholic institutions. 1t is evident
that this anti Catholic scare is going to
have good deal TO do with defeating the
democrats in Ohio this fall. We hope it
may not only accomplish this end, but that
it will do something towards teaching the
Ca tholics to let alone the public schools.