, 1875-02-04
A. BLOW AT THE PUBLIC sc11oors

And now comes Mr.. 1IoNAN, Of Coot
County, and wants to tinker tho State Con,
stitution so M to tlivida the public schoo1
moneys among sectarian schools,-a schema
similar to that just sprung upon the Missouri
Legislature by some Bourbon members. Mr,
HoNxX wants See. ,, Art. 4, Of tho Constitu.
tion to be amended 80 NJ to read as follows,
SEQ. 3. The General ASSEMBLY shall provide fot 4,
s;oo purpose. ong M sso5s eR'eRfiaes i s s,t s
provided spth rrtAous sect may ts&nt.tsA ,ys ske1
and Be entitled 10 an equitable s'arr, but ,s ,noot
shall ho appropriated by the Gnneral Assembly Tor 4
aid or suBtan auy acaley, aun,tnary college, nns.,
sity, or my scctarfau denomination whataref. n,
stal aily grant or donation Of 'n,id, money otl
personal property bo madG BY the State or m,
sufh public corporation to my Church except u III
tain fres schools Herewith connected.
We can best indicate the changes which
Mr. HoxAa seeks to make in this section b,
printing 1t a. it now stands:
SEC. 3. Neither tho General Assembly, nor ,o7
county, city, Town, township school district. Or ohu
public corporation, ahal ever make any approrstoa
Or pay from Any public fund whnteyer, gnythiaR i
aid Of any Church or sectArian purposc, or to b&1
Auppoft or austain any school, academy, aot,iaaty
futon eoatroilsi by any Church IL sectsrjan soe oa
nation whatever; nor shall any grant, or doi,atoa Il
!anl money, or other personal properly be nd
by tue htate, or any s,lrh public corporation to ta
Church. or for my sectariau purposp,
The difference in tho two is simply th;a
TINT, while the prohibition of the Use Of rub
lie moneys for sominaries, colleges, aud uni.
versities Of religious denominations is Re.
tanned in tho proposed amendment, it strikaa
out all the rest of the section as it NOW stant,
and authorizes the division Of the mons7
among denominational schools. If then
were any possibility that the people Of TIL
State in the proposed election Of Novcnbe,,
1876, would ratify this amendment, the situa.
ton would be ono Of the gravest charaete,
and full Of danger to tho public school sys.
ten Of the State. Il it were possible for III.
HoaAN to carry his amendment through ths
Legislature, there it would die. II It VA
ever brought before tho people for ratifcs.
ton, they would vote it out Of sjghs
by majority 80 overwhelming that 10
ono would have the temerity for generation
to como to renew the absurd propositioa.
The amendment proposed is simply ons
branch Of tho organized effort among ths
Bourbons to establish the old Church and
State combination, and make the State psy
for the teaching Of sectariau dogmos. Ever
parent now bus the right to teach his CHI.
dren aa many dogmas as he pleases. Eveg
Church has this right to teach its dogma
from its pulpit and its own schools which t.
supports, md that is as far as the people ot
this Stato will ever give their consent to The
propagation Of any religious creed at ths
public expense. The proposition is simply
out Of the question, and m agitation Of sbs
proposition can do no good, md only sens
to stir up resentful feelings. There h
nothing more certain than that four-dfths ot
the taxpayers and voters Of Illinois AFRO in.
fiexibly opposed to lovying taxes for tho SUP
port Of sectarian schools, or permitting aay.
thing to be done to impair or destroy t..
existing public school system.