Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-02-19

An address UeHVer"u III bosioi 'y Di9-
hon M'Quaid Of Rochester, New ork, a
leading Catholic divine in this country,
has attracted general notice and comment
for its bold assault upon the public schocI
system. No other memser of the Catho'
lie priesthood has taken so strong stand
acains. the schools as he has, and his re-
marks will strengthen the existing opinion
of the deep hostility of the Cathohcs TO
the schools. The Albany journal speaks
of the Bishop as learned and able man.
clearly entitled to be considered an eN-
ponent of Catholic sentiment on the 4'es-
ton. and adds: go.
THE Bishop is opposed TO the pu''e
school system in all its length and breadth
and he declares open and nncomPfoh'S-
mo war against it. Not even Il division OF
the school fund will satisfy him; not even
the recognition and support OF bis own
sect out of the public funds will answer
his demands; he goes further and con-
dennis the whole principle OF any pubic
system at ALL He denies that the State
has any more right to establish SCHOOLS
than to establish churc!, and assert that
it should not interfere with education any
more than with religion. Accordingly he
demands the overthrow of the whole pub
lie school system and the direction OF
education by the family and the church.
II 81 ,ovn1y,tjno1rE n i
ton, but Bishop M'Quaid avows it IN the
most unmistakable terms. 'Ihe pnhlc
school system. he says. AS advocated by
MANY to be imposed on all the cltlz ms OF
the republic, is nothing else than huge
conspiracy against religion, individual
liberty and enterprise and parental rights.
1t is monopoly on the part OF the State
usurping to itself the entire control Of the
teachers business, driving oat competi-
ton, herding the children together III
large numbers. working all alike Is so
many bits of machinery instead of having
them in smaller family and neighborhood
schools. acting on the children according
Immediately under the control OF parents.
What he thus calls a conspiracy against
religion and individual rights. Bishop
MOuaid would resist by overlhroWing it
altogether. He would destroy the public
school system root and branch. He would
leave each family of each sect to provide
its own education. The principles which
he holds primary and Vital are these ::
first. interference of the State in
church or school: second, Compulsory in
struction under The direction and at the
expense OF the parents; third. free trade
in education. or no monopoly Of the tea h.
er's profession.
This is startling declaration. It goes
beyond anything we have had here
tofore. 1t proclaims war, not against
particular features Of our schools but
against the whole principle and the
very existence of the system itself.
1t makes the issue one of life and
death. 1t means no education 10y the
StdLc no COlDlllOu no IccOgIl-
ton by the commonwealth that intelli
gence is essential to republicansm that
there shall be no general organized svs-
TEN of education at ali; and that. with
the subversion Of the public schools, the
Catholic church shall gather into It's own
schools all the children it can The reg
son for this position is two fold-frst that
the schools as they now exist liberaiIze
the attendants and consequently are re-
pugnant to the policy of Rome; and,
second. that with no public schools, at all,
the church of Rome might reach out its
arms and draw in a larger following
The whole declaration is extraordinary in
its character Coming from a prelate of
Bishop NJ Quaids conference.-the who is
recognized as the foremost representative
of the church on this question-it is EMIT
led to the gravest attention. l. procaims
to the country what a serious and vital
contest it has before il