The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-02-27
Radical Education.

Our learned contemporary, the Republican
is mad on the subject of State Education
1t is quite angry with us for our proposition
not to pass the appropriation bill, becaus'
public school funds would thereby come
short. Now, the Republican is in itself
bright and shining example of the effects o
Goddess education, and ought, therefore, tf
be good authority on the question of its i'm
portance. The Republican has good
primary school education, and, even, affects
a certain number of big words yet, not
outstanding its very common school learn
ing, it is 30 cody. Now, if the Republican
is virtuous, why shall not all other grad yates
of primary public schools be virtuous 7 II
follows logically, indeed, that they must be-
and are.
The Republicans ia learned-in the three
R's-yet the Republican does not plumber
the community upon which a malign fate
has fastened it it does not ma!iciously in
suit and triumph over its helpless victims
it does not strive to prolong Is career of sine
cure fairness by stirring up strife among
classes, by circulating ISLANDERS and fictitious
tales of blood and outrage; it does not
thrive like parasite on the ruin of the
noble tree which it is killing. Oh, no
The Republican is q model of courtesy
charity, fairness, honor and thrift.
If all the results of public school edu,
cation were, and were to be, jast like the
Republican, well, of course, the community
could be excused in going mad after the
public schools. But ia this heroic virtue
always the result 7 The Republican is
pleased to make some allusion to the Molly
McGuires of Pennsylvania. Now, even
among the Molly McGuires, We think it
safe to presume that the leading spirits are
all public school profcients. But, while
there is some disorder, of violent tendency,
among the more ignorant classes of one
section of the country, what shall We say
of the general system of rascality pervading
the whole nation. In whose hands is it
Who constitute the whiskey ring, the cot
ton ring, the railroad rings, the Credit Mo-
bilier ring, the District of Columbia ring,
the Freedman's Bank ring, the Post Office
ring, the Navy ring, the general Washing
ton lobby ringF Who get up the corners
in gold, in pork, in stock Who are the
Beechers, the Winslows, the great bank
rupts, the great forgers, swindlers, pecula
tors, defrauders of every kind every |
where The great and ever increasing !
army of FRAUD-who are its men and eff
cers7
Let not the Republican be blinded by tie
blaze of its own virtue let it not delude it.
self into the conviction that Intelligence is
an element Of morality, that education ia
a kind of moral antiseptic. These men are
all intelligent; they have all a Goddess
education. Nine out of ten of them were
public school students.
Lest the Republican should suppose us
to be prejudiced, let Us quote from q report
Of Mr.. Hopkins, Superintendent of Schools
IN Indiana. Mr.. Hopkins says:
Did not the advocates of our free school
ystem, promise the people that If they
would take on their shoulders the additional
'urden of taxation for its support, the same
would be lightened by the dimin ution of crimef
8 there any perceptible decrease of crime in
ndianaf Is there any reasonable proba bility
hat there soon will be 1t is becoming a
rave question among those who take com
rehensive views of the subject of education,
neither this intellectual culture without mo.
81 is not rather an injury than benefit. Is
not giving teeth to the lion and fangs to the
erpentf That is the true system of training
hich adapts itself to the entire complex ma
are of the child. No free government can
afely ignore this grave subject, for nations
oat lose their virtue soon lose their freedom"
We do not expect that last consideration
} have much effect on the Republican.
ur neighbor ia strong on virtue-it would
ave all men like unto itself-but it cannot
consistently claim to be much alarmed at
ny prospective loss of freedom.
The Republican is an open advocate of
ne Returning Board.