The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-02-18
THE SCHOOL QUESTION:


require every state:
FIRST, To establish and forever maintain
Free Public Schools for the education OF every
child
Second To forbid in those schools the teach
ing Of religious, atheistic, or pagan tenetsi
THIRD, To prohibit the granting OF any
school funds or school taxes to any religious
sect or denomination.
Well, we are glad the President has made
these recommendations. 1t is better to meet
tie issues involved now than at later period.
They we're sure to come. In some cities and
States they have already come, and had even
thus early shown that they we're vital, aud that
thew held within themselves the menace OF the
public tranquility.
But the sword which our soldier-President
Yields is double-edged one. 1t holds about
as keen an edge for the Protestant as for the
Catholic. The former will be obliged to re-
linquish his Bible as school-book, while the
latter will be compelled to give up his plans for
getting possession OF the public funds for cd
ucating his children in the interests OF his
Church. We hardly know which will suffer the
greater grief Much as we desire, for the sake
ence of the Bible in our public schools, we can
easily see that there can be no successful, or
even rational, fight with the Catholics in their
attempt to get hold of the public moneys for
their own UNCONVENTIONAL education, until we
come to the practical conclusion that the State
has nothing to do with religious education
To the Catholic, to the jew. to the atheist
and we have the children Of all these in our
pnblc schools, the compulsory reading of the
Bible Is a grievance hardship, an oppression.
II is one of the things we cannot reason about
or reason against. These people cannot be
made TO see that the authoritative moraltIes
ot the Bible are all that we are after, and that
their children will be the better for them. To
The Catholic, the Bible, even IN the Catholic
version, is book only to be presented and in
terpreted by the Priest to the Jew, the New
Testament contains the record OF false
Christ and to the atheist and infdel, the
whole book is but bundle of lies and super
stltons.
One thing is certain, viz, that the claim of
the Catholics for a portion Of the school
money, to be expended In schools, established
and carried on in the interests of their Church.
involves the existence Of public schools The
moment a single claim of this kind is granted,
the whole public school systematic education
of ali the children as a measure of State policy
will go by the board. If the Catholic has
this privilege, the Protestant will claim it, the
Jew will claim it-even the Infide and pagan
viii claim it; and they will claim it with just as
much right as the Catholic. The claim is ut
IL nd drnio 10 aO
qosterous that it can hardly have respectful
consideration. Whether it is crowded, IN some
quarters, simply for the purpose Of showing
Protestants that their position on the Bible
matter is untenable, we cannot tell but, sure
~. the Catholics cannot seriously suppose that
their claim for division Of public moneys can
be granted. They ought to know that, if the
question concerning it were put to the Ameri-
can people to-day, it would be decided over
whelmingly against them.
Practically, the great question which the
President has presented to the American peo-
lie concerns the Protestant far more than it
does the Catholic. If such an amendment to
the Constitution as he proposes should be af-
fected in all its details the Catholic will gain
al that it was ever in his power to gain for his
Church from constitutional provision or legis-
lative action, viz, the exclusion of the Bible
frCcn the public schools. The scheme for a
division of the public funds was never practi-
cable-was Lever even possible. 1t is not like
ly to be possible. A constitutional provision
Ehleh would make it impossible in law would
not change the actual status Of the matter, so
that the provision would leave the Catholic
just exactly where he stands to-day, and where
ne VIII be likely to stand in this country until
she end of time,
And yet it ls undoubtedly true that. 80 long
as the Bible is rcading book in the public
schools, not only the Catholic but all unbe-
levers in the Bible, will have reason for COM
planning that the public funds are used to teach
their children religion which they do not be-
heve in. What shall we do about IT I'VE
whose reverence for the Bible was mbbed with
the mlk OF our Christian mothers-women
who cherished the Book as the sweet, whole
some, veritable Word of the Great God? IL
will be hard for us to say that it must go out
of the schools. Well, would we be willing to
see the Douay Bible put in its place Noi
Why not {? Are we willing to force our version
NfVh thc CubhOhOS Nhoh VIC WOulu uOt suDIlll
to have their version forced upon us Would
we care to have only 30 much Of the Bible in
the schools as the Jew would accept? No?
Then what right have we to force upon the Jew
that part of the Bible which he will not accept?
For ourselves we must confess to a change
of convictions upon this matter. 1t has not
been arrived at hastily. We have been long
aud openly upon the other side. In regard to
the desirableness OF the Bible in the public
schools, we have no question now. We never
did advocate its presence there, save for the
DIVINE influence Of it's Christian moralites
We never did suppose that the State should
teach religion. We have no union OF Church
and State in this country, and we do not be-
heve in 1t anywhere. Only as matter of wise
policy, and on purely moral grounds. have we
ever advocated the presence OF the Bible in the
schools. AS the record of a system of religion
which 1t was the policy OF the State to force
upon, or even recommend to, the children of
the nation we have not believed in its presence
there. That the State would be better with
the Bible as an accepted standard Of morality
In all the schools, we do net think adroita NJ .