Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-02-02
'ATMOLICISM AND THE SCHOOLS
Seno0ek Il0rphyss school Nud Church
HeeoiN1oo Denounced by q Meet.
tnE OF RlsCatheiic Consiiiuents
Davenport Gazette.

81 the State proposed by Senator
MURPHY. "a This county. have Aakei,
effect aiicAdy--with some of the con-
stitucnts of the Senator. The amend
mcnts. as our readers know, forbid
the appropriation of public funds for
the support of scctarian schools and
institutions of charity---and this has
turned q number Of the Senator's for.
Mefs political supporters against him.
Last week. fine, large photograph OF
the Senator was hung in the market
house by an artist for exhibition du-
ring st. Anthony's fair. and some
enemy Of the Judge turned its face
to the wall, and in that position it re-
manned till the close of the fair.
Aud last Monday night, about two
hundred citizens, who are Catholics
rcligiously, assembled in ST. Mar
gnerite's school house FOR the purpose
OF expressing their Views on the Sen
ator's addition TO the States ft,nda.
mental law. Mr.. N. S. Mitchell pre-.
sided, and John Iillis was elected See.
rotary. On motion Of Mr.. Dittoc. the
Chair appointed a Committee OF six
to draft resolutions expressive Of Tic
sciisc of the meeting on the question
before it-and w. II. Dittoc, Paul
Detltsch, John McMcnomy. Daniel
Ryan, z. Mckinney and Dan Killion
comprised the Committee. While
these gentlemen were in consultation
Nj. V. Cannon, Esd. addressed tho
meeting on the school question and
the duty OF catholics in the premises
The Committee reported series Of
resolutions, the preamble to which
whcreascd that, as ii had been assert.
ell that the laity of the Catholic
Church are not in sympathy with thcil
clergy in their efforts to maintai,
pafocliial schools. but would rather
send their children to the publ,
schools. therefore il "tchoves us. tht
Catholic laity, Ia define and declare
in uimistakablc terms on the school
qucstion"--and
The first resolution s'by the Catho
lie laymen of the city ofDavenport il
mass convention assembled" dcnoun
ees all such assertions as being nm
founded. and brands them as sian.
ders. The second resolution declare:
that the clergy may depend on thei,
cordial cooperation in all measures
they may adopt for establishing Catho
lie schools wherever needed. or fol
support Of those already organized
Then come these. }'3t
3D.. That We firmly believe ana Sc
declare that we, as Catholics cannot
in conscience. send our children to tho
present public schools, because thu
Catholic religion is excluded there.
from. and that The State isdoing us /.
great injustice III compelling MS TO pay
taxes for the support of schools
Whlcli we cannot from conscientious
motives patronize: hence we are
forced. for conscience sake. to furnish
means TO support our own private
schools and. therefore, we arc com.
PEELED to'pay double taxes for school
purposes. go .a
A.. That we believe secular and re.
ligious education should 90 hand il
hand and before we make good citi
Gems we must make good Christians
that the affairs of God are paramount,
to the affairs Of this world that if VIZ
wish to bring up om children as good
Christians and good citizens we mnst
instil religious principles into then
from the beginning; not only every
Sunday, nor at odd moments Which
the busy father, or tired mother car
snatch, but every day in the school
room. 7luiqt,s @tt'@as ssss ts 81 F.,
9th. That we believe and hold, and
all history sustains rs, that all educa.
ton not based OH religion is heather.
isl. and must prove destructive to the
State in the end thatthc safety of tho
Republic depends OH the sintelli.
gcnce and virtue of its citizens: that
the downfall of nations has always
been caused by irreligion and immor.
atty. sea 1aI i..s.sa I'm
9th. That the State in assuming
the education of the children. usurps
the duties imposed by divine law on
the parents, for God holds the parents
and not the State directly RESPONSE
bic for the salvation of the souls OF
their children. and the State has no
power or right to relieve the parents
of obligations God has imposed on
them. = W t,Ua
The It'll resolution declares that Kit
is the Office OF the church. not the
State. to teach" and that s.as ii was
the Catholic church that first cstab-
1ished common schools. and she crca-
ted them for the fultiilmcnt of her
grand Inission-to save the souls of
all mankind----she cannot now sur
render to any power on earth the
contfol4of the education OF her own
(.
The Sth believes II Catholic pastor
direlect in duty who ncglcctsto pro-
vide school for the children Of his
congregations. and considers s.any
Catholic layman who would express
sentiments different from these we
here submit to the public. as nnwor-
thy of confidence from us or any
class of citizcns!8 aaf Na9r :.
The 9TH maintains that Catholics
are not opposed opublic schools, and
asserts that their some only desire is
TO beiallowed an equitable proportion
of the general fund to which we con-
tribute onr inll share of taxation for
the support of schools. from which
all religious teaching is excluded,
and which our conscience iorbids us
to use and that we would not 9TH
erwise ask any modification of the
public school system as at present
organized. Sg Hast atl ,',e'H Bs
The 10th contains Senator Murplp's
denounccs il. and pledges
Tie use OF every legislative means to
secure its defcat--''becaitse il il sub
vcrsivc Of the fundamental primci-
pies which underlie the best govern
ment God ever vouchsafed To man."
The llth declares that the amend
ment strikes "a blow at the imstitu-
tons ofmcrcy by making it impossi-
Bile for State. county or township to
aid any such institutions not under
its full control, and meets our un-
qualified and indignant aisapproba-
ton" gAi Ga.@ al5 - aat5{s94..
Then follows an appeal To al '.whol
believe that majorities have no rhigt
to force the cOnscienccs of minorities
and who believe i'm the separation of
Church and State by leaving to the
Church her family, to the State her
and who are convinced that
Lhe State will always be a poor.
;hangeable, and in every way unsat
schoolmaster. to aid in de-
feating this infamous amendment
After providing for sending copies
)fthe resolutions to the Senator and
the Scott county Representatives. and
that the proceedings be
published in the, city papers, the
adjourned q "a
/ SO far as Senator Murphy is con-
'ei'1ied, this Opposition comes from
members Of Ibis own party-Dgmo-
rats fighting Democrat. And the
names of persons who have opposed
lin in his party for years appear as
he chef movers i'm the proceedings
1t ST. Marglicritc's school house.
a Numerous Father,
Here is the worst case on record
Jol. Stanford Dowd, living i'll the
Ticinitv of Dowd's Station. on the X.
y n nj ~ II a 'cnpsrht1., ,-n,r,,<.