Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-02-24


to bear on them. They are in the school 81,
hours day, for five days in the week, ter
months in the year. They are justified il
voting all schooling, in excess of these long
hours, a bore. They who go into hank, oI
any other place Of business, are men grown,
fully competent to judge of insidious or open
attempts to prejudice their minds on points OF
religion or morals These business offices are
not monopolies like the State school, and
their. proprietors know the danger of med
ding with their customers religious opinions.
The example of man asking for Bible in a
hat shop has not yet occurred, and when it
does occur, it will be met by calling i'll po-
liceman to arrest an escaped lrmatic. But a
child asking teacher to tell it something
about God, Christ, the Redemption, sin, or
the life to come, would ask proper question,
entitled to an answer from a competent
teacher.
ADVANTAGES OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.
/ Ii seems more than unreasonable to ask
Catholic parents to forego advantages attain
| able in and through Catholic schools-advan-
tages far superior to any offered by State
! schools
First-CathOlic schools instruct in all the
useful branches of sound English education.
Secondly-They are more economical, cost
ing no more than One-fOurth, or one-third the
expense of supporting State schools, and COM
manding at the'iowest possible price, merely
food and clothing, one of the most expensive
necessities of the age and country-skilled and
trained intellectual labor.
Thirdly-Their teachers are devoted to
their work of teaching as lfe-work; study
every day, and, waste no time in idle visits
and foolish amusements.
FOurthly-These teachers are in sympathy
with the religious faith of the patrons of their
schools.
Fifthly-Parental schools alone will stand
the test of logic; they are consOnant to sound
democratic Republican doctrines; they make
possible the inculcation of morality by the
authority of a divine Lawgiver they respect
the natural rights of parents, and meddle with
anu lulIlLsSC Ou uO OIle clSc 3 TlSilS.
The question, thanks to various causes. is
now fairly before the country for discussion
and settlement. To shelve it by constitutional
amendments will be no lasting settlement.
Constitutional enactments, in contravention Of
parental rights not transferred to the State,
are worth the parchment on which they are
written, and no more. This is not an original
idea. This lesson was taught to the Nation
by the settlement of slavery.
INJUSTICE OF COMMON SCHOOLS.
We charge upon the system of State
schools, as now carried on in these United
States, the perpetration of manifold injustice
and the upholding of false principles.
FirSt-lt is an infringement of parental
rights and duties, inasmuch as it compels poor
people who educate their own children for
conscience's sake to help educate their richer
neighbors' children.
Secondly..It cruelty oppresses poorer cit-
zens by giving to their richer neighbors' sons,
not simply an elementary education, but an
education sufficient to earn their living by
means of learned profession. To put both
on an equal footing, poor children should be
taught trade at the expense of the State.
Thirdly-The State does not know what its
system should be. In some States the educa-
ton is restricted to rudimentary studies, in
others it extends to a university course. Some
States allow qualified amount of evangelical
teaching; Others, protesting to exclude all re-
ligion, permit any except the Catholic. These
are the inconsistencies and hypocrisy of the
system.
Fourthly-It is a narrow, contracted, lin
tied in its scope, afraid of rivalry, and inca
pable fthe very function for which it was
established. Its right to educate is denied
by its admission that it can not educate in the
true sense of the word.
Fifthly-It stultifies itself, for, beginning
on a religious basis and acquiring its chief re-
nown by the fruits of its first work, it would
end by banning and barring all religious be-
liefs, even ''the existence of an Overruling
Providence"
Sixthly-lt establishes monopoly of busi-
ness left to individual enterprise and the inn
meulate cOntrOl OF parents.
Seventhly-The principles in which it is
justified will Justify with greater force the
claim of the Communist to labor and bread.
After so muoh fault-fnding with the exist
ing system of common schools, it is not out of
the way to ask what system is proposed in
exchange My object is not to propose plans
and systems but to argue that the present one
is radically wrong, and needs amendment.
Until the American people admits the failure
of the system as it now is, no change need be
looked for. Once admitted, they will be
quick to bring about change rhey will
either throw education directly or compulso-
rily on parents, paying only for those unable
to pay for themselves, or they will so broaden
the system that all can come under it without
the sacrifice of conscientious rights. THIS
plunging into secularism is only the cowardice
of the politician who fears to face the conse-
quences of sound logic, common sense, equal
rights, parental prerogatives, and a secretly
nourished hatred and conspiracy against the
Catholic church. To put off jusrice in defer
ence to the expediency of the hour, is the
way of the politician; the statesman announces
his principles, and stands or falls by them.
Truth is old, it is ever new; it endures for
ever t.#
appear before you at your request. On
one point at least we agree. 1t is your good