The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-12-11

understand our school system to be
based, nor with the only consistent and
impregnable position on which gen
eral system Of state education can be
justified and maintained. As we have
said before, it is a step in the wrong
direction, the entering upon path
whose end is destruction, 50 far as our
public school system is concerned. How
far down that path the present, or some
future Board, may chance to travel, is
another question But as we remarked
the other day, eve know the road, and
We know where it leads We object to
the plan just adopted because it contem-
plates the habitual and systematic use
OF a portion OF the Government educa-
tional machinery for sectarian purposes.
We object emphatically and on principle
to the ministers Of different denomina-
tions being furnished the use OF Govern
ment buildings wherein to teach, not love
to God and goodwill to men, not hon
esty, truthfulness, temperance, chastity,
patience and the kindred virtues, but
the peculiar and distinctive doctrines
and dogmas OF their own various com
minions. The Board OF Education
should stand aloof from ali such arrange
ments. That way lies drnger Ii the
Catholic priest wishes to teach the chill
dren OF his flock to believe in purgatory,
transubstantiation, and the infallibility
OF the Pope; if the Presbyterian desires
to see his young people well grounded in
the doctrines OF divine election and the |
perseverance OF the saints; il the Baptist
wishes to insist upon immersion being
the only scriptural form OF baptism, or
the Latter Day Saint that every one is in
peril OF eternal damnation who refuses
to acknowledge the mission OF Joseph
Smith and the inspiration of the Book of
Mormon, or the Moslem that Allah is
great and Mohammed is his prophet, let
them one and all do so to their hearts
content, without annoyance or interfer-
ence from anyone. But we insist that
they should do SO in their own churches
and other places OF meeting, or in such
premises as they may be able to build,
buy, or hire, or obtain from parties other
than the Government. Now as to the
demand for any such arrangement as the
Board have made. 0ur correspondent
Sc" says that sat least Two important
sections OF the community were dissatis-
fed with the absence OF religious teach
ing, for presumably the Catholic Bishop
and the Protestant Layman are repre-
sentative writer's The representative
position OF the Bishop may be freely adj {
nitted But he only represents one
among many religious denominations,
lot equally numerous, it is true, but all
having equal rights. It is true ne favors !
he measure under discussion, but he
llso favors division OF the school fund
N sectarian basis, and probably
,ood many other educational ideas =
which neither our correspondent, nor
nor scarcely any one else. out
ide the Catholic communion, would be
ikely to approve Of. His endorsement l
i the measure, therefore. may go for
rhateyer it is worth. Different people
ill probably put different valuations :
pom it. As for the Protestant Lay
lan," he is simply an anonymous writer
} whom it is scarcely fair to attribute a pr
character which he does
OF claim, and which there is no evil !,
ence Of his possessing. Moreover, we
link our correspondent somewhat mis- NJ
lkes that gentleman's position. Ii we te
lad his letters Alright, he is not in favor
any such arrangement as we are now r
liking about, and holds very much the
lme views as we have endeayored to
lpress above. II anything could JUS
fy the Board in the action they have
ken, ii would be a general demand in cl.
lat direction from the authorized rep wi
of the various religions DOM
lied on our shores; demand sogen-
al as to be practically unanimous. No
ch demand has been or can be shown, {
r the simple reason that none exists. -
, far as we can Judge from present in 7
cations, It is likely to be some consid-
able time before the numerous varie-
IS of religionists we have among us will
lite upon any programme Of that kind
e desire to say, in conclusion, that we
preciate the courteous tone of our cor
spondent's letter, and are always
eased to publish communications of
at kind