The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-10-04
THE BOSTON EXCITEMENT.


80 stirred as at the present time on tn
question Of Catholics and the Ipubli
schools. II the question were merel.
local, i. would still be of interest, but a
the same relations exist all over tn
country, BoslOn's present fight Is only
forerunner of many Others, unless hapi
ly they may be averted by some wis
settlement in Boston or elsewhere.
In view, therefore, of the genera
bearing of the question, it IS well to un.
deastand the leading facts in this Boston
controversy. Briefly they are as fol.
lows:
The school board last spring declined
to longer use as text book Swintont
history, because in foot note it stated
that Indulgenoes had been regarded by
some as being permlssions to commit
sin. At the same time Mr.. Charles B.
Travis,a teacher who persisted in setting
forth this as a historical fact (but with
out expressing any opinion upon it him.
selO, was reprimanded and transferred
to another school, in which history is
not taught.
The Evangelical Alliance took up the
subject and boldly asserted that the
school committee was subject to the in
fluence OF Jesuits, and that The public
schools were IN danger. They demanded
the reinstatement of Mr.. Travis and the
continued use of the book.
The committee recently acted upon
this petition and defined to grant it, the
two women being the only members OF
the board favoring it, and one of them
saying that she thought Mr.. Travis had
made too much of the subject, but had
not merited removal from his school.
Most Of the board are Catholics, but Rev,
DIR. j. T. Duryea, an eminent Congrega-
tionalist, voted with them, believing
that, though the statement of the foot
note referred to was historically correct
that is, that ii had been taught by
some that indulgences were permissons
to commit sin-yet, since such was not
the fact, it had better not be taught even
indirectly or by inference, any longer.
The question natur lily arises, what,
then, are indulgences On Catholic
authority they are defined as remiSsions
of the temporal penalties after sins have
been spiritually forgiven. They cannot
be extended to sill n9rs who have not be-
come contrite; and been forgiven. Sup
pose, for example, that it is a law of the
church that person who has snned in
a certain way cannot be permitted TO
partake of a sacrament. lie may con-
TESS and be forgiven but this does not
restore him to the privilege; he must
obtain that as an indulgence. Probably
this illustration is not enthusiastically
correct, but it servesto show the nature
of an indulgence. No enlightened per-
son now asserts that an indulgence Is a
permission to commit sin.
We incline to the opinion, therefore,
that no good purpose is served by the
foot note in Swinton's history, for it is
unimportant to state that an error has
been taught unless it is stated as an
error; in fact, it is misleading not to 30
state if anything is said upon the sub
ject. Such book should not be used
in the public schools. until corrected for
two reasons: First, because it IS mater
tally though not literally incorrect, and
second, because it offendS large class
of pupils whom it is very desirable to
keep in the public schools.
If, however, it were correct, and of
importance to be taught, the fact that
the religious prtjudices of some are Of
Tended thereby should not be allowed to
excluded it. Let the truth be taught,
though the heavens fall. But the truth
is not to be spoken at all times-that is,
there is no occasion to teach religion,
sectarianism or church history in the
public schools, in any form whatsoever.
This is the only ground upon which
the public schools can be maintained.
They can teach the same morals that all
religlonists teach in their churches and
parish schools-for all are substantially
agreed upon the principles of right and
wrong-but they should in all other re-
specls make their teaching strictly secu-
lar.
This, however, will not please the
Catholics They beieve-and many
Protettants think so too, such. for ex
ample, rs President Seelye of Amherst
College, that all systems of education
are defective and dangerous which do
not blend the religious with the secular.
This ia why the Catholics demand in
some places a division of the public
school money, and failing to get il, pre-
fer TO maintain schools at their own ex-
pense, though paying taxes to support
the public schools.
But mort Professionals who believe that
religious education should be combined
with secular are content to have them
separated at school, leaving religious in
struction to the family and Sunday
school. If the Catholics OF America
would take this position, the question
would be settled. 1t is their known OPP
position, however, not only to the incul-
cation OF Protestant ideas and even to
the use Of any but the Douay bible iu
school, but also to giving secular with
out religious instruction, which now
stirs the Professionals OF Boston to the
depths and is causing a most unexam-
pied movement in politics.
The laws of Massachusetts authorize
women to vote IN school sffairs, if they
shall first become assessed and then reg
istered for voting. The time for becom-
ing assessed expired last night and dur.
ing the last week there has been a great
rush of women 10 the city hail to get
their names entered upon the register.
The Bost Pilot the organ of Archbishop
Williams, advised Catholic women 10 let
the Protestant women have monopoly
of voting, as well as of bigotry and
intolerance, but the priests generally ad-
vised them to prepare to vote and two
priests stood in the assessors office and
gave sanction to their registering.
1t remains to be seen IN what proper
ton women of the two sects have thus
taken their first step in politics, but it is
believed that the Protestants are a long
way ahead. The fact proves that wo
men will vote when they have a chance,
If the election interests them, but it is
not altogether to their credit that they
have failed 10 become interested until a
question has arisen which affects their
religious convictions or belongings.
The controversy, however, does not
stop with the school board or the politi-
cal field, but naturally it leads to the re-
view by Protestant clergymen of the
historic character of the Catholic church
and they do not hesitate to denounce il
as an un-AmCrican institution. Rev.
DIR. Minor, the eminent UnIversalist, Is
reported by the press as saying in his
last Sunday mornings sermon, that 1.-THE
church OF Rome has not changed" and
that it is its purpose to overthrow all
freedom"
This statement is no more extreme
than many which have been made in
the meetings Of the Evangelical Ali
ance. What the Catholics are saying
about the Professionals, if anything, they
keep among themselves. This contro.
versy ia to be deplored, for all history
proves that no other Engagements oil
men are so bitter as those arising from
sectariansm, but If it must come, Boston
is a good place to try it on. There is one
good thing about il, at least, and that j.
that votes and not the rack or the bay
onet, are to be the determining forces. -
Rutland Herald.
o. OOO WOMEN tn VOTE