Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-06-04

| ways more tnhn HhtCn loI lBuoihhSe u
the long run. Hence the barbaTous race'
invariably disappear before the civilized
and cultured. Fierce Goths and Huns
may sack Rome, weakened by luxury and
corruption, but man through law and re-
ligion at length brought the savage vic
tors to subsection So 1t ever has and
ever will be. THE pen is mightier than
the sword" The Intelligent nation will
rise to first class power and WELD an in
uflence in the world out of all proportion
to numbers, wealth or strength OF army
and navy. Our nation recognizes this
from the beginning it has been under
stood that high grade OF intelligence
was essential to the perpetuity OF the
government. The watchword has BEEN
1--WE must educate or perish" Mr. Mar
| qus spoke of the system Of American
| free schools, of which we are wont to
boast with pride and concerning which so
much unqualified praise has come from
other nations But just now, when we
had about come to the conclusion that the
free secular school system was no longer
| an experiment, but time tested and APP
proved institution, we behold 1t most
severely attacked, criticized and con-
demned. We hear it called goddess, ire
ligious, atheistic and positively immoral
1t was this question. Are our schools
immoral or even irreligious in
their tendency? that the preacher
| proposed to discuss. He was aware
that the question was contlex and
difficult of apprehension; yet he felt
impeled by experience and by what he
had heard and seen that the subject was
one which should be agitated and
thought upon and prayed over by the
American people. if they would preserve
and perfect this beloved institution and
their christian faith. The theme of the
discourse might, the preacher said, be
looked at from two standpoints: Fir 81,
what is the relation of christianity to
public schools? Second, what ought it to
be2 First, Christianity has historical
relation to the public schools. ChrisN
tianity gave birth to the free public
schools. Before the Puritans had
secured the comforts of plain life they
began to take steps toward the estab
lishment of schools. In 1912 and Al
Massachusetts passed laws regarding the
training of children. which provedto be
in degree the basis of all succeeding re
quiTements concerning education. The
one historian as the enduring monument
of the Puritan's love and devotion.
1t was not essential in Mr.. Mar
quis' opinion that the public school
in its present form was fashioned
bv the Puritans. but they plant>
ed the germ which has grown into
our present system. They begot the love
of education which has moulded the
H. a.. al
that has pushed the cause forward, often
times against treme ndous obstacles, and
this was unquestionably due to their
Protestant Christianity. The origin of
our public schools must be traced to the
Godfearing. liberty loving Puritan.
Not only may christianity claim the
honor of originating the free school sys,
TEN, but she may also claim the larger |
part of the fostering care and develop |
ment; for our public schools always have |
been largely under the control of Profess
tant christians. 1t was the cry of Prot>
estantism ''give us civil and religious
liberty that gave origin to this free gov
and it was the cry of Profess
Lantism, give us education" that we
aud enjoy this liberty that gave
Use to the free school system.
In the second place, Mr.. Marquis held
hat christianity sustained legal rela-
ion to the public schools. While chris
ianIty is not recognized as a state relig-
on, it is recognized as the religion of the
treat majority of the people and their
interests in it, protected. Mr. Marquis
ere cited number of authorities tend
ng to show that christianity is the COM
non law of the land. But the question
8, has not christianity become so inter
woven with our public schools that it has
legal standing there? While it is true
hat all the state constitutions forbid the
making of appropriations for any church {
r sectarian purpose or to hep support
r sustain any school, academy, college or
University or other literary or scientific a
lstitution controlled by any church or
ectarian denomination, it is neverthes d
ess true that christianity is so interwo-
en- with our history, our law, our litera. L
ure and our life that it does and ought
o have legal recognition in our public !
chools that no other religion can claim.
Thirdly, MIR Marquis thought chris
anity has relation through living per- d
Qualities to our public schools. BY far a
ne larger part of all the teachers and
Ulcers of the schools are Chrstians--act-
al communicates in some christian II
hurch Church membership is not re- T
uired qualification, yet the fact stands
lat the majority are members. In Rock
Iland for instance, out of forty-siX u
'achers and officers, thirty-nine are con- II
ected with some Evangelical church and
,ur are members of the Catholic church. y
l Davenport out of a total of eighty~six
achers, sixty are members of orthodox
lurches, thirteen of the Unitarian n
lurch, and six catholics. leaving seven u
no are not members of any church. and u
he preacher had learned from leading G
lucators that this showing was the rule 81
1erywhere. This means positive
iristian influence in the public schools p
the land. No agency is so potent in II
the character of the scholar as 81
lie teacher. The most positive religious Il
structiOn even canlot compare with the p
lent and subtle influence that flows G.
ON the character of the instructor. ri
Fourthly, Mr.. Marquis said christianity n
I'D a relation to the text books of our
lblic schools, and filthy it has an es- II
initial relation to the public school edu- q
alton. The mind and spirit of man u
lnnot be separated so that they can be a.
ealt with apart. A purely secular edu q
Ition, if such thing were possible, ?
ould result in a worldly minded man. u
r. Marquis maintained that christian u
ligion had an essential relation to pubs c.
: education and that it was impossible o
divorce them entirely while this re- O
aims a christian land.
We need the free public schools, for "
it'll all our educational advantages, illit- j.
acy is gaining ground we must either u
lucate or perish. The preacher denied e'
e statement that the public schools of 81
dow xpara GodIaes opd asserted that d.