The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-11-06
The Catholics and the schools.

MR, EDITOR: remarked in my first
communication Oh the above subject,
that the letter OF the Bishop of olba con-
tanned nothing new. The ground has
been fully gone overin the United States
and elsewhere, and ought by this time
to be familiar to every one who takes
any interest in public schools. 1t has
been my fortune to pass most OF my life
in community where the Catholics
were numerous and influential. There,
as elsewhere. the first struggle was
against the Bible in the public schools.
OF course, the Catholic ecclesiaStics,
operating in the midst OF large Pro-
testant surrounding, were careful not TO
admit what the experience OF distinct
lively Catholic countries shows to be the
fact, viz: that their church objects to
the Bible itself, as q book to be gener-
ally allowed in the hands of the laity.
Accordingly the ground was taken that
il was not the book itself, but only the
particul r version OF it which was OBJ
jected to. The English Bible in COM
mon use, sometimes spoken OF as King
James version, was the work OF PruteS-
tanls. 1t was not accepted by the Cath
Ole Church as correct or authorized
version. TWAS essentially a sectarian
work, which encouraged, if it did not
directly inculcate, pernicious errors and
damnable heresies To compel the
children Of Catholic parents TO listen to
the reading of such book, and TO teach
ing based thereon, was an outrage on the
rights of conscience which could not be
quietly submitted TO. Alter long and
heated contest the attacking party car
ried their point, and the Bible went out
Of the public schools. What was the re-
suit, peace? Not by any manner OF
means. Alter q pause just about long
enough for the combatants 10 recover
their breath, the fight was renewed.
Not as might be supposed by the de-
ieatei party endeayOring TO recover their
lost ground, but by the victors, who
made the success of their own efforts,
and the change which they themselves
had brought about, the ground of fresh
complaints ana demands. Catholic pa
rents, we had been told, could not send
their children 10 the public schools, with
! clear conscience, because they were
Protestant" and ''sectarian." Now
that the schools had been entirely
purged of the offensive element, pre-
cisely as the church had asked, it APP
paared thai . good conscience forbade
the Catholics sending their children to
these schools because they were god
less and goddess school appeared
10 be even worse abomination, if pos
sible, than 3 Protestant one. This course
OF conduct cannot be regarded as fair or
candid When lawyers do such things
TO gain point, We do not hesitate TO
call il quibiling and pettifogging. When
similar practices are resOrted to by those
vino claim 10 be the especial representa-
tiveS of the Kingdom OF God in the !
earth, 1t can hardly be characterized by
any name less harsh. But call it by |
what name We may, whether Of com
mendation or condemnation, the whole
Is strikingly characteristic OF /
the source from which it proceeds, and |
IS fair sample OF the kind of tactics We |
GENERALLY find whenever this subject |
comes up for discussion and action.
1t appears then that in attempting to |
ieal with the Catholic church in schooi |
we encounter two difficulties,
both OF which are, 50 to speak, funda
mental. In the first place, that church, |
Is 9 minority, makes demands which. !
when the power Is in It's own hands, it
never grants to any one else. In the
second place, no concessions which may
be granted, no arrangement which may /
be made in the way OF compromise, will |
Dc accepted as final, but only as q f0un-
iation fOr further demands whenever a
,hance presents itself for making the
'ame with any reasonable prospect Of
success. These facts cannot be success
ully denied. They are established By
he uniform experience OF other countries
which have had TO deal with the question |
low raised by the Bishop OF 0lba. 1t Is
veil that Protestants should realize them
It the outset, and give them due weight,
n deciding whether it is wise to admit
he tip OF the elephants trunk, with the
moral certainty that the whole of the
huge body VIII be, sooner OF
2ter, seeking 70 force an entrance. Not
the many and very impOr-
ant points OF agreement between the
'athollc church and the rest OF Chrisfen-
ON, II seems to be the settled policy OF
hat church to ignore or minimize these,
I'D 20 emphasize rather the points Of
iierence, holding these to be radical
nd irreconcilable upon any basis shor; |
! absolute submission to her authority,
70 one can discourse more eiOGuenfly |
pom the rights Of conscience, OF plead |
lore earnestly and plausibly Tor their