San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1888-11-22
rovos prso.hsr. and Free Schools.

Texas Preachers and Free Schools.
EDITOR FREE PREss:-As news and
notes are rather scarce you must al
low us TO be subjective this week
The education OF the masses is our
only hope. Democracy, in it's true
definition, can only live and prosper
among a people capable of selfgov'
eminent. The public school il our
main dependence beyond a question:
TO educate. This, with the moral
force OF our pulpits, becomes the two
most powerful agencies in making
good citizens. and preparing men for
usefulness. The two should be so
identified and harmonious that no
friction should be produced. When
men of religion and high intelligence
antagonize the building and equiping
of schools and houses, and the fur
therance of public education for the
masses, there is something radically
wrong. Our minds have been greatly
changed on this subject in the last
few years. We will presume to say
that no intelligent preacher of any
denomination is opposed to popular
education when it is carried on for
the general good Of the youth OF our
land; but that certain misinterpreta-
tons of the law have, to great ex-
tent, antagonized the religious ele-
ment to our public schools there can
be no doubt. This ought not to be.
Whether or not they were justiiable
in this antagonism is not the ques-
ton here. The question here is ;
that whatever may be the failure and
attendant evils of our public school
system, it is here to stay, and shall
We not enter heartily and utilize it
for the elevation OF the masses and
the general good of the country ?
Texas education has lost ground Just
at this point, hence we think the sub
ject timely. The difference between
the policies of the State and the
opinions Of religious men has caused
this clash. II has caused many OF
our best men in the ministerial ranks
as we'll as many of our intelligent
and influential laymen, to concentrate
all their efforts and energies to the
support of denominationrl schools.
1t has largely withdrawn their SYM
pathy from that system of education
which, alone, is able to reach the
masses. The church school can new
err reach them. We can never hope
to give even the education requisite
for common citizenship through this
channel. While church schools are
indispensable in the dissemination
of certain grades of learning. they
are not all. They are we'll attended.
They have the very best of material
for officers and teachers, they have
their conferences, synodical, associa-
tional and diocesan; committees to
visit them annually and report their
profound and scholarly work; long
winded articles crowd the space in
our religious weeklies. They detail
facts and spin theories that reach
only about one-tenth of our people,
however good they may be, and nine
tenths of those they do reach care
but little about them. The fact is,
after all these words have been writ
ten, only a few hundred children are
reached by these schools in the great
state of Texas.
But while all this, what is being
done for the teeming thousands
around us that can only be reached
by free schools? Not only are our
children backward, as general
thing, but not over siXty-nine hun
dredths of this states children avail
themselves of abe opportunities
offered by the state, and yet they
must be voters, officers, church mem
bers, stewards and preachers. The
most illiterate Mexican must have
force in this government equal to
Grover Cleveland. God deliver us
from being ruled by fandango votes
and bribery. When the American
people become thoroughly capable OF
self-government by a disseminating
of practical knowledge through the
agency of our public schools, then
the true idea Of a republican form Of
will develop, not only in
this land, but it will uncrown the
heads of tyrants and despots in the
old world. II our moral element
don't encourage and use these great
agencies, the Catholic and foreign
will.
Preaching TO grown people to con-
vert a nation is an extremely difficult
task. This must begin in the pri-