Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-07-04

vigorous Effort for d National Com
slitutIOnaI Amendment 10 PreVeii,

ment whose object is the adoption of an
amendment to the national constitution
to prohibit the use Of any public money
for sectariRn purposes. The reason thet
the leaders are men OF New York and
Boston is that the Romanist aRgressions,
as they seem to these men, have been
mora pronounced in these two places than
elsewhere in the country. For year the
parochial. school issue has been ct the
front here, and the fact ,as stated here, that
within the last 10 years the Catholics
have secured $4,000 900 Of the public
money in New York, has led to the
activity there. II is about month since
the first meeting for the purpose Of start
ing national movement was held in
New York. Since then other meetings
have been held, the last Of which was
this week, and o course Of action has
been determined upon, ss we'll as form
Of amendment which is thought to con-
tain what is desired to add to the national
constitution. That form is as follows:
No state shall pass any law respecting an
establishment OF religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof, or use its money,
property or credit, or any power OF taxa
tion or appropriation, orauthor'ze either to
be used, for the purpose OF founding or
aiding any church, religious denomination,
or religious society, or any sectarian inetl'
tuition, or any undertaking under seetarian
or religious control.
For the sake Of procuring the adoption
Of this amendment, both state and
national organizations will be formed.
At the first meeting of these gentlemen
the appointment OF special committees
was considered for the selection of gem
eral agent to devote his entire time to the
work of committee on state orgsnizR-
ton, another on national organization, of
one to prepare constitution for the
organization, and OF still another to pre-
pare matter for publication and to over
see whatever went to the public through
the press. The course to be followed
with this proposed amendment is to
correspond with so or hundred leading
men in the different professions and learn
what their views are upon the subject
aud get their suggestions. With their
opinions as q basis, further correspond
ence will be opened with wide range of
prominent men in all parts of the coun-
try, and with their support the matter
will be brought before Congress with the
hope that it will receive favorable action.
Already correspondence has been
opened with every state in the Union,
and it is certain that active support will
be given all over the country. 1t is said
here by those who are most interested in
the matter that the public concern il
deeper than is generally known. Thus
far nothing of this movement has ap.
peared in the newspapers; but wherever
these gentlemen have written they have
found that there was deep interest to
prevent the use of the public money for
the support Of the parochial schools Of
the Catholics or for any Catholic institu-
tion5 whatever. That there is o basis for
the fears which are entertained, that if q
sure preventive ia not adopted now there
J will be demands By the Catholics for the
public money by them in the future, ap.
pears in the statement thgt in the city OF
Poughkeepsie they already have secured
the support OF their psroohial schools
from the public treasury and that they
! have been equally successful in the cities
OF New Haven, Waterbury aud New
Britain in Connecticut; IN East 1t. Louis
! in Illinois; in st. CLOUD, Mimi, and in
Savannah, Ga. What they hsva done in
those places,it is feared will be but pEec-
edents for many other cities and TOWING
in the near future, unless prompt action
; is taken. The adoption Of such an
: amendment ss that which is quoted above
J Rill settle the matter forever, it is be-
lievsd, and so every effort will be made
Tor its adoption.
1t is hoped that both of the great
political parties can be induced to declare
: IN favor of the doctrine that there shall
! bo no use of the public money for the
support of sectaran institutions of any
sort whatever. Such plank was put
into both the Republican and Democratic
| in % kf.o
question is not at all one of party it is
, aopsi that both will bo ready once more
to affirm that this position is sound
american doctrine. In 1876 President
, Grant recommended the adoption OF such
an amendment in q message to Congress.
Acting upon that Recommendation James
q. Blaine offered such an amendment
and it was carried in the House, but il
did not -ecsive Ro.thirds vote in the
Senate, and SO never went TO the states
for their approval. At the last session OF
Congress Senator Hoar presented petit.
. ton from about 20 coo citizens of Massa.
chusetts for an article of amendment
''for submission to the legislatures
of the several states for the approval
or rejection, as will prevent the inter
ference of any religious sect with the
common school system or the appropriat,
/ ing Of any OF the public FUNDS for sec.
tartan uses, such measure as this being,
; in our Judgment, the only safeguard
/ against religious ener0schments, such as
now threaten our time-hopored and nov
truly endeared methods OF teaching and
: training our youth for the duties aud re
I spopsibilities OF American citizenship
a The hearing on this petition was given
; February 22d, aud was so late in the ses-
; sion that no report was made upon it.
But the same petition will be used as g
basis for presenting the matter again ia
a Congress in addition to what will be
, done by the new organization. Tbs ar.
, guments were put in print at the Gov.
, eminent Office at the time, and they will
= bs offered again to the committee on edu-
a cation.
, One OF the indications which is re.
4 garaed as showing the firm purpose OF
the homanists to secure proportion OF
-, the public money for the support OF then
, institutions is the utteranca OF Bishop
! Chatasd of Indiana, in New York abou
, six months ago. He is reported TO have
/ said that tine cost of that church Of sup.
porting its schools one year was So, co.,.
900, and ''thst money the public ought
: to pay and must pay, and We shall not
cease demanding it till our demands are
I satisfied" 1t might be added that The
> stme position vss taken by some of the
: Catholic witnesses before the Massachu
: sets legislative committee on education
. in the course OF the recent prolonged
hearing over the parochisl school ques-
: ton.
1t is plan of the leaders to organize