St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-16
THE BISHOPS REPLY.
Rt. Rev. McGolriek Contrib
utes Another Piece Of
Literature
To the Current Discussion Of
the Public Educational
Question.
According to His Views the
Best Catholic Makes the
BsSt American.
He Proposes a Plan to Meet
the Point of Distributing
the Funds.

In 1urIDefdne6 OF your very Woflhy
object of arriving at a solution OF the
difficulties that exist, and which prevent
Catholics from availing themselves of
the advantages of the public school Sys-
TEN, as well as to aid in clearing away
foolish prejudices, | take great pleas
ure i'm writing what | hope may tend III
that direction. In the discussion of this
subject, now widespread. it is notica-
bile that, with few exceptions, the old
method of calling Catholics vile names
and opponents of the republic, and
even ordering them to leave this cOun-
try. etc. etc, is no longer tolerated, but
instead nOn-CathOlicS OF more than or
binary talent are engaged in seriously
weighing the value of the arguments in
favor of thorough Christian education
I'm the schools, and are intent on some
settlement of the question. 1t is hope
full sign, TOO, that the latest contrOver-
sizes on the public school system are
largely from nnn-CathOlicS, md that
nearly all agree that the attempt
to train up good and VirtuOuS citizens
without the groundwork OF some form
OF religion, aud trusting merely to the
incubation of general principles of
morality, Is failure.
that they have no desire To break up the
public school system. that they are re-
iOiced at all education tending towards
good, but that as at present constituted
that system is both imperfect and in
sufficient There Is no miStaking the
voice of the church; she Speaks with no
uncertain sound, telling her children
that for the preservation of religion the
schools must also bp religious, her fun
damental principle being that we must
seek first the kingdom of God and His
justice.
To add cogency to the church's argu-
ment, we have the experience of many
years and in many countries, ard it Is
briefly this: That of those Catholic
children who attend entirely secular
schools, while they did not become
PrOtestantS, yet a large number be-
came both careless and Indifferent TO
all religion. ceasing to be practical
Catholics. and while generally known
as smart" their ''SmaTtnesS" was
neither to the benefit OF the state or of
their neighbOTS.
Crime, too, increased in proportion
far more than our population. and all
this while SecuiariStS were crying out
that we had found in our common
school education the SureSt prevention
of all crime. Here was a fact sadly ap-
parent to US all; we put aside. for the
present, all consideration of the causes
of that increase, remarkiHg merely that
your challenge to appeal to statistics
carefully prepared will be taken up at
another time. With the full force of
these facts before them, Catholics,
therefore. proceeded TO build up their
own institutions of learning, and in
the face of a great injustice have gone
on quietly. as best they can, not only TO
support these, but to maintain out of
their scnnty means hospitals, asylumS
and houses for the poor and aged. bear
ing double tax for conscience sake.
1t is automatic that all who pay taxes
ought to share in the benefit of taxa
ton, yet in answer to the candid and
conscientious objections of Catholics,
what drivel is il to tell them that the
schools are open to them. or that they
must come to be educated according to
the present notions of majority. The
strange thing is here also evident, that
those who are lOudeSt in their cries for
nOn-seCtarianISm are themselves mem-
bers of sectarian churches.
DO We then seek TO control the public
schools? No. Do we try to force our
religion on an unwilling people? Again,
no. We seek freedom in the natural
and divine right of parents t. educate
their own children in the Christian relig
ion and in the way we deem best for
their highest interests.
1t NAV be said that arithmetic or geog-
raphy has no more to do with religion
than the building of a house or the max
ing of q shoe. but all these things have
more to do with conscience than may be
at once apparent: for man may build
a house so dishonesty that in a short
If vii NlF L
who dwell therein, or g may make
shoe that on the first wet weather may
show lis paper sold.
Grammar" says Cardinal Newman,
''dOes not at first sight appear to- admit
Of a peryersiOn. yet Horne To0ke made
of it the vehicle of his peculiar Skepti-
cism. Law would seem to have enough
TO do with its own clients and their
affairs. and yet Mr.. Bentham made a
treatise on judicial proofs a covert at
tack on the miracles of revelation. And
in like manner physiology may deny
moral evil and human responsibility;
geology may deny Moses, and logic may
deny the Holy Trinity; and other
sciences, now rising into notice, are, or
will be. victims of similar abuse.n
Catholics, then, look for an equal dis
tributiOn of the burdens and the bene-
fits, and point out the means adopted to
this end in countries situated as we
are. In Austria and Hungary the rights
of nOn-CathOlicS are respected by
affOrdng to them schools in which
Protestant religious instruction is i'm
parted, together with secular knOWl-
edge. In Belgium, in Canada. in Eng
land. they have found it to be for tile
best interests of the state to give such
opportunities as will permit the charac-
ter of the pupil to be deeply impressed
by religious Influences in the schools.
There are no people lii the world more
tolerant than the Catholics of the United
States, holding public positions all over
tins broad land, they are ever on the
side of popular liberty, and if there be
danger to our institutions it will not
come from Catholics properly educated,
but from irreligious men brought up
under secular influences. The best
Catholic will be the best American.
Most Protestants of all forms of re-
ligion are satisfied with the present
secular system. but there are nearly
I2,O00,000 of Catholics who are far from
being content. What then will satisfy
them and yet keep the free schools in
tact? The following plan may be worth
consideration: Let state inspectors be
appointed to examine the children
in Catholic schools. and taking the grade
now general IN pubic SCHOOLS, ailoW re-
suit fees only for those children who
have passed the required examination
in secular studies. Furthermore. let
these same inspectors give certificates
of competency only to those Catholic
teachers who can pass strict examina-
ton, oral or written, in the subjects
they are required to teach, placing such
qualified teachers on equal footing with
the present public school teachers. Let
these inspectors see that the required
standard of education be well kept, and
that school houses, furniture and ap-
paratus be in good order. The eOlIec-
ton of school taxes is in no way
changed, and while all who are
satisfied with the present system
or public schools can continue to enjoy
their benefits, those who are cOnscien-
tiously opposed to them will. at all
events, under state supervision, educate
20 the appointed grade. Catholics will
answer for it that while the religious