San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-05-16
TIE SCHOOL HOUSE QUESTION.

In accordance with our original
program, We come now to some con-
sidoration OF the above interesting
subject. It is peculiarly pertinent
at this day of Washingtonian ami
versarios, recalling the time when
our revolutionary sires ruled ont tho
idea OF any union OF church and state,
while proclaiming universal religious
federation and liberty OF conscience.
The first amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the United States, did this
in the following words;
Congress shall make no law re-
specting an establishment OF reli-
gion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof
Each branch of the above is admir-
ably wiso and healthy, and was n
grand new dispensation on the pre-
vious history of tho world. The
spirit which inspired it led inevitably
to the exclusion OF sectGrian schools
from the benefits OF the public free
school system. 1t proclaimed "hands
Off alike to all ecclesiastical inter
mcddling with affairs of state and
with the religious belief Of any and
every citizen.
This absolute elimination OF all
church interference from the public
school system, common we believe to
every state in the Union, is declared
with special emphasis by the present
Constitution Of the State Texas. The
Bill of Rights has.the following clause:
Sec. 7. No money shall be appro-
priated or drowa from the treasury
for the benefit Of any sect or religious
society, theological or religious semi
nary; nor shat property belonging to
the statc be appropriated for any such
purposes.
And section s Of article z on Ed
ucation declares that
Tho principal of all bonds and 9th
err funds, and the principal arising
from the sale OF the lands hereinbe-
fore set apart to said school fund,
shall be the permanent school fund !;
and the interest deriyable therefrom,
and the taxes herein authorized and
levied shall be the available school
fund, which shall be applied annual
ly to the support of the public free
schools. Aud no lGw shat erer be
enacted 0pproprioting any part Of the
permanent on availabie school t'nld to
any other purpose aohatsOer6r nor
shall the same, or any part thereof
erer be appropriated to or used for
the support Of any sectorian school,;
and the available school fnnd herein
provided shall DO distributed to the
several counties according to their
scholastic population and applied in
manner as may be provided by law.
We invite the particular and pray
erful attention and consideration OF
all our readers to the above declara-
tions of the organic law of Texas,
for we fancy they will be ne'o to
many, and must excite amazement
that so baseless IN idea as that Sec
tartan schools have any claim to any
part of tho public school fund should
ever have found a Judgment in the
mind of any intelligent and patriotic
citizen. Yot it has been urged and
disseminated by certain Of che
churches and clergy OF the South so
as to have wrought infinite mischief
in The way OF Gripping the public
schools and creating needless and
and harmful discussions in educa,
tional circles.
This opposition to the public
schools az Goddess, is, Ms we have
shown, directly in the face of the
principles of Professionalism, and orig
mated with the Society of Jesuits Of
the Roman Catholic Church. Amer
lean people, including the Protestant
churches of tho country generally
are on the right side.
We ask special attention to tho fol
lowing exposition of the Jesuitica
scheme referred to from the pen o
United States Senator Blair. w
know he is thought to be an extrem
ist in some things, but his head ii
certainly level as regards this sub
iect:
A DANGEROUS ATTEMPT.
The systematic, powerful, deter
mined attempts are now openly avow
ed and fercely made, and already
largely successful. to break down the
public school system of the country
and to establish instead Thereof
parochiul schools. One is, of course
the'establishment of o combined re
! ligious and civil authority subvcrsiy'
Of the republic, and in the Interest
OF foreign civil rs well as @ spir
itual allegiance--in other words
treason TO the republic. The otLeI
object is to break down the grea
profession OF teaching in tho fire,
public schools, AMI thereby give ID,
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