St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-30

Mr Montgomery. presided. In
support Of the two principal opinions,
namely, the perniciods influence
of our present system of pub
lie instruction, and the right and DUTY
of the parent to select and control the
education of the child, as well as clOthe
and feed it, he advanced seven prOpOSi-
tions, which, if carried out practically,
he believed would prove vastly superior
to the present system. lie was fire.
quently piled with questions, put by
persons in the audience, to which he
responded with alacrity. A vote was
taken OH the several propositions adj
vanced by Mr.. Montgomery to ascertain
the subject, and invariably the result
showed that the speaker was sustained
by the majority of his hearers"
AS another evidence of the intrinsic
popularity of the foregoing platform Of
principles, it may be stated that petit
ton asking that a law be passed to SUBJ
NIT said platform to vote of the peO-
pie, to test the sense of the public upon
the question of SO amending the Calf
fOrnia state constitution as to bring it
into harmony with said platform, was
Endorsed by nearly every leading citizen
of the cities of San Francisco and Oak
land who examined the question.
| Among these Signers were included the
most prominent ministers of almost
every religious denomination, as we'll as
non-religionists of the different schools of
thought. Indeed, 1t is noteworthy fact
that amongst these signers was the Hon.
j. F. Swift, the able and distinguished
| Republican nominee for governor of
| California in the year of our Lord 1856.
| A bill was introduced in the California
state senate in 1850 by Hon. B. f. Lang
ford. providing for carrying out the OBJ
| jects of said petition. 1t was referred
to the senate committee on education,
came back with divided report, was
placed OH the regular files of business,
but the next session-being by the con-
StitutiOn restricted to sixty dayS-eX-
PRED by limitation before the bill could
be reached for action. 1t is a we'll
known fact, however, that many of the
ablest and most influential members of
that body stood ready to give it their
cordial support.
The following are but few of the
prominent and influential names APP
pended thereto, to wit:
Hon. James 7. Farley, United States sena-
tor; Hon. S. B. Mckee, supreme judge; sew
Glascock. member of congress; DR.. S. Mer-
ritz Right Rev. w. LKipp Episcopal bishop
Of California; Rev. J. X. Mclean. Congrega-
tionalist; Rev. c. Kenrick, Campbellite or
Rev. +. W. Fischer. Evangelical association;
Hon. E. w. McKinstry, supreme judge; Hon.
A. M."Crane. superior judge; Hon. w. W.
Foote, railroad commissioner; Rev. W. A.
fist: Rev. L. Hamilton, independent; Rev.
]. Fuendeling. Reformed German Christian:
Rev. q. Muehlsteph. German Lutheran; and
fourteen other prominent Protestant clergy
men Of sSan Francisco and Oakland; also
Most Rev. J. S. Alemany, of San Francisco,
and several other Boman Catholic clergy
men: also DR.. d. II. Vidaver and Dr.. A. j.
Messing Jewish rabbits.
It IS well known that the Congrega-
tional cIergyf1eis Of California are
mostly New England men, and It is
equally well known that SUCH Of them
as have Investigated the subject are al
most, if not quite, unit in the indorse-
ment of our educational platform. As
evidence of this witness the following
extract from the report prepared by
Rev. DR.. J. K. Mclean, himself signer
lished by the California State Council
of Congregational clergymen convened .
in San FRANCISCO in 1879: 4
$50 great is the divergence of opinion =
as to systems of education, so impossi-.
bic of remediation does this divergency!
appear to be, that very many of us are :
beginning to think that the only peace
able and harmonious way must be to !
follow the example set in early days in I,
the matter of state religiOn-for the !.
state simply to protect all parties in
their opinions, and relegate to each par
ent the business of providing his child
rem with such higher education as his
Judgment may suggest or his conscience :
dictate. The same principle, precisely,
appears to underlie both matters, that
of church and state. and that OF school
and state !" .-s5<iiT- :. : = - . 10
Subsequently a Presbyterian state
synod. held In San Francisco. appointed {
Rev. DR.. Scott, one of Its ablest mem
bers (whO was also one of the sighers of
our said petition), to prepare report OH
the same subject. His report. when
prepared, was also in perfect harmony
with said petition, and with the views
proclaimed by the Congregational
council. Rev. DR.. Scott's report was
also adopted by nearly. if not quite,
unanimous vote of the synod.
In February. 1881, Bishop Grace Cath
olic), of St. Paul, MIMI, Writing to the
author upon the subject of his maya
zine, in which he defended these propo-
sitions, among other things said:
"You have judged wisely in making
your magazine nOn-sectarian, and APP
pealing to the common sense and calm
Judgment of the American people at
large. have long since been convinced
that this was the proper course from
the beginning. By making the move
ment appear strictly Catholic move
ment, upon Catholic grounds. we for
feited the sympathy and cooperation
OF the communities of other creedS, and
by our over-heated zeal we alienated
from us the liberal-minded among our
better citizens in general"
George Washington. the grand
the illustriOus Father of his Country,
wrote to the author from Center View,
Mo-, April 13. 1880:
'Please send me copy of your cele-
brated pamphlet against the public
schools. 1 have read copious extracts
from the same, but want copy III full
for re-reading and reference. 1t will
keep. l am as much opposed to the
system as yourself. but have not the
ability to express my objections as
clearly, pointedly and forcibly as you
have yours. Respectfully,
'sGEoRGE WASHINGTON"
Did space permit, columns might be
filled with similar letters of approval,
including Bishop j: r. Newman, ''the
friend' of Gen. u. s. Grant, and scores
of others, down to the present day. to
show that the plan, wherever and when
ever it has been studied in connection
with its authors compilation of Grim
inal statistics, has been almost uni
versally Endorsed. and that it meets
with equal approval from all classes,
parties and creeds, religionists and nom
religionists.
The well known opposition urged
against the appointment of the author