The Daily bulletin., 1890-06-26
The MISSING MiNQRlTy'S re.
FORT.
EDITOR BCLLETlT:--

appears to &c valuable document.
The numerous exact figures are
very interesting and they prove that
the Board Of Education and its as
sistants are in earnest To advance
the school business III the whole
country. l should be sorry to de-
tract anything from The praises bes-
towed on the different parties men
toned in The report; but, ms TO the
general tendency of the document,
it ia evidently oue-sihed. Every
thing Il in favor Of the Government
Public schools. The Independent
schools are, more or less, treated as
d;sagreeahle obstacle; their de-
crease is considered as victory Of
the Board. But very small class
iinds mercy. The Hon. President
deserves thanks for the undisguised
expression OF his views, therefore
II is to be hoped that he will not be
offended If speak with The same
frankness Of "the other side Of the
question"
Not beirg blessed with political
power nor with large fortune, /
must content myself with exposing
NY views; these are based on rea-
son. Ia my opinion, the lndepen"
dent schools ought rot to be treated
so stepmotheIly; they ought to
have reasonable share in the pub
lie money spent for education,
because
/. The Independent schools
work for the education o! youth as
we'll as the Public schools.
3. The state monopoly in edu-
catcual matters Is modern system
o! communisliU tendency and u
social hcresy, since the parents
have the first obligation aud there
fore the first right 10 provide for
the education of their children--by
natural and by divine law-and it
is the practical notion Of all parents
| with very rare eXceptions) in be-
half OF their o,cn children.
3. Serious christians, Of what
socyer denominations (if they pro-
fess determined creed and be-
lieve in it), feel bound in conscience
to prefer an independent school Of
their own creed TO the public
schools, on account Of the absence
OF the most essential branch Of
education - religious tlaining--in
the latter.
The liberty of conscience in con-
neciion with@he school.question re-
quires few words Of explanation.
Enlightened religious people do not
thiuk that the public schools in this
Kingdom, when managed according
TO tue rules prescribed by the
Board (Which is not always the
case though), are positively bad,
but they are very defective in spite
Of tie best intention of the Board /;
hence, in localities where no con-
iessional school is available, parents
are not only allowed to send their
children 10 the public schools but
they are even obliged 10 do so be-
cause an imperfect schooling i:
better than none at all. But il
places where u good school OF their
own creed is available, they would
act against their conscience il they
sent their children to the godles;
public school.
The hon. President thinks thai
only q small number OF children ab
stain from patronizing (?) the pub
lie schools for conscience sake.
beg leave to disagree with him
Sill, let that be as it may. Th,
main question at issue is: Are there
parents who send their children t
public schools against the dictate;
of their conscience2 And what is ,h'
cause! Ii all men were perfectly in
teiligent and disposed to lose and suf
fer anything rather than TO go agains
the dictates Of their conscience, Il
please God more than men, to pre-
fer the good of the soul TO that o
the body, to prefer happy eternit.
TO the greatest temporal ben' tit
supposing this, nobody would he
tray lis own soul by deIiverin,
his children to II school which hi
: conscience disapproves. Bat this i
} al ideal which we cannot expect t
, he realized as general rule. Hu
man frailty is such that many man
otherwise good, reluctantly yield
to the temptation by the considera
ton If some real or imaginary ten
poral benefit. Such q temptation
frequently lies heavy upon poor peo
, pie who can scarcely earn their liv
ing hy constant hard labor. Now
the public schools are free while tn
, independent schools are left to thei
: own resources. Even il they charg
t a reasonable fec the poor man can
not afford to pay it; il they depen
upon private charity they are i
danger OF lingering in a starvin
, condition. This seems 10 be th
wish of the "Reporter.
Is this liberty? Yes, it is lihert
in theory the means TO use it ar
withheld and consequently there
q no practical liberty. The law is I'll
same for all classes; still it affec
I the poor class and one partlcul.
religious denomination more ,ha