St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-25
VERY SENSIBLY SAID.
Roger Vail Says Catholics
Are Not Opposed to Pub
lie Schools.
Nor Are They Foes to Edu-
cation and Enlighten-
ment.
He Quotes From High Church
Authority on the Sub ?
jeet.
A Few Candid Remarks Upon
a Subject Of Much In
tereSt.

Roger Vail, who is we'll known as
| quite a prominent and conservative
Catholic of Minneapolis, Saturday gave
to weekly paper communication
which is worthy of a wider circulation
| than that publication can give it, as il
contains some sensible remarks and
| points of information upon question
| of really vital public Importance, the
| solution of which can result only from
a candid discussion, which will reveal
the motives of certain individuals who
! are seeking to advance their selfish per-
sonal and political ends by arouSing
religious prejudices that are quite
| likely to divide the community.
He takes the editor to task for assert
ing: ''lt admits of very little doubt
| that the Catholics mean to to press their
| case against our school system until
| they overthrow it or sustain a humili-
ating defeat, and that on various
| grounds they argue for division of the
| public funds" He says in reply that
AS matter of fact the Catholics have no
desire to overthrow our school system, nor
| do they argue for a division of the school
| fund. The Catholic congress recently con-
| vened in Baltimore was the most representa-
tive BODY of Catholics that ever assembled in
this country and i'll their platform there is
not one word about the division of the school
fund orthe destruction of our preset system
of education.
In support of this, he quotes from the
platform adopted by the congress-:
We recognize next in importance TO relig-
ion itself education as one of the chief tao
tors in forming the character. of the indiyid-
ual, the virtue of the citizen. and promoting
| the advance of true civilization. There
| fote we are committed TO a sound popular
| education which demands not only physical
| and intellectual but also the moral and re-
| ligious education of youth. As in the state
| schools provision is not made for teaching
| religion, we must continue 10 support our
| own schools. multiply and perfect colleges
already established, SO that the benefits OF a
| Christian education may be brought within
| the reach of every Catholic child WITHIN the
United States
He quotes also the individual state
ment of Bishop GilnOur. of Cleveland,
| O., who has prepared series of text
b ,Oks for Catholic schools, and who is
probably the most orthodox, and l may
add int0lerant, of all the bishops lowing
| to the fact, perhaps. that he is con-
vert from Presbyterianism, and has
honestly Inherited great deal of
| 'Straight-iacednesS' from his scotch an
cestors). had this to say at the conven-
! ton: Catholics have no contention
with the public schools, because
they are state schools, nor do Catholics
seek to destroy the public schools. On
| the contrary, Catholics are willing to
accept the public schools in America,
as they have done in Europe and else
where, on condition that an arrange
ment be made by which the child shall
be taught religion and the Laws of mo-
rality.'"
Mr.. Vail still further backs up his po-
| sition by quoting the letter to the clergy
| and laity under their charge by the
| archbishOps and bishops assembled in
the third plenary council at Baltimore,
which, after stating that sound ciyii-
| cation must depend upon sound popular
| education; that education, in order to
| be sound and to produce beneficial re-
suits, must develop what is best in man
that true civilization requires that not
| only the physical and intellectual, but
also the moral and religious, Well-being
| of a people should be promoted, and, at
lest, with equal care; that education,
in order to foster civilization,
| iZati0n without religion would
be civilization of the ''strug-
gle for existence and the survival of the
| fttest," IN which cunning and strength
| would become the substitutes for princi-
pie, virtue, conscience and duty;
| that the only practical way to secure a
| Christian people is to give the youth a
| Christian education, the hierarchy in
council assembled say: 1.-The friends of
Christian education do not condemn the
state for not imparting religious in
struction in the public schools as they
are now organized, because they well
know that it does not lie within the
province of the state to teach religion.
They simply follow their conscience by
sending their children to denominational
schools, where religion can have it's
rightful place and influence"
tYou will OBSERVE" remarks MIR. Vail,
"that there is no demand for diStribu-
ton of the public funds to support
their schools, and | am not aware that
any body of Catholics, ecclesiastic or
lay, or even any representative Catholic
among the bishops or laymen, have
made demand for a portion of the pub
lie school funds for the support of their
own schools. You will also remember
that MethOdists, Lutherans, Episcopal
ians and others have their sectarian
schools as well as Catholics, for the rea-
son that they believe in basing the edu-
cation of their children upon religion as
they understand it. A few years ago
when Hamline university was opened,
Prof. Johns, in his inaugural address,
attacked state education and advo-
Gated UNCONVENTIONAL institutions for
the inculcation of religion and mo-
rality, and yet Prof. Johns had
been for years principal of our state
normal school at Wankato. There is
something defective in our educational
system when mer all creeds are dis
satisfied with it and start schools at
their own expense. We should listen
respectfully to the fault-hnders OF the
system and endeavOr, as far as possible,
to remedy whatever defects they point
out, so that the system may be made as
perfect as any human institution can
be. At this time | fail to see the neces-
sity of your opposition to the division
of the school tax between Catholics and
Protestants, SO long as the former have
made 10 such demand. Having been a
teacher in the public schools of Henne-
pin and Ramsey counties for seven
years, know something of the excel
lencies as we'll as the imperfectiOns of
the system, viewed from Catholic
standpoint, and at the proper time /
shall have no hesitation in expressing
INV naininn ,;