St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-25
PAROCHIAL OR PUBLIC.
Position OF the Lutherans on the
School Question.

oStNtoh III tIIC VII NtIO
School Question.
In order to show the public what posi-
ton they take with reference to public
and parochial schools, the German Lu-
theran conference of the First district
of Minnesota, which was in session this
week at Minneapolis, unanimously
adopted the following resolutions for
publication in the papers:
In defnining our position in this matter.
cussed. we would state in the outset that we
are voicing the sentiments of the majority of
the Lutheran church of this country.
First-We consider the public school sys-
TEN under our republican form of govern
ment political necessity. because every
citizen of this country ought to have such
education as will enable him INTEL gently to
perform the duties devolving upon him as a
good citizen of this republic. The state,
under existing conditions must supply the
means of such necessary education, since
many might otherwise be compelled to go
without the latter altogether. On this
ground and for this reason, we do not op
pose the public schools, but as willingly pay
our taxes for their support as for all other
institutions OF The state. We are opposed TO
any and every grant of public school funds
to private or parochial schools, considering
any attempt 10 appropriate public moneys in
such Il manner 10 he hostile to the principles
OF our government
the privilege of founding private or paro-
chiai schools with our own means; of gov
erning and regulating them without external
interference according 10 our religious con-
victions and what we consider sound princl-
pies of education, for the sake of making our
children both pious Christians and ct The
same time loyal and useful citizens of the
commonwealth. The public school does not
and cannot meet our wants because, being
an institution of the state, it should not, ac-
cording to the principles of our governments,
by which state and church have forever been
separated. give religious instruction of any
kind. We, however, believe that religious
instruction, which should only be given in
institutions of the church, is the most neces-
Sary and important part OF education.
We therefore protest against any attempt
to rob us of or to uitail that liberty of con
science and free exercise OF our religious
convictions, which is guaranteed to all cltl-
2ens by The constitution of the United States,
and we consider 1t our sacred duty 10 use all
lawful means 10 resist and defeat any such
attempt.
We protest at the same time against the as
sertlon continually being made by certain
papers, either maliciously or because they do
not take the trouble to find out the facts, that
the Lutheran church is hostile to the public
school or to the English language. We, in
our parochial schools, rlgidly insist upon the
most thorough instruction in the English
language. When our means are insufficient
to give such instruction, the terms of our
schools are, as rule, SO arranged as to give
the scholars an opportunity TO attend the
public schools also. Our schools are not
maintained for the purpose of unfolding
any special language, but of giving Chris
tan education. We are not keeping up
these schools because we are Germans or
Scandinavians, or of any other nationality
other than American, but because we are
Lulherans We would train our children to
be American Lutherans and Lutheran Amer
leans We want them to become good Chris
tian citizens of this country. Those citizens
as long as they live up to the principles they
have been taughtln these schools ever be
found OH the side of liberty, law and order,
and opposed to anything that is inimicai to
the welfare of our republic or to our form Of
government.