St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-11

family. By the potency of re-
ligious life, the religious train
ing must be left with the
church, and by the inherent principles
of our system of government, that an
education which relates primarily to
the rights. duties and needs of sover-
eign citizens must be entrusted to the
state. He did not think it would avail
an iota to discuss the subject of COM
pulsory education and its enforcement.
The real and the practical question is
agencies. Then, he pursued, the peril
nent query is, what education may the
state prescribe, and in what manner
and by what means shall it
enforce such education? It is no
answer to this question to merely assert
that our schools have been really estab-
lished and have been maintained with
out the agency of compulsory laws.
Nor can the difficulty be bridged over
by merely alleging that compulsory
laws are un-American, and would
therefore remain a dead letter upon our
statute books if passed. 1t remains
patent fact, continued Mr.. Thayer, in
burst of eloquence, that state public
schools are not established and main
tained by any voluntary charitable or
philanthropic efforts. They are estaD-
llshed and maintained by the force, by
the law and by the enlightenment of
the people, and by the strength and in
fuence of public opinion.
He declared that our public schools
exist by the force of laws that are as
hateful to the enemies of our free school
system as are the compulsory laws of
Wisconsin and illinois. 1t can be no
more hateful to man to compel him to
educate his own children than it is to
compel him to educate his neighbor's
children. And to declare that compul-
sorry laws are un-American is to declare
against the laws Of our own free school
system. Mr.. Thayer stated that recent
Events in Wisconsin
had taught him that the opposition to
the school system is absolutely un-
American, and he had a suspicion that
the ultra element of the opposition has
a purpose that is not in harmony with
the principles of the federal government.
and the German Catholic priests" he
continued in drastic way, 'as we'll as
the German Lutheran clergy of Wis
consin unite in a political organization
with the object to secure the uncon-
ditional repeal Of the educational law
of the state having for its purpose the
instruction of all the children in the
state in the language of this. their
adopted country, / maintain and have
the inherent right to suspect that there
is something at the bottom of the move
ment that is not exactly American. This
ecclesiastical opposition is significant
and gives color to the suspicion that the
ultramontane Jesuitlcal element of the
Roman Catholics in America, with its
ancient energy for allies, deems itself
sufficiently strong in the republic to
adopt more aggressive policy, and as
sert the dangerous and unconstitutional
doctrines defined in the syllabus, not
covered III words, but openly and def
antly by acts. Unless the question that
is now up for discussion is settled in
harmony with the principles of this
government there will be conflict be-
tween the JeSuitical hierarchy of the
Vatican, armed with the syllabus, and
the American people. l am not an
alarmiSt. l have no reason to fear
the ultimate consequences, L firmly be-
lieve that the Catholic citizens will take
care of that issue if it ever comes. They
may be misled by religious zeal. but
they are patriotic. This country and its
institutions are as dear to them as to
any class Of citizens. American Cath
olics are intelligent. They know the
history and civilization of Italy, of
Spain, of Austria and of Poland, and
concerns civil rights.
The Civil Supremacy
of the people is denied and the men who
are protesting most vigorously and eff
fectively against the uSurpatiOnS of the
hierarchy are not heretics. are not ene-
mics of the Catholic church, but are
American citizens. The state must. I
think, insist upon it's right and duty to
secure to its citizen youth an elementary
education and efficient instruction.
1.-THE state is prohibited from impos-
ing duties upon churches and must not
interfere with the freedom of religious
instruction or worship. The church,
on the other hand. must not put itself
nor its parochial school, across the legit-
innate pathway of the state and obstruct
its progress. The secular state cannot
impose upon the church the duty of in
structing children in what pertains to
the rights and needs of citizens. There
is no other ground that the state can Oc-
cupy and maintain an existence that
will guarantee religious liberty and po-
litical freedom
Mr.. Thayer had consumed the allotted
time, and President Garfield felt con-
strained to enforce the inflexible rule,
but the people would not listen to it.
They were insiStent, and after shouting
'Go on; go onp' moment. Supt
Thayer resumed his address amidst tn.
reatest enthusiasm. e
This was followed by brief paper on
'sThe Correlation of Subjects Taught
in Elementary Schools" by J. w.
Stearns of Madison, and the topic was
discussed by f. Louis Soldan, st. Louis,
Mo-; Charles McMurry. Winona, Mimi;
N. G. Schaeffer, KutZtown, Pa; |. M.
Wellington, Muskegon. Mich.