River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-04-03
all the school houses, but all the school

all the school houses. but all the school
fund. too
That is a tempting bait TO bigoted
and ignorant voters; it is also a tempt.
ing lure 10 needy politicians who
would barter their country for an
office, if possible. How quickly it is
snatched at has been seen in Milwau-
kee within week.
The other assertion is not so easily
proven, but the cireumstantial evil
dence is strongly presumptive of the
fact. Many of the priests and nuns
who teach the parochial schools can
not read, speak or understand any
language but German, and If required
to teach the English language their
occupation would be gone. Self
interest Is therefore dominant factor
in their opposition.
Whatever may be the underlying
cause of this opposition, certain it is
that it has opened up an issue vital to
every citizen in the state, and even to
the state itself. Most of all is it vital
to the very men who viii most alb.
jectly obey the behests of the priests;
they are those whose children are
most benefited by the provisions of the
Bennett Lava law which says that
these helpless little ones should be
given such knowledge of the Ian
guage of the country in which they
are TO live, as shall enable them 10
start even in the race for indepeHd-
ence and happiness with the children
of native parents, or with others OF
foreign parents who SO gladly avail
themselves of the ample provision
made oy the state for their education.
The issue comes now, and upon this
law, because, while the state has in
the past attempted to compel the at.
tendance of children at school. there
was no officer designated to carry the
law into effect. The Bennett Law has
supplied that omission, and has pre-
cipitated the fight. 1t is, perhaps, as
we'll to let it come now better, in
fact. There has been no uncertainty
in the utterances of Gov. Hoard upon
this question. His convictions were
settled, two years ago, and he has the
courage to stand by them when many
other leaders have wavered, and some
have surrendered. To insure the per-
petuity of republican institutions the
people must be educated; it is the
province of the state to seq that the
children, who are to be the voters of
the future, are protected in their right
to such an education as shall fit them
for intelligent citizenship. 1t is the
constitutional right of the state, also,
to see that little children are not
forced, by the cupidity of parents,
into sitting shops and factories, there
TO be stunted in body and mind, to
become in after years burdens to them
selves and TO society. Only these con-
Stitutional and humanitarian ends
were sought or contemplated by the
Bennett Law. 1t must be sustained
in this crisis, for there is no argument
used against this law which, If con-
coded, may not also be used against
the whole system of education fostered
by the state. Indeed, the more out
spoken of the opponents of the Ben
nett Law, priests and papers, already
direct their arguments and anathemas
against the common school system
itself. If the one principle is sur
rendered now, the other will sooner
OF later share the same fate. AS the
black clouds of slavery threatened the
life of the Union for years before they
gathered and broke i'll 1861, so the
ominous clouds of priestly intolerance
have menaced our republican institu-
tions for years, until now they have
eliminated in the dictum of priests
and prelates of the Lutheran and
Catholic churches. As the men of 81
grappled with and forever throttled
slavery, so must the liberty loving
men of 30 grapple with and straugle
this new enemy of civilization and
liberty. @. p. NJ.