Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-08
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND.
What He Says to the Public School
System.

What He Says as to the Public School
System.
Following is an extract from an address
delivered by Arch bishop Ireland before
the National Educational Association at
ST. Paul on the 10th of July, 1890:
| STATE SCHOOLS.
Will be permitted to make at once my
PROFESSION OF faith. declare most UNI
bounded loyalty to the constitution of my
country. l desire no favors. / claim no
rights that are not in consOnance with it's
letter and its spirit. The rights which the
constitution allows do claim, and in doing
so am but the truer aud more loyal Amer
l n:n; In what l may say to this distin-
gulShed audience, the principles of our
common American citizenship shall in
Splre my words. | beg that Won listen to-
me ana discuss my arguments in the light
OF these principles.
| am the friend and advocate of the state
! scnOol. In the circumstances of the pres
ent time uphold the parish school. / do
sincerely wish that the need of it did not
| exist. L would have all schools for the
children Of the people state schools.
Inc accusation has gone abroad that
Catholics are bent on destroying the state
school, Never was there an accusation
more unfOunded. | will summarize the
articles OF my school Greco: they follow
all the lines upon which the state school is
! built.
Liz IlSuU VI Ullc SGdtO SCHOOL 10 CXISG, L
| consider, Is matter beyond the stage of
discussion. L most fully cOncede it. To
the child must be impaired instruction in
no mean degree, that the man may earn
for himself an honest competence, and ac-
quit himself of the duties which society
! exacts from him for its own prosperity and
life. This proposition, true in any country
OF modern times, is peculiarly true in
America The imparting of this instruc-
ton is primarily the function of the child's
parents. The family is prior to the state.
The appointment of Providence is that,
under the care and direction of the
parent the child shall grow both in body
and in mind. The state intervenes when
ever the family cannot Oh will not do the
work that is needed. The states place in
| the function of instruction is loco PARENTS
AS things are. tens of thousands of chill
dren will not be instructed if parents re-
main solely In charge of the duty The
state must come forward as an agent of in
StructlOn, else Ignorance will prevail In
deed. in the absence of state action, there
never was that universal instruction which
we have so nearly attained and which we
deem necessary. In the absence Of state
action believe universal instruction would
never in any country be possible.
State action in favor of instruction I'M
plies free schools in which knowledge is
conditioned in the asking; in no other man
ner can we bring instruction within the
is the nation whose wales and hillsides they
adOrn, and bleSt the generations upon
whose souls are poured their treasure! No
tax is more legitimate than that which is
levied for the dispelling of mental darkness
and the building up within a nations
bosom of intelligent manhood and woman
hood. The question cannot be raised how
much good accrueS to the individual tax
payer; the general welfare is richly served,
and this suffices. 1t is scarcely necessary
to add that the money paid in school tax is
the money OF the state, and is to be dis
bursed solely by the officials of the state,
and Sicily for the specific purposes in view
of which it was collected.
COMPULSORY LAWS.
/ unreServedly favor state laws making
instruction compulsory. instruction is so
much needed by each citizen for his own
sake and for that of society, that the
father who neglects to provide for his
chlld's instruction sins against the child
and against society, and it beho0yeS the
state to punish him. Of course, first prin-
ciples must not be forgotten; and since in
struction is primarily the function of the
parent the state entering into action loco
PARENTS, the parent enjoys the right to
educate his child in the manner suitable to
himself, provided always that the educa-
ton given in this manner suffices for the
Interior duties of the child toward himself
and society. Compulsory education i'm
plies attendance in schools maintained
and controlled by the state only
when there is no attendance in 9th
er schools known to be competent
to impart instruction in the required de-
gree. The compulsory laws recently en-
acted in certain states of the Union are, to
my judging, Objectionable In few of their
incidental clauses. These, / am confident
will readily be altered in approaching leg
islative sessions. With the body of the
laws ana their general intent in the direc-
f1nn of hos fn ,i1,rr
Struction am III most hearty accord.
1t were idle of me to praise the work of
the state schools of America in the imparG-
ing of secular instruction. We all confess
its value. 1t is our pride and our glory.
The republic of the United States has sol
EMMY affirmed it's resolve that within it's
borders no cloud of ignorance shall settle
upon the minds Of the children of It's peo-
pie. To reach this result it's generosity
knows no limit. The free school of Ameri-
wlthered be the hand raised in sign of
its destruction! Applause.