St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-02
Father Fleming Tenders a
School Building to the City
Superintendent
To Relieve the Overerowded
Public Schools on Day.
tons Bluff.
Judge Kerr Sustains the Con-
stitutionality Of the Park
Board Act.
Several Raey Divorce Cases
on--Madeline Frelinghuy-
sen Sentenced.

Father Fleming. of St. Johns Cath
Ollie church, OH Dayton's bluff, few
days ago made novel proposition to c..
Is. Gilbert, superintendent of the public
schools Of this city, which may in the
end lead to a possible solution Of the
| school question that has zen agitatin5
the mind of the public lately. The rev.
erend gentleman, learning that the
| public schools on Dayton'S bluff were
over, rOwded, and that more room was
/ needed to accommodate the school
children of that section, proposed to MIR.
| Gilbert to allow him the use OF his new
parish school. only requiring of the city
| that it pay the absolute and necessary
| running expenses. such as payment of
| teachers, purchase of fuel, etc. The
building itself was to be made gift of.
Mr.. Gilbert was completely staggered
by the generous offer, and could
scarcely believe his senses. What if
anything was behind the offer. lie
would inquire of Father Fleming. The
latter stated he meant exactly what he
said The teachers now in the parish
schools, he said, could be examined. and
if they came up to the required stand
ard why they should be kept,
| otherwise not. During school
hours the question of religion was to he
scrupulously banished from the school
room. OF COURSE, if religious inStruc-
| ton was given after school hours he did
not think there could be anything OBJ
was so manifeStly fair, and the clergy
man so evidently sincere, that the SUI
prrntendeut took the matter seriously
under consideration, and he will
undoubtedly bring it up at the
next meeting of the school board.
A reporter called at the residence Of tile
| archbishop last evening to ascertain
something more definite on the subject
His grace was absent, but Father Con-
way, who stated that he mad conVerSed
with the archbishop in the premises and
said he voiced his sentiments, vouch-
Safed the following intOrmaGi0n:
Yes, | have heard OF Father Elem
ing's offer to the school board OF the
city, and think it will strike all right
thinking men as a most fair one.
L think the plan is one III full harmony
with American ideas, particularly with
the truly American principle Of liberty
of conscience, which is Catholic prin
ciple as well as ali American one. In
the treatment of this subject L would
recommend an examination of what is
known as the Poughkeepsle plan at
present In use in PoughkeepSie, N. Y.
The teachers and children might be eX-
amined by the school officials of the
state. | am sure Catholics would not
object to this. Children and teachers
might De subject in everything
except religion To the superintendent of
schools. Ii the state authorities so
wish, religion need not he taught dur
ing schoUl hours. Catholic teachers
could give religious instruction before
| school opens, or after 1t closes, or be-
fore and after, as is done in England.
| There the government school inspect
0rs examine the children in secular
branches, and the clergymen give re-
| ligIuuS instruction in the schools, but
outside of school hours, and everything
moves with the regularity of cloak.
| or course there should be some un-
Outstanding between church authorities
and state officials DIS to the teachers 10
be employed. We would not ask that this
or that particular teacher be employed,
| but we should expect the power OF veto
or something like it. There are some
| people who want schools without any
| religion Whatever. We answer, very
well, they can have them. The plan we
| SUppnSt does not in any WaV gaiuSdy