Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-20
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THE CHURCH AND THE SCHOOLS.

and preach that the common schools are
ungodly because there is not taught
therein churchly code of morals. No
one will question the right or pro-
priety Of any church establishing par
ochial schools But if the order referred
to is to be construed as an assault upon the
American school system, the Catholic
authority has made mistake that will
have very different results from those in
tended. II, on the other hand, denial is
made that this is an assault, but it still re-
mains that demand is to be renewed for
division of the school funds, the church
will still miss its aim
The Catholic Church is not alone in its
denunciation of the American common
school system as error, because of
the omission OF the teaching referred
to. There are other sects that hold
to the same doctrine, and the people
are content that they shall adhere to it so
long as they leave the school system alone
1t is part OF the public policy of the
States of the nation that the children of
the rich and the poor alike shall have free
tuition in schools maintained by common
taxation. That they are purely, inten-
tionally, secular schools is the vital prin-
ciple of their strength 1t is not required
of any man that he shall place his chill
dren in these schools; the States simply
supply the means for instruction closing
with the grammar grades, here and there
adding higher free course. That system
is to endure as a fundamental of the Amer
can republic, and no assault by theologians
is to wreck it.
If churches believe it their duty to
withdraw the children of their faith from
these schools it will not of necessity affect
the latter; if the withdrawal, however, is
intended to signalize an effort to exempt
from the support of the common schools
those who do not use them, then the time
has arrived to advance the declaration
that it will not be tolerated. The COM
mon school system is to be maintained at
the cost Of all the people as an institution
of free government The taxpayer with
out children is required TO contribute to
it equally with those who avail directly
of its benefits; the citizen who sends his
children to private institutions, equally
with the citizen who places his children in
the public schools, is taxed for the main
tenance of the system; not because of the
open privilege he has to use the schools,
but upon the broad policy of the republic
that intelligence is the foundation upon
which to build the character of citizens,
that ignorance and vice are twins and lie
at the root of community generalization
and decay; that the free secular instfuc-
ton Of the children CT the nation is a mat
ter of Government to all the people, and
is not prosecuted with view of distrib-
uting the cost of the educational system
according to the immediate benefits to in
dividuals who send children to the schools.
1t is to be hoped that the question of the
secularity of the free schools is not to be
forced upon the country again by church
men, but it is impossible to pass over the
declaration of Mgr. Doane, which, with
the recent declarations of church author
tiles, gives color to the fear that defense
of the American common-school system
against clerical assault is again to become
necessary. One of the significant evil
dences to be added to the declaration of
the Monsignor is the expression of the
Catholic World, of New York, which re-
Gently, in opposing the confirmation of
Mr.. Morgan as an Indian Commissioner,
urged Catholics to labor for his defeat be-
cause he proposed "aspecious and insidious
plan-the placing of Indian schools upon
the same basis as the public schools" and
the World added Immediately this ques-
ton, us he for an instant to be tolerated ?"
The late encyclical of the Pope, just pre-
ceding as it did the declaration of a Prince
of his household, is not calculated to les
sen the apprehension referred to, though
it is probably true that the references in
Church and State referred mainly to the
political issues in Italy, and was intended
to strengthen the Pope's side in his own
country. Even with that as the main pur
pose, it was sad mistake on the part of
the Vatican, and the result will be
again as it has been, that the Ital-
ian Catholic Nationalist and the Papal
Catholic will divide and the strength
and the majority will be with the Ma
tionalists. Nevertheless, the letter was
addressed to all Bishops and it is impos-
sible to pass it by as not of high import
anee in this country. If the letter is APP
piled to American politics, and the divi-
sion of school funds is demanded as a Sc
uuence to the Doane declaration, the cam
didate for legislative position who does
obeisance to the head Of the Church, in
recognition of its right to dictate his po-
litical course where there is apparent con-
fiet between State and Church policy,
would be bound to say that if elected he
would vote for division. We believe with
our contemporary, the New York Tsases,
that Ano sensible and patriotic American,
Catholic or not, would vote for such can
didate.n When the officials of the Church
claim, as they did at the Baltimore Con-
gress, thst there is a prejudice in America
against the Church by nSn-adherents, they
are mistaken. Only suck doubt ofthe pol
icy of the church exists an the minds OF
the latter class, as the eneyclical and the
declaration of Monsignor Dcane ana the
expression of the official press justify. 1t
is iustifable to reach the conclusion that
this doubt is entertained by large num-
Der of devout communicates of the church
also, who look upon the recent deciara-
ton as unwise, and representative OF mis-
conception on the part of Rome, of the