Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-15

SENATOR SPOONER'S REMARKS
ON THE BENNETT LAW.
No Interference With Parental Rights
The Law Dictates to Those Only
Who Do Not Teach Their
Children the English
Language.

Following is the portion of Senator
Spooner's speech at West Side Turner
Hall, Milwaukee, which deals with the
Bennett compulsory educational law:
Now, ladies and gentlemen, L turn,
weary and having wearied you [cheers and
cries of ''NO' to consideration for few
moments, if may do so, of the issues of the
state campaign cheers But there is one
issue in our state campaign which over
shadows all other issues. 1t eXcites not
only the interest of the people Of Wiscon-
sin, but it has excited the interest of the
people of the whole country. This campaign
on this one issue is unique in the history of
parties in our government. / intend to talk
to you upon it for little while if you will
listen to me, with directneSS and plalnneSS
of speech. [Cheers.
1t is the Bennett law. [CheerS.
The Bennett law was passed, ladies and
gentlemen, by the Legislature, under pre-
clSely the same circumstances which pre-
cede the enactment of a great number of
bills by the Legislature. 1t twas introduced
as other bills are introduced. and it passed
through both houses without debate. and
without any party division upon it's enact
ment. The Republican party being in the
majority is doubtless technically charge
able with the responsibility Of its passage,
and the Republican party never was,
is not now, and never will be. a
coward in the face OF responsibility.
(Cheers.l That technical responsibility it
must take. 1t cannot Shirk if it would.
That the Bennett law is perfect law | be-
iieve none of it's friends insist; that it is not
susceptible of constructions which if EN-
forced In administration would lead to
harm and injustice, do not find it neces-
Sary tonight to cOntrCVert and [ do not
know that the friends, SO-called, of that
law are disposed to controvert it, One
thing is certain, the objections which have
been urged against it were all born OF the
debate upon it which succeeded it's passage.
1t was not passed in redemption of any
pledge of the Republican party, and never
can be said as it stands upon the statute
book to be party measure except in the
qualified sense to which / referred few
moments ago. The first opportunity that
the Republican party had to declare itself
upon the subject was when a state cOnven-
ton met. 1t is the convention and accved
tied delegates of a party, meeting together.
and speaking the average Judgment of the
party which voices the party will and the
party Judgment. and which is a test of a
party position upon any subject.
] say for myself that since this agitation
began | have not seen the day when |
thought with all the objections which
were urged against the law, some of which
i shared, have not seen the day when [
thought that the Republican party could
abandon upon any demand it's essential
and fundamental principles (cheerS); but
the issue is not what the Democratic party
seeks to make it. The issue which they
make in this campaign from the stump is
Enthusiastically false issue. l do not
speak of the party Of the masses, I speak
of the leaders upon whom responsibility
rests Tor the attitude Of the party. The is
sue is not the Bennett law as it is written
upon TIE statute book; the issue Is that
which has been rendered by the Republi-
can cOnventiOn-the Bennett law as the
Republican party pledges itself to make 1T.
fCheers.
Now plant myself firmly and strongly
upon the platform of the Republican party
upon that subject.
THE LITTLE SCHOOL HOUSE.
/ call your attention to the platform.
The Democratic platform although it was
framed-I will not say framed-but adopt
ed days after the Republican convention
by the Republican party, shot by it and
cOntented itself with the denunciation of
the laws as written on the statute books
which the Democratic party helped to
make. ICheerS. Now what is this plat
form? First, ladies and gentlemen, it de-
clares the devotion of the Republican par
ty to the common school system. 1t places
upon our flag: not to stay there simply for
this campaign but to stay there in all cam
paigns so long as the party lives, the little
school house. [Cheers] The common
school system was the dream Of Washing
ton. It is in our day the realized hope of
the fathers OF the republic. The common
school. We of the masses look
to it first, naturally because it
is the school, of the state. It is
the school of the constitution, it is the free
and common school, it is the college of the
people. AS Horace Mann once said, the
school houses are the Republican lines of
fertilization. In the shadow of the school
house treason never was born, and could
not live if it were born. [ChecrS.] In the
beautiful speech which Gov. Hoard made
at Boston, and it was a credit to him and an
honor to Wisconsin [great applausel, he
told Gods truth when he said that if The
South, in its hills and dales, had been
dotted over with school houses, there
would have been no treason anG DO rebel
lion. The common school is dear to the
hearts of our people. II it has enemies
they do not dare ayoW it, They march not
as troops OF the line into the open field. If
it has enemies they are Sappers and miners,
and they fight under cover OF darkness.
ICheeIS.l Whoever they are, wherever
they come from, the Republican party has
given challenge to mortal combat, and it
will stand by the little school house
TCheers.
While the Republican party declares by
its platform its devotion to the common
school and its purpose to defend the COM
mon school system and TO strengthen it
and to build it up, a pledge which it will
sacredly keep, 1t recognizes, as it must
needs recognize, as legitimate and yaiu-
able auXlliarieS in the work of popular
the private and parochial
schools of the state. Cheers. Our con-
provides for the common school,
provides that it shall be maintained by
public maintenance. It provides also for
the utmost of religious liberty; it provides
that 20 man shall be compelled TO support
a ministry against his will Of which he
docs not approve; il would not tax a man
TO support school IN which was taught
religious tenpts, which did not meet with
ms approval; therefore it was that the
trainers of the constitution excluded from
the public schools any sectarian inStruc-
Eon whatever fcheersl, but, carrying the
principle little further, recognizing the
fact as they must. for they in the preamble
thanked God for his mercy to our people,
they provided that no money should be
paid out of the public treasury for the sup
port of religious or theological colleges or
Summaries. [Cheers. No one can suppose
for a moment that it entered the minds of
men at that day or in this, that there
would not be and that there should not be
private and parochiai schools in the state
a.; fIair ~ in, nd