Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-07-11
THE STATE SCHOOL.
Archbishop lreland's Address
to the Educators.
HETALKs FOR THE ROMAN CHURCH

Whatever His Faith.
ST. PAUL, July 1.-THE feature of the
national convention of educators yester-
day was the speech of Archbishop Ireland
on the attitude of the Roman Catholic
church to the question of state schools.
His address was entitled: "The State
School and the Parish School; Is Union
between them Impossibles' The greatest
of interest was manifested in the prelate's
speech. 1t was rare spectacle-that of q
Roman Catholic prelare in a convention
of free school advocates-and it was the
attraction of the morning session. The
archbishop was greeted with many smiles
when he stepped forward, and at once
proceeded to read his address in clear,
well cultured voice
His Profession of Faith
He began as follows: II will be permit
ted at once to make my profession of faith.
/ declare most unbounded loyalty to the
constitution of my country. l desire no
favors. i claim no rights that are not in
consonance with its letter and its spirit.
The rights which the constitution allows
/ do claim, and in doing so am but the
truer and the more loyal American. In
what may say to this distinguished audi
ence. the principles of our common Amer
lean citizenship shall inspire my words. ]
beg that you listen to me, and discuss my
arguments in the light of these principles.
/ am the friend and the advocate of the
state school. In the circumstances of the
-, I he soh
do sincerely wish that the need of it did
not exist. | would have all schools for the
children of the people state schools.
The State and the Family.
1.-The accusation has gone abroad that
Catholics are bent on destroying the state
school Never was there an accu sation
more unfounded - The right of the
state school to exist / consider, is mat
ter beyond the stage of dicussion. To the
child must be impaired instruction in NJ
mean degree, that the man may earn fol-
himself an honest competence, and acquit
himself of the duties which society ex
acts from him for its own prosperity ant
life. The proposition, true in any country
of modern times, is peculiarly true il
America. The imparting of this instruc
ton is primarily the function of ths
child parents. The family is prior to the
state. The states place in tn,
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. Tn,
state must come forward as an agent o
instruction, else ignorance will pre-
voI
Free Schools EuIogized.
"Free schoolsl Blest indeed is the ma
ton whose wales and hillsides they adorn
and blest the generations upon who's.
souls are poured their treasuresi No tai
is more legitimate than that which is lev
led for the dispelling of mental darkness
and the building up within 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 necessar,
to add that the money paid in school ia,
is the money of the stete, and is to be dis
bursed solely by officials of the state, and
solely for the specific purposes in view o
which il was collected. | unreservedly ia
var state laws making instruction com
pulsory.
Limitation of CompulsiOn.
compulsory education implies attend
ance in schools maintained and controlled
by the state only when there is no attend
ance in other schools known to be compe
tent to impart instruction in the required
degree. The compulsory laws recent,
enacted in certain states of the union are
to my judgment, Objectionable in a few Of
their incidental clauses These, am con
fident, will readily be altered in approach
ing legislative sessions With the body o
laws, and their general intent in the di
rection of fastening among us universe
instruction, / am in most hearty accord
The free school of America
withered be the hand raised in sign of it,
Instruction."
Objections to State Schools.
After stating that he was sorry that tn,
parish school existed-that there was
necessity for its existence-the archbishop
went on to say: "There is a dissatisfaction
with the state school, as at present organ
lied. The state school, it is said, tends t.
the elimination of religion from the mind
and hearts of the youth of the country
This Is my grievance against the stat
schools of to-day. Believe me, my Protest
ant fellow-citizens, that l am absolutel,
sincere when | now declare that l an
speaking for the veal of Professionalism a
well as for that of Catholicism. am
Catholic, of course, to the tiniest fiber o
my heart, unfinching and uncompromis
ing in my faith. But God forbid that
desire to see in America the ground which
Professionalism occupies exposed to tn,
chilling and devastating blast of un
belief. Let me be your ally in stem
ming the swelling tide of irreligion, the
death-kneli of Christian life and of Chris
tian civilization, the fatal foe of souls
and of country.
They Don't Teach Religion.
"The state school is religious. 1t ig
nores religion. There is and there can b,
no positive religious Aaching where the
principle of nOn-sectarAnism rules. Wha
follows? The school treats o
land and sea, but not of heaven; it speak
of statesmen and warriors but is silen
on God and Christ; it tells how to attain
success in this world, but says nothing a
to the world beyond the grave. The pupi
sees and listens; the conclusion is inevita
BILE, that religion Is of minor Importance
Religious indifference will be his creed
his manhood will be, as his childhood il
the school, estranged from God and tn
positive influence of religion" Attendant
at school left no time for proper religion
instruction in the family. the bishop said
and the school crowds out the work of tn
church The children of the masses wer
learning no religion.
No Morals without Religion.
After celebrating the above point b
went on: ado not say that the state schoo
teaches morals. Christians demand RI
ligion. Morals without the positive prir
cipies of religion, giving to them root an,
sap, do not exist. What seems to be NOR
ais without religion is the blossoming @
fortunate and kindly disposed natures, o
habits fashioned upon Christian trad
tions, which grow weaker as the tradi
| tiOns become remote To the America
people at large-religious. minded an