Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-10-23
r. Is For the Maintenance Of the
Splendid Public School Sys-
tenn at Every Cost.
claims Of the Catholic and Luther
an Churches Touching Their
ParOchial Schools.
PARTISAN and Unpatriotic Attitude
of the Democratic Managers
Toward the Sublime Issue.

xrh
sngaged. 1t is true that many who are en-
gaged in it, notably the democratic lead
ers, ridicule the claim that the issue is Of
paramount importance, but no careful
ftindent of the situation will agree with
them. If people outside of the state
fail to realize that the fight being pGc by
tbe republicans and Bennett-aw demo-
crafts in Wisconsin is for the preservation
Of the public school system, 1t is because
they have not studied the situation, or have
been misled by the continuous misrepre-
sentations of the opponents of the now
famous compulsory education law. At
tbe risk of being considered an alarmist
Inv some the writer desires to assert that
tHe issue before the people of Wiscon-
sim to-day has resolved itself into this;
"Shal the public school system be perpet-
uated?'
To show that this is the real issue it is
not necessary to prove that the opponents
If the republican party and Governor
Hoard in this contest are all enemies of
the public school, nor that a majority of
them are. On the contrary, 1t may be adj
mitted that a large majority Of the peo-
nile who will vote with the democratic
party against the compulsory education
law next month are not at heart enemies
of the public school. These people will
vote at the dictation of their leaders with
out once having clear perception of what
fine question at issue is. But issues are
not created nor brought forward by this
class of voters. In the present case tho
issue was not brought forward by any po-
litical party When the Bennett law was
passed without dissenting vote in either
house of the Legislature neither democrat
nor republican ever dreamed that It's prln-
cipes upon which the measure was based
would ever be questioned, and not until
the Catholic church of the state and a por-
ton of the lutherans arrayed themselves
against the law, was there any chance of
il becoming party issue. 1t was then
the democratic leaders took up the oppo-
sition to the law, not because there was
anything opposed to the principles of
democracy in the measure, but solely be-
cause the leaders of the party in the state
thought they saw y chance to carry the
state on a new issue.
The first word of opposition to the law
came from the Catholic Citizen of Mil
waukee, which is the organ ofthe Catholics
of the northwest. Less than week after
the bill had been passed the citizens de-
clared that the law would interfere with
the parochial schools. The German Cath
Ole papers then took up the cry and sue
ceeded in alarming the Lutherans by
charging that the law would destroy all
parochial schools. When the Lutherans of
the state began to agitate the question, the
democratic leaders, knowing that many OF
the Lutherans were republicans, stepped
forward to take charge of the fight. A
short time before this the Catholic bishop
of Wisconsin issued pronunciamento
against the law, and outlined the grounds
of opposition upon which the fight against
the measure must be made. Rather UNI
Willingly. it would seem, the Lutherans
took no the fight along the lines laid
down by she Catholic bishops, and the
democratic leaders, going into the contest
for votes. followed the same lines And
to-day the fight ar1iinst the Bennett law IS
being conducted along the lines laid down
by Archbishop Heiss (now deceased),
Bishop Flash, and Bishop Katzer, the
Catholic prelates of Wisconsin. Now
on what grounds did those prelates oppose
the measure? On the ground that the
NOllldIl AdIuOllt tliuICH dllu hot uiiC ct''N
has the superior right to enact and enforce
compulsory education measures. This
was the substance of their declaration so
far as it had a bearing on the subject. If
any one doubts it let him read the pro-
nunclamento.
And so it comes that in the year 1890 the
republican party of the state of Wisconsin
finds it necessary to cham pion the princi-
pie that the state has the right superior
to all institutions, civil or religious, with
in or without. to enact and enforce COM
pulsory education laws. Of course, IN all
the controversy and agitation many side
issues have come up. Some OF the oppon-
ents of the Bennett law are against 1t be-
cause they fear it is antagonistic to the
German language; others fear that there
Is a tendency toward state supervision of
the parochial schools, but the real center
and force of the opposition is that present
ed by the Catholi5 prelates-the opposition
to tie assumption by the state of the right
to legisate for is own perpetuity by
providing for the education OF Its citizens:
i isn't to be supposed that the triumph OF
the allied opposition to the compulsory ed
ucatlon law means the immediate destruc-
ton of the public school system. But
that system is based upon the right of the
tate TO provide for its own preservation,
and if this right is denied the foundation
Of the system is attacked. If the church is
the only institution that is tc have the
power to make education compulsory. it is
safe to say that the public school system
will anguish, and that the citizenship
which the public schools of the country
ha, produced will not be the citizenship
Of the future.
in this contest one thing may be said
Tor the representatives of the church,
which can not be said for the democratic
leaders: They are consistent and sincere.
Y the church is fighting the public school
system it is because it believes it to be
dangerous to the moral welfare of the
People. But the democratic leaderr. in
Guiding Colonel Villas, Chairman Wall,
dnl Secretary Anderson, are lighting the
public school to secure the partisan adyant-
age Il they do not appreciate the signl-
liaanee Of the fight they are ignorant; if
lney do appreciate 1T they are dishonest
and unpatriotic 1t will hardly be claim
"a for Colonel Villas that he is ignorant
Vhen the advocates the division of the
Plollc school fund in favor of the parochl.
schools. as be did at Milwaukee this
week Villas is a demagogue Of the rank
est Ordar hat ha nsp not ha anrusAd of