, 1890-07-11
The Nation. Educators.

ST.. PAUL, July 1O.-The third days
session of the educational association was
called + order promptly. Another i'm
nense crowd was present. The COM
mittee on nominations reported in favor
of William R.. Garrett, Nashville, for
president. Among the vice presidents
are J. NJ. Baker Of Denver. and A. B.
McElroy of Salem, Ore; secretary, J. FL.
Crook of New Brunswick, N. j., and a
director from each state represented in
the convention.
Archbishop Ireland of st. Paul, read a
paper ON the topic, State Schools-Is a
Union Between Them Possible?" In his
opening speech be declared his loyalty to
the constitution and said he upheld the
parish schools but would have all schools
state schools The imparting of instruct
ions to a child was primarily the function
of the parent. The state ~intervenes
whenever a family could or would not do
the work needed. He unreservedly
favored state laws making instruction
compulsory. Instruction was 80 much
needed by each citizen for his OVID sake
and for that OF society that the father
who neglected to provide tor his child's
instruction sinned against society and it
behooved the state to punish him. Of
course, he said, the parent enjoyed
the right to educate lis child 10
the manner suitable to himself, provided,
always, that the education given in this
manner suficed for the Interior duties of
the child towards himself and society.
The compulsory laws recently enacted in
some states OF the Union were objections
BILE only in . lew OF their individual
clauses. The state school, he said. tended
to the elimination of religion from the
minds and hearts of the youth of the
country. This, be said. was his grievance
against the state schools of today. There
could be no religious teaching where the
principle of non-sectarianism rules. 1t fol-
lowed. then, that the child would grow,up
in the belief that religion was of minor i'm
portance and religious indifference would
be his creed. The state need not teach
religion, but for the sake of Its people and
its own sake, it should facilitate and per
NIT the action OF the church, but it hind
cred this action. As a solution of the
difficulty he would permeate the regular
state schools with the religion of a major
ity of the children of the
land, be it as Protestant as
Prot ,stantism could be and
would do as they do in England, Day for
the secular instruction given in denomin-
ational schools according to results. That
is, each pupil passing an examination be-
fore the state officials and in full accord
ance with the state programme, would
secure to his sch Dol the cost of tuition Of
a pupil in the state schools. In conclu
afop tho archhfahnn Nrafaota1 a..snat fha
charge that the schools of the nauon nave
their enemies among Catholics. The
Catholics were loyal TO the country and
demanded a Christian state -7
Oscar II. Cooper, state superintendent
of schools Of Texas, read the next paper
on the same general subject. Mr.. Cooper
held that compulsory education laws con-
travene the fundamental idea which is
dominating the development of American
institutions, viz: The minimum of law,
~thorouehly enforced, with the maximum
of freedom. Rather than compulsory
laws he favored better schools.