St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-22
THE BENNETT LAW.

THE BENNETT LAW.
We differ from the GLOBE. The En-
glish language is the language of this
nation. and if there are communities of
foreigners in some of the states who
live so much among themselves and ed
ucate their children exclusively in the
language of their nativity, that boys
and girls born In this country cannot
speak, read or write the English Ian
guage, which state of facts is declared
to exist by Gov. HOARD in parts of Wis
consin, 1t seems to us there should be
compulsion used. The GLOBE, in
its thoughtful moments, must see,
and, if fair-minded ana reasopa-
bic, will admit, that a man who can
speak and write the English language
will make better citizen of the United
States of America than one who cannot,
even if he be very learned person in
some foreign tongue. 1t ought at least
to be possible to secure Jurors in every
community who can communicate i'll
the English language. We want no con-
fusion of tongues in this cOuntry-no
tower of Babel calamity. There is no
Just parallel between schools and
churches, as made by the GLOBE.
There is only one Savior of souls
Jesus ChriSt-and all men must be-
lieve in Him and repent of their sins
in order to be saved. The differ
ence in churches is principally upon
organization, forms of worship and
doctrine, but all Christian churches ac-
knowledge one God aud one Savior.
The bill of rights and constitution of
the United States protect every person
in his or her freedom of conscience and
choice in adopting the form of his or her
worship, and therefore the state cannot
dictate to the preachers what kind of
doctrine they shall teach. The religious
belief of man has no bearing upon or
connection with the duties he owes to
the state; but his inability to speak, un-
derstand or read and write the English
language, does have very Intimate
bearing upon such dutieS.-Moorhead
News.
We clip the above and republish it in
the columns of the GLOBE for the SIM
pie reason that it is the best argument
that can be made in support of the BEN
NETT school law. Our MOOrhead con-
temporary has said all that can be said
in defense Of legislative principle that
strikes at the very root of republican
government, and we wish to show our
readers what flimsy preteXt the advo-
Gates of the BENNETT law invent III
vindication of their revolutionary pro-
ceedings.
We have never denied the desirability
of having all the people of this country
speak one language. Nor is there any
danger but what they will. Their bust
ness interests, their social customs, con-
ditions and surroundings all combine to
bring about a harmonious lingual
period. The tower of Babel calamity is
not in sight. nor anyways near it. That
possible confusion of tongues which the
BENNETT law advocates talk about is all
imaginary. These are issues entirely
too far-fetched to have any possible con-
nection with this question, therefore
they are not worth considering.
The point the GLOBE made, and the
one it adheres to, is denial of the right
or power of the state to infringe upon
conscience in the government of indi-
vidual conduct. The clause in the bill of
rights which guarantees freedom of
speech is as sacred as the one which
guarantees religious freedom. Yet both
of these guarantees are violated by the
BENNETT law. And among the inherent
rights VOuchSafed to American citizen
ship there is none more sacred than the
right of every man to wag his tongue
in the language of his choice. 1t is
simply matter of taste and conviction,
over which statutory enactmentS can
have no control unless they are enacted
and enforced by despotic authority.
Our Moorhead contemporary argues
that there is only one language in the
United States-the English-and that
there is only one savior of souls-Jesus
Christ. Now, we hold that it is just as
legitimate for the legislature to say that
the pulpits shall preach no other relig-
ion than the religion of Christ as it is
to say that instru elton in the English
language shall be enforced in the pri-
vate schools. The pulpit is as properly
the subject of legislation as is the pri-
vate school; and yet the individual
would be regarded as insane who would
advocate placing the pulpits under state
patronage.
The monopolies and high tariff legis-
tation have drifted us long way toward
paternal government. but, thank God.
it has not yet taken the American peo-
pie far enough in that direction to make
them willing to relinquish control of
their family and private affairs to the
state. Every parent feels a direct re-
sponsibility to his God for the education
OF his children, and he will defy the
power of the state to wrest that prerog-
alive from him.