Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-07-17
NATIONAL EDUCATORS.

The Convention at st. Paul-Oficers Elect
ed-Archbislaop Ireland's Paper on Com
pulsory Education.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, July 1.-The third
days session of the National Educa-
tional Association was attended by an
other immense crowd. The committee
on nominations reported in favor of the
following officers: President, William
R Garrett, of Nashville. Tenn; vice.
presidents, James II. Garfield, of Law.
renee, Kan; w. F. Beadle, of Madison.
S. D.; Mrs.. D. L. Williams, of Della
ware. O.; j. NJ Baker. of Denver, Col;
I. Fulare. of Marion, KY; John
Buchanan, of Kansas City. Mo-; II.
Jones. of Erie, Pa; Mary e. Nicholson,
OF Indianapolis; j. P. Preston, of jack
son, Miss; E. B. McElroy, of Salem,
Ore; M. c. Fernald. of Orono, Me-, and
Solomon Palmer, of Montgomery, Ala;
secretary, E II. Cook. of New Bruins
wick, N. j.; treasurer, j. NJ. Green
wood, of Kansas City, Mo-, and di-
rector from each State represented in
the convention.
The report was adopted after an un-
successful attempt of Mr.. Vail, of Il1i-
nois, to substitute DR.. E. w. Hewitt, of
Ohio, for president
The first subject of the morning was
Compulsory Laws and Their Enforce
ment." Archbishop Ireland. of St Paul,
read the first paper on the topic, THE
State School and the Parish School; Is
Union Between Them Impossible?'
Archbishop Ireland said in substance:
1 will be permitted to make at once my
bounded loyalty to the Constitution of my
country. I desire no favors. I claim no
rights that are not in consouance with its
letter and its spirit. The rights which the
Constitution allows do claim and in SO do
ing am but the truer and more loyal Amer
lean.
1 unreservedly favor State laws making
instruction compulsory. Instruction Is SO
much needed by each citizen for his own
sake. and for that of society that the father
who neglects to provide for his child's in
struction sins against the child and against
society, and it behOOves the State to punish
him. OF course, first principles must not be
forgotten, and, since instruction is primarily
the function of the parent, the parent en-
joys the right to educate his child in the
manner suitable to himself provided al
ways that the education given in this man.
ner suffices for the Interior duties of the
child toward himself and society. Com
pulsory education implies attendance at
schools maintained and controlled by the
state only when there Is no attendance in
other schools known 20 bss- competent to i'm
part instruction in the required degree. The
compulsory laws recently enacted in GER
tain States of the Union are, to my judg-
ment, Objectionable in a few Incidental
clauses. These am confident, Will readily
be altered in approaching legislative ses~
sOns. With the body of the laws and their
general intent in the direction OF Fastening
amongst us universal instruction, 1 am in
most hearty accord. o. "a
The secular instruction in the State
schools is our pride and our glory, and re-
greet that there is necessity for the exist"
ence of the parish school. The spirit of the
parish school, il not the school itself, Is
o widespread among American Protestants,
% and is made manifest by their determined
opposition to the exclusion of Scripture
reading and other devotional exercises from
the school room.
There is dissatisfaction with the State
school as at preseDt organized. The State
school, it is said, tends to the elimina alton Of
religion from the minds and hearts of the
youth of the country This is my grievance
against the State school of to- day. Believe
me. my Protestant fellow citizens. that am
absolutely sincere when now declare that I
am speaking Tor the veal of Professionalism as
well as for that OF Catholicism. i anpa CathO-
lie, of course. to the tinest fiber of my
heart. unfinching and incorporating in
my faith. But God forbid that / desire to
see in America the ground which Protest.
antiSm occupies, exposed to the chilling
o and devastating blast of unbelief Let me
be your ally in stemming the swelling tide
of irreligion, the death knell of Christian
lie ana OF CHRISTIAN CIVILIZATION, the 1atal
zoe OF souls and of country.
The State school is non religious 1t ig-
nores religion. There is and there can be
positive religious TEACHING where the
principle of non sectarian ism rules 1t fol-
lows, then. that the child will grow up in
the belief that religion is of minor impOr-
lance, and religious Indifference Will be his
creed. TIE great mass of children receive
no freside lessons and attend no sun
day school. and the great OF
children of America growing
withcut rel ~ ion. 7Tne State need not teach
religion, but for the sake of its people and
for its own sake it should permit and facili-
tate the action Of tn. Church; but it hinderS
this action. Let the state look to ITSELF The
mind which it pOlsheS IS twO-edge3
sword-an Instrument for good or an instru-
lnent for evil 1t were fatal to polish il
without the assurance that in all likelihood
it shall be an Instrument for good
You say the State school teaches morals
but morals without religious principles dc
not exist. SeculariStS and unbeleverS will
interpose their ghts. do not impose my
Ielig on on them, nor should they impose
q their religion Of secularsm on Us. Again
there are iff-rences among Christians, an(
Catholics would not infiict their belief upoI
non Catholics, nor should Professionalism b.
inflicted upon Catholics. Some compromise
becomes necessary. Taxation without rep
resentation is wrong, and while the mnori
ty pay school taxes their beliefs should b,
respected. America is trying to divorce re
ligion and the school, although religion per
vades our systems and the school WAS origin
ally rel tx sous. through and through. As
solution of the difficulty, l would permeat,
the regular State school with the reiigiOn O
the majority OF the children of the land, b.
it as Protestant it can be and 1 would
as they do in England, pay for the secula
instruction given in UNCONVENTIONAL schoO
according to resultS-that is, each pupi
passing the examination before State Off
cials and in full accordance with the Stat
programme would secure to his school tn
cost of the tuition of a pupil in the Stat
school Another plan: 1 would do Prot
testants and Catholi.s in Poughkeepsi
and other places in our own country hav,
agreed to do. to the great satisfaction of al
conoer nrd and the great advancement o
educational interests. N POughkeepSie thu
city school boar rents the bui ding former
ly used parish schools and from the hou
of nine Il III. to that of thre p. M the schoo
is in every partcu State school, no re
ligiOus instruction coming between tn
hours named and the school being in charg,
of the city school boari.
In conclusion, protest against the charg
that the schools of the Nation have thei
enemies among Catholics. The Catholic
are loyal to the country and demand tn
Christ ian State school.
Murderer Hanged.
FORT SMITH, Ark, July 11.-Johl