The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-07-11
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND !
Addresses the National Educa-
tional Association.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION LAW
Favored UnrescrvcdIy...Our State
School System Our Pride and
Glory..Why Parish Schools
arc Necessary.

School System Our Pride and
| Glory..Why Parish Schools
I arc Necessary.
| ST. PAUL, July 10-The third day
session Of the National Educational us
sociation was allied to order promptly
Another immense crowd WAS present
The committee on nominations reporte,
the selection OF Vice Presidents, Serrc
tary and Treasurer, which was adopted
George P. Brown, OF Illinois. submittet
resolution favoring annual reports or
the progress in pedagogical observation
and inquiry during tho year, and It was
adopted.
Tho first subject OF the morning was
Compulsory LAWS and their Enforce.
ment." Archbishop Ireland, Of St.
Paul. read the first paper on tho topic,
Tile State School and the Parish
School; is Union Between Them lm-
posaib!e?"
ARCHBISHOP IRELAND's ADDRESS.
Archbishop Ireland said III substance !:
| will be permitted to make ut once my
profession OF faith. declare most un.
bounded loyalty 10 the constitution OF
my country. ] desire no favors. Iclaim
no rights that are not in consonance with
its letter and spirit. The rights which
the constitution allows | do claim, and
Ia doing so | am but the truer and more
loyal American. lie says he upholds
the parish school, but would have a!f
schools State schools. To the child
must be impaired instruction. in no mean
degree, iha. the man may earn for him.
self an honest competence and acquit
himself ofthe duties which society exacts
from its own prosperity and life.
me impar.iug OF this instruction is
primarily the junction OF the cAild's
parent. The State intervenes whenever
tho family cannot or will not DO the
work that is needed. AS things are,
tens of thousands OF children will not
be instructed il parents remain solely in
charge OF the duty. The State muet
come forward as al agent OF instruction.
else Ignorance will prevail. Indeed, in
the absence Of Slate action there never
was that universal instruction which We
have so nearly attained and which We
deem necessary. In the absence OF State
action, l believe universal instruction
would never IN any country be possible.
No tax IS more legitimate than that for
schools, aud it should BIZ disbursed by
State officers toF this specific purpose.
FAvoRs COMPULSORY LAWS.
l unreservedly favor State laws max.
ing instruction compulsory. Instruc.
ton is so much needed by each citizen
for his own sake and for that of society
that the father who neglects 10 provide
Tor his child's instruction sins asains,
the child and against society, and it be
uooves the State to punish him, OF
course, first principles must not be for.
gotten, and since instruction is primarily |
the function Of the parent, the parent !
enjoys the right to educate his child in |
the manner suitable to himself, pro.
vided. always. that the education given |
In THIS manner suffice for the |
ulterior duties OF the child to. |
ward himself and society. Compulsory
education implies attendance in schools
and controlled by the State
only when there il no attendance in |
other schools known to be competent to
impart instruction in the required de-
gree The compulsory laws recently !
enacted in certain States OF the Union
are to my Judgment Objectionable in few
Of Natlr Incidental clauses, These. am
col tident, will readily be altered in ap. |
legislative sessions, With !
the body Of the laws aud their general
intent in the direction OF Fastening uni.
vcrsal instruction, l am in most hearty
accord. Our State school system is our |
pride and our glory and l regret there
is necessity OF the existence OF the par. |
ish school. The spirit OF the parish !
school. il not the school itself, is wide. |
spread among American Protestan,s. |
and is mace manifest by their deter.nin.
ed opposition TO the exclusion OF scrip.
ture reading and other devotional exer.
cises from the school room,
oEIEclloN TO THE STATE SCHOOLS.
There is dissatisfaction with the State
echool as at present organized. The
State school, it is said, tends to the
elimination Of the religion from the
mlnds and hearts of the youth Of the
country. This is my grievance against
the State school to-day. The State
school is non.religious. It ignores re-
!iglon. There is and there can be no
positive religious teaching where the
principle OF non.sectarianism rules. It
follows then that the child will grow no
in the belief that religion is OF minor
Importance and religious indifference
will be his creed. The great mass Of
children receive no fireside lessons and
attend no Sunday school and the grea.
mass ofthe children Of America are grow.
ing up without religion. The Stats need
not teach religion, but for the sake Of its
people aud ior its own sake, it should
permit and facilitate the action OF the
church; but it binders this action, Let
the State look to itself. You say the
state school teaches morals, but morals
without religious principles do not ex.
lat. Seculars and unhelieyers will inter.
pose their rights. do not impose nv
religion upon them, nor should they ltn.
pose their religion of secularism on us.
again, there fare differences among
Curlsiians, and Catholics would not in
iilct their belief upon non. Catholic, nor
should Protestantism be inflicted ,ipon
Catholic children. Some compromises
becomes necessary. Taxation without
representation is wrong, and while the
minority pays school taxes their beliefs
shsnld be respected. America is irving
TO divorce religion and the school, al.
though religion pervades our 81 stem and
tee school was originally religious