St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-03-31

They are not entirely free from the lin
gering remnants of eccleSiasticism. This
is shown by the hostile criticisms that
have been made upon the recent deci-
sion OF tins supreme court in 2 neighbor-
ing state"
Mr.. Shutter then related how the
Catholics of EdgertOn, Wis, complained
that the reading of the Bible in the pub
lie schools was contrary to the constltu-
ton of the state. and how the supreme
court sustained the complaint. The
court held that it was violation of the
rights of conscience, that it was sec
tartan instruction, and that it compelled
parents to aid in the supporter place of
public worship against their consent,and
said: This decision is sound. Itis.n0W
in order to say two things to our Catho-
lie friends, in view of their agency in
fully as we concede-Secured the drop
ping of the Bible from the public
schools, they do not now turn about and
stigmatiZe those schools as goddess
Second, that having removed the stone
OF stumbling, they should, at least In
the state of Wisconsin, give the public
schools their hearty support. On the
other hand, it remains for ProtestantS
to say whether they will be satisfied,
with the establishment Of our pnbkc
school system upon basis from which
all attacks can be successfully repealed.
1t is not reassurlng to listen to the
clamor from Protestant pulpitS. 1t is
not reaSsuring to find in religious pa
pers such headlines, "A MonstrOus Ju-
dicial Decision. the Bible Unconstitu-
tional," and to read under them such
sentences. "This is to eXalt the secta-
rianism of atheism into the place of the
constitution l here make the asser-
ton that If the public school system
of this country is ever Overthrown, Its
downfall will be due as much to the
irrational demands of PrOtestants as to
the active opposition of Catholics. In
the opposition that besets the decision
Of the supreme court of Wisconsin, there
are two false assumptions. First, it is
assumed that thisluling is urged against
the Bible itself. The state has no con-
troversy with the Bible; it simply says
that neither the Bible nor any other re-
ligiOus book shall be taught at the pub
lie expense. Many Prutestants. on the
one hand. say that the state must help.
through the public schools, to teach the
King James version; many Catholics, on
the other, that it must help teach the
D0uay version in the parOchial schools,
by relieving them OF taxation. Inc
state cannot abandon its neutral posi-
ton to become partisan with Catholic
or Protesta mt. All that the state has any
right to give is protection. Second, the
other false assumpt ion is that Protest
ants have some rights as citizens which
Catholics have not, or ought not to have.
One of these IS the right to
have their version of the scriptures
used in the public schools, when they
bitterly oppose the teaching in those
same schools of the Catholic version.
The state can show no favoritism. 1t
has nothing to do in its Official capacity
with men as Catholics. Peoeeslants.
Jews. Mohammedans. Buddhists or
atheists, but only as citizens. 1t has
only right to provide for that disci-
pline in morals which is necessary to
make the children OF these different
faiths good citizens as they grow up
loyal, law-abioing, peaceful, honest and
just. Beyond this the state may not
go. The work of religion belongs, not
to the state, but to the church and the
home. Let us recognize and act upon
this principle and not lay upon the
shoulders of Caesar that which he has
no right to carry"