River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-07-17

| compel citizen 10 educate his own child
than to compel him TO pay tax to edu-
cate his neighbor's child.
| To hold that compulsory school laws
are un-American is To ignore the history
| of our free school system and remain ig-
norant of the spirit and purpose of past
and present opposition to the establish
| ment of free state schools. lt occurs To
| me, Mr.. President, that that opposition
10 free schools that opposition 10 eompul-
sorry education land the latter includes
| the former), is decidedly un-American.
Recent events in my own state have con-
| lirmed me IN this conviction. / have a
| suspicion that the ultra element in the
| opposition TO our free school system have
a purpose that is not in harmony with
| tile principles of our government Zap
| plause When the German Catholic
bishops, the German Catholic priests and
| the German Lutheran clergy OF Wiscon
| sin unite in a political organization to Sc
cure the unconditional repeal of a COM
| pulsory law which has for its sole purpose
| instruction Of all children of the state in
the language and history Of their adopt
| ed county, | have the right 10 suspect
| that there is something in the movement
! that is not exactly American, nor in har-
mony with the principles laid down by
| the fathers of this republic. Applause.
| This ecclesiastical opposition is signiti-
| cant, and gives color TO the suspicion in
| the minds of many that the Utramon-
| tame Jesuitical element of the Roman
| Catholics in America, with its ancient
enemy for allies, deems itself sufficiently
| strong in the the republic TO adopt more
| aggressive policy, and assert the danger
Gus and unconstitutional doctrines delin-
| ed in the syllabus, not cOyertly in words
| but openly and defiantly in acts. Ap.
1 planGa Mr. President n may ha baf
the seeds of great events lie near the
| surface of the times" Unless the ques-
| ton that is now up for discussion is set
| tied in harmony with the principles of
| this government there will be a conflict
| between the Jesuitical hierarchy of the
| Vatican, armed with the syllabus, and
| the American people, who are resisting
| with seeming indifference.
| am not an alarmist. ! would not be
so interpreted. / have no reason to fear
the ultimate consequences / firmly be-
| lieve that Catholic citizens will take care
| OF the issue, If it comes, and have no
| fear Of that stand They may be misled
| by religious zeal, or driven by Protestant
| bigotry, temporarily, but they will not
continue in that course very long. They
are patriotic. This country and its insti-
| buttons are as dear TO them as to any class
| of citizens. American Catholics are in
| telligent. They know the history and
civilization of Italy, of Spain, of Austria
and of Poland. they know the educa-
| tional institutions of those countries, and
they do not covet such. [Applausel
At this point, Mr.. Thayer was interrupt
ed by President Canfields gavel dropping
as his time had expired, but almost
every one in the audience shouted go
on, and, the president asserting, Mr..
Thayer resumed amid hearty applause,
saying:
The true American, whether he be
Protestant or Catholic, native or foreign |
born, naturally shrinks from the intro. |
duction of religious questions into politics. |
This is not to be wondered at, when we |
call to mind the religious wars and perse-
cutions which he or his ancestors exper- |
fenced. American Legislators, with |
cOmmendable weakness, have maze the |
broadcast possible concessions on the side |
of religious liberation. The quest n that |
is up for discussion is not primarily a re- |
ligious one. 1t is a question that con- |
Germs civil right. The civil supremacy of |
the people is denied, and the mCn who |
are protesting most vigorously and eifec- |
lively against the usurpations of the |
hierarchy are not heretics, are not enc |
mics of the Catholic church, but are |
American citizens and members of its |
own communion, who have contributed |
TO its wealth, responsibility and glory.
do not know how it may be elsewhere, /
but in the Catholic Diocese OF Green Bay, |
Wis, every Catholic priest is required to |
establish parochlal school near his /
church, and Catholic parents of this par
lsh are compelled to support 1t and to /
send their children TO it for instruction. |
Only by consent OF the bishop can any |
Catholic parent be permitted TO send his !
child to any other school. Many Catholic |
parents of that diocese know what dlsobe-
dience to such church authority means.
Mr.. President, i am forced to admit that /
such compulsory law and the method |
adopted for its enforcement are decidedly |
un-American.
The real question that demands settle
ment is the one presented in the prelimi-
nary paper. When we shall succeed,
and succeed we must, in determining the /
scope of that education which the state /
has right to prescribe and enforce and
which it must provide in Its common /
schools, and have established the right 1
attitude of the state toward parochIaf /
schools, the opposition to state schools, |
compulsory laws and their enforcement /
will disappear. The state must, | think,
insist upon its right and duty to secure
ton and efficient instruction in the lam
guage and history of this county. Laws |
enacted to secure the inherent right of
the child to the advantages of such an
education must impose upon parents and |
guardians the primary duty OF providing |
in a school of their own choice, for their
children or wards the prescribed lnstruc
ton. If this instruction can be best pro-
vided in a private or parochlal school,
well and good. Time, place and circum-
stances are incidental and immaterlal, so
long as the child receives the education
that qualities him for the duties of citi-
zenship. Laws which relate to the en-
forcement of the prescribed education
must be carfully guarded in respect to
the rights of the family and church IN
the matter of religious education and |
worship. The state is prohibited from
imposing duties upon churches, and must
not interfere with freedom OF religious
instruction or worship. The church, ON
the other hand, must not put Itself or its
parochial school across tie tie legitimate
pathway of the state and obstruct Its pro-
gress. The right to worship Almighty
God according TO the dictates of ones
conscience must not be abridged, but the
free exercise of this right must not In
Clude a conspiracy against the govern
ment, nor conceal plot to turn oyer the
sovereignty of the state to the sovereign
pontif of the Vatican, or the Mormon
prophet Of Utah.
The secular state can not impose upon
the church the duty of irstructing child
rem in what pertains to the rights, duties
and needs of citizens. That duty rests
primarily with the parent, and involves
the sights of tie child and the right of
the state. TO impose this duty and Sc
cure these rights, just compulsory laws
should be enacted and enforced. Zap
plause.l There is no other ground that
the state can occupy and maintain an ex-
igtence that will guarantee religious lib
erty and political freedom. Il the parQ-
chial school shall assume to give that
education which the state prescrlbes, its
secular door must be open. There ought
not to be any mystery or uncertainty
about that There ought not to be any
conflict between the church and the
state, o. between church schools and
state schools. There viii not pe when
prejudice and hatred die and reason
rules. There viii be harmony when the
limits of each shall be defined, and the
promise of each shall be established, as
it will be by the logic Of events, by
the gravity of the situation and by the
good sense Of the american people.
gApplause.l