The Globe-republican., 1890-07-16
NATIONAL EDUCATORS.

NATIONAL EDUCATORS.
The Conveution ut st. Pa1l-Omcets Elect.
ed-Archblshop IrslanGs Paper On Com
Pulsory Education.
ST. PAUL, Mimi, July 1.-THE third
days session Of the National Educa-
Honal Association was attended by an
other immense crowd. The committee
On nominations reported in favor of tho
following officers: President, William
r Garrett, of Nashville, Tenn; vice.
presidents, James q. 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 ;
T. 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 H. 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 Illi-
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?"
Arch bishop Ire and said in substances:
i will be permitted to make at once my
profession of faith. / declare most un-
bounded loyalty TO the Constitution OF my
country. l desire no favors. l claim no
rights that are not in consonance 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.
I unreservedly favor State laws max ing
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.
struc'i ion sins against the child and against
society, and IL behooves the State to punish
him. OF course. first principles must not be
forgotten, and, since instruction g primarily
the function of the parent. the parent en-
Joys the right to edu ate his child in tho
manner su table to him elf, 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 anu controlled by the
state only when there is no attendance in
other schools known to be competent to inn
part instruction in the required degree The
compuls ry laws recently enacted in Ger.
tain States OF the Union are, to my judg-
ment, Objectionable in few incidental
clauses. These am confident, will readily
be altered in approaching Legislative ses-
sions. With the body E the laws and their
general intent in the direction.Of hasten ing
amongst us universal instruction, l am in
most hearty accord.
The secular instruction in the State
schools is our pride and our glory, and re-
ence OF the parish school The spirit OF the
parish school, IL not the school itself, ID
widespread among American Protestants,
and is made manifest by their determi ned
opposition to the exc lusion of Scripture
reading and other devotional exercises from
the school room.
There is dissatisfaction with the State
school as at present OIL, anized. The State
school, IL is said, tends to the elimination OF
religion from the minds and hearts Of the
youth of the country This is my grievance
against the State school Of o-day Believe
me. my Prot .stant fellow citizens. that am
absolutely sincere when I now declare that
am speaking tor the veal of Professionalism as
well AS for that of Catholic SIN. am a Catho-
lie, of course. to the tiniest fiber of my
heart. unflinching and nncumpromising in
my faith. But God forbid that desire to
see in America the ground which Protest
antism occupies, exposed to the chilling
and devastating blast of unbelief. Let me
be your ally in stemming the swelling tide
Of irreligion, the death kneil of Christian
life and of Christian cMiliz atom, the fatal
toe of souls and OF country.
The st tie school is non religious It ig.
nores religion. There ie and there can be
no positive religious aching where the
principle of non sectar anism rules. 1t fol-
lows, then that the child will grow up in
the belief that religion is of minor impor-
lance, and religious indifference " Ill be his
creed. 7 e great nase OF children receive
no fireside lessons and attend no Sun
day school. and the great mass of
the children OF America are growing up
without relig ion. The 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 ths Church; but 1t hinders
this action. Let the >tate look to ITSELF Tho
mind which 1t pOiishee Is a two edged
sword-an instrument for good or an instru-
ment for evil 1t were fatal to polish it
without the assurance that in all likelihood
IL shall be an instrument for good
You say the State school teaches morals,
but morals without religious principles do
not exist Secuiarists and I'M believers will
interpose their ghts. do,not impose my
relig ION on them, nor should they impose
their religion of secularism on Us. Again,
there are diff FENCES among Christians. and
Catholics would not inflict their belief upon
non -Cathol .cs nor should Professionalism be
inn icted upon Catholics. Some compromise
becomes necessary. TaxatSo without rep
resentation is wrong. ard while the mnori-
ty pay school taxes their besiefs should be
respected. America Is trying TO divorce re.
ligion and the school. although religion per-
vsdes our systems and the sc hool was origin
ally relig Gus, through and through. As a
solution of the difficulty, l would permeate
the regular State school with the eigion Of
the majority of the children Of the land, be
it as Protestant as it can be and would,
IS they do in England, pay foc the secular
instruction given IN denomin ational school
according to results-that is, each pupil
passing the examination before State OIL
.cials and d. full accordance vita the State
programme would securs to his school the
cost OF the sutton OF a pupil in the State
school An0ther plan: would do as Prot
testants and Catholi in PouEhkeepsie
and other places in our own country have
70 d., ~