The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1891-10-10

.JoLIET, Ill, sept. 29.-Thc Rock
River Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal church, comprising the
northern and southern portion of
Illinois, including Chicago, adopted IL
report to-day on the public school Turs-
ton, which contained the following
u~ttcranccs:
.'Our public schools are the cOnserv-
atOrs and the safeguards of the nation
(no system of parorhial or church
school can meet the demands of gener-
al public school intruction). The prin-
cipIcs upon which our public school
system rest are the outgrowth of and
in harmony with the principles and
progressive interests of owr govern
mcnt. The system itself deserves and
has hitherto received the approval and
cooperation of all classes of our citi-
zens. 1t has, without question, done
much to give us q distinctly intelli-
gent national character and to give us
u national and most important political
and linguinist;c unity.
ssThat educational system is 10Y
endangered. The constant attacks of
the Roman Catholic hierarchy upon
our public school system, and the per-
sistence of that great ecclesiasticism in
demanding of its adherents the with
drawal of their children from the pub
lie schools and their undivided attend
ance upon the %parochial schools, is
slowly but surely arraying IN un-Amer-
lean antagonism against the most cher
ished institution of our community.
All concessions have been made that
can consistently be made TO preserve
the national character of our public
not satisfied an hierarchy which de-
mands that religion be made the basis
of the public education, and demands
that said religious instruction shall be
wholly under its own control. This
demand has been voiced in the POpe's
encyclical, the councils and V
tiOns of Baltimore of Roman Catholic
laymen and clergy and the uttcrance
and action of the Roman Catholic Ger
man Clerical convention just closed nj
Buffalo, n. Y. The demand is now
formulated in the seductive u%ttcrances
of that Buffalo convention which an
nOunccs its purpose to secure home
rule in all matters of education of the
children of the nation. We stop not
now to speak of other features of its
Cahensly plans for the d~isintegrating
of Il national unity in language and
character. We know well what its de-
mand for home rule in educational
matter means, and we reply as follows :
Resolved, First-That we declare
emphatically for American home rule
in all matters of public education and
the sustaining of our public school
system.
Second-That home rule in our state
and national affairs fOrbids the inter-
ference of any foreign pope, poten-
tate or. prince in our domestic affairs
or prince in our domestic affairs or the
furtherances of any foreign scheme for
the disintegration of our national
unity or language or in educational
interests.
Third-That home rule in matters of
public education shall mean no inter
ference Of any ecclesiastical, sectarlan
or sectional organization in the admin
istration of our educational affairs and
no appropriation of public money to
be sustaining of schools controlled for
ecclesiastical or scctarian purposes.
Fourth-That we will seek to secure
such enactments by constitutional and
Legislative provisions rs shall strength
en- our entire public school system and
make it more than ever worthy of the
support of every earnest, loyal, moral,
patriotic and Christian citizen who
wishes to see a free ballot in the hands
of IN intelligent, free, pure, patriotic
and prosperous people.
Resolutions were also passed APP
pointing q committee TO work with the
American Sabbath Union for the clos
ing of the Worlds Fair on Sunday; to
secur a place for holding special re-
ligious services during the fair, and
for gathering and exhibiting relies and
other articles of Methodist interest
/, A report on the liquor traffic was sub.
mitted, in which it was set forth that
the conference, with deep chagrin, re.
GREETED the action of the United States
senate in refusing to cooperate will
r the nations of Europe in stopping the
liquor traffic in Africa.
The report continued by declaring
l the existing political parties unworth!
of the support of Christian people.