Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-04
NO INHERENT RIGHT.
Compulsory Education Before the
Legislature of Illinois. .
THE LUTHERANS AND CATHOLICS
Insist on Educating Their Own Children
as They See Fit. q
SOME OF TIE ARGUMENTS PRo AND con

SPRINGFIELD, IBL., April 3.-Com-
pulsory education and convict labor went
hand in hand to-day. The Lutheraus and
German Catholics antagonized the COM
pulsory law because of its effect in involv-
Ing the church and State, and it was Sena--
tor Campbell who proposed to submit
constitutional amendment, designed to re-
establish the convict-labor system.
The compulsory law will be amended 50
as to conform to the declarations of the
Democratic State platform. The House
Committee virtually decided that this after
noon, when its Chairman, Mr.. Noteworthy,
appointed Rufus N. Ramsay, z. l.. Merritt,
Lawrence Stringer, Fred Wilke and Mr..
Duncan as subcommittee to draft
a compromise bill and report forthwith.
OF these Mr.. Duncan will probably favor
the amendment Of the law according to the
republican idea, and the others will un-
doubtedly recognize the appeals of the
Lutherans and of those who object to State
interference with private or paroehial
schools. 800
The Democracy In the Fight.
The Democratic leaders are giving the
matter their attention, and i! they fail to-
secure the passage of a bill, they will not be
at fault .. .-1
There was joint meeting of the Senate
and House Education Commit ittees this after
noon, at which the compulsory education
law was discussed by the German Luther.
ans and Catholics. no particular bill being
under consideration. The Lutherans we're
represented By the Rev. Mr. Wilmer and
Editor Henry Bornmann, of Quincy. :
Mr.. Wilmer cited as an example his e1pe-
rience with his own children, whom he had
sent to parochial school for religious in
struction and then had them finish their
education in the public schools of Quincy,
As father, he wanted his children taught
first to fear and love the Lord while they
were young. Where was liberty of thought
or conscience if one was compelled to send
his children to public school in defiance
of the inherent rights and privileges of a
parent? He maintained that the law should
be amended so as to compel every child to
attend so many weeks some public or pri-
vate school, and objected to any supervision
over the course of study by school boards.
Bad Effect on ParochiaI Schools
1fthe provision that reading, writing ,arith-
metic and history be taught in the English
language in all schools OF the State was
parochial and many private schools of the
State.
This Mr. Wilson regarded as foolish in
the extreme 1t was not only unnecessary
but dangerous. He secuted the idea that
the English language was not taught in all
parochial schools, and asserted that no
school could exist in this country
that did not teach English. The only
objection the Lutherans really had
to the law was one of principle.
II the State had the right to demand that
one branch be taught by private schools,
then 1t had the right to demand that it
should name all branches to be taught and
the right to forbid the teaching of branches
OF learning, or forbid religious instruction
to the pupils.
In conclusion he urged the amendment Of
the law so that parents would be compelled
to send their children to school, but he
hoped the principle of religious liberty and
the total separation of Church and State
would be upheld.
Mr.. Bornmann's Argument.
Mr.. Bornmann's argument was in the
same line. He declared the charge that the
Germans were inimieal to the public
schools to be false. They paid their share
of the taxes for the maintenance of the
schools and always opposed appro-
priation from the public treasury
for private schools. The Ger
mans asked nothing from the State but the
protection in their rights. The school that
taught treason or anarchism ought to be sup
pressed. The parochial schools we're not
the enemies OF the English language.
They would be fools if they did not
insist on their privilege to start and MAIN
tain private and parochial schools, if they
saw fit to do so, by their own means He
protested against any attempt to restrict or
limit their rights as American citizens. He
also favored compulsory education law,
and maintained that the State had right to
insist that its citizens be educated, and that
the choice of the school should at all times
be left with the parent or guardian.