Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-19

sish<r by ifsisls1r-. n.-icip~'. o.. any
skhsf aalnsrky fss ~ nenens o. il aid.
directly ird!.sesig cs ~ Religions seef.
on dsnsuiaaHcn Or IN sid or ff the hene-
IL Of say osheS object. Of any nature o.
kind vhzfsoever.-
Immediately thereafter. On ths l4sh Of
December. 1875, the Hon. Jas O. Btsipo
proposed, Ia The House Of Representatives,
the follouirf amendment 70 The consttu-
tinn Of the United S,ases, ~ Article Is !:
No ssaae shAil make sny Law respec4ing
al esiAhiishmens of religion, or prohibiting
tae free exercise thereof; and no ncr e
raised BY school tssniiaa ia any sss:s. for
the support Of public schools. or derived
from sny puelic fund therefor. nor asy
public lands devoted thereto. shall ever Be
under The control Of Any religious sect. nor
shall any money 90 raised, or iands 70
devoted, be divided between religions sects
or denominations"
The Judiciary committee Of the House
sddsd the clause. This sfs.ele stau net
vest. enisree. CT cimiaish lsgislssivs power
in Congress.
The House Of Representatives passed she
whoae Angus. An BY rate 81 oae Assdr I'd
and eiyhty 10 seres.
In the Senate, the proposed article vas
still fu1the, amended BY III Judiciary com
nistee. 50 a. 10 read thus:
Article XVI. No state shall make any
las res pscriIg an establishment Of religion,
Or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
and no religious test shall be required ~ .
qualification TO any office or public trust.
under any State No public property, and
no public revenue, nor ary loan Of credit
BY or under the auth NIFTY OF the United
Stslss. or any state, territory, district, OF
municipal eorporanos, shall be appropri-
x.ed to, or made or used for, the support Of
any school, educational or other institution
under the control Of any religious or anti
religious sect. organisation, or denomina-
ton, Or wherein the particular creed OF
seners shali be read or taught in any school
or institution supported in whole, or IN
part, by sueh revenue or loan of credit, and
no such appropriation or loan Of credit shall
be made to any religious or Anti.fehgious
secs, orgAniz alton, OF denomination. or TO
promote its interests or tenets. This afti-
Gle shall net be construed to prohibit the
reading Of the Bible In any school or insti.
tuition, and Il shall not have the eject to
impair the rights Of property already
vested.
Sect. 2. Congress shail have power, by
appropriate Legislation, to provide for the
prosecution and punishment Of violation Of
tots article.
This proposed amendment was defeated
in the Senate, BY a rote Of tpenty-eight Il
sixteen. (Not = majority Of two-thirdl
voting for it,
The persistent demands (of the same
sect which are asking the passage Of the
bill under considers.ion), for division
Of the public school fund. attracted the
attention of the General Government il
1875, and wele msde the subject Of ptesi
Denial message, and Of congressions
action, to amend the United States Consti
tuition, q an additional guarantee Of Amer.
lcan liberties. Since 1875 this same sect
has been comparatively quiet upon thu
question OF division Of the public schoo
fund, and have turned their effsrt TO gain
ing possession OF our public institutions
So long 81 the United States is non-RomaI
Catholic, may We not expect such zeal q
has been and is exhibited in procuring The
enactment Of the proposed bill.
wins. does it mean where Roman CathO
lie churches are weak, the priests offer nc
protest against the children attending the
public schools, but where they are strong
they have parochial schools, ard their PEG
pie are required to withdraw their child,er
from the public schools and place them il
the parochial schools. The answer is the,
r,xbI in tau
not suited to their religion and teachings
II must be admitted thai our State Con-
stitution in letter and spirit requires that nc
sectarian religious instruction should be
given by public institution, Liberty OF
con science means non-interfsrenee by the
State with private convictions, that 60 faI
as the State is concerned the individual has
the rightto his own. private judgment in
religious affairs, that punishment shall not
be inflicted by Sste authority, because
of individual religious belief. It does
not mean classification Of the wards
of thu State for purposes. OF sectarian
teaching by The Roman Catholic or any
other church or churches.
The moment the State, By legislative
act (if il has the power by our fundamental
law), should authorize sectarian ching
ia our public Institutions, the same prinCi-
pie would apply to our public schools, aud
if allowed, would lead to bitter sectnrian
controversies, social discord aud would i'm
peril the peace Of the community and vio'
late The qualifying clause in Article l, Sec.
5 of the State Constitution
The claim is made by the Roman Cath.
olics that they cannot occupy common
ground ~ith other Christian denominations,
AID ask distinctive privileges o. public
worship in cur State Reform School. All
other denominations in the State have been
willing and have for the good Of the school
made most liberal concessions, that COM
mon ground might be reached.
So far 40 the State is concerned, the
solution Of this problem is, that the Roman
Catholics desire and hope by this means 10
OBTAIN recognition by the S,sts Of the
r ,man Catholic religion .lu thereby to
subordinate the Ste to the church.
Must the State COZ EIDE the Roman Casho-
lie claim 49, here can be no common
ground If worship and dispense with all
religious teaching ard public worship. not
1niy at The Reform School. but in sill other
cubic institutions of the State? The
people of the State would not long consent
to occupy such a position.
The common ground embraced ia the
bylaws of the school, allows the inmates
to be taught the general precepts of the
Christian religion, the power and goodness
Of God, the truth. Of the Bible, lessons Of
morality and virtue, and by undou5ted
iafereaes real piety 10 practice, consistis &
in the performance of all known duties to
God and our felIow-men, in obedience 10
divine command, or from love to God and
his laws, state of rewards and punish
ments. mans accountability to God; true
go5lness or piety Of life, with the practic,
of all moral duties Tho history Of the
birth, life, actions, death, resurrection and
ascension of Jesus Christ. Ga this, Com
mon ground) equal privileges are gwen to
all, 10 teach that Christianity which Is the
lay of our land. IAN. all, proclaim that
Christianity, general tolerant Christianity,
Christianity independent of sects and par
ties, that Christianity 10 which the sword
and fago. are unknown, geseral, tolerant
Christianity. is the Law Of the land" Works
of Daniel Webster, Vol. 6. page 176.
A, common basis of religious instruction
aid worship for our public Institutions,
which will be promo'ive OF good citizen
ship must be had, one that will recognize,
not the claims OF denominations, for Sec