The sun., 1892-02-05
Tho New Scheme for Education In
Prussia.

The Education Dill now pendln3 In the
Prussian Landtag will. II carried. bring
about revolution in the methods OF in
struction. The introduction Of the meas
ure has had grave political consequences.
three members Of the Prussian Cabinet. in
Guiding Herr MIGUEL, supposed to be par
ticularly trusted by the young Emperor.
having rendered their resignation. There
has taken place simultaneously in the leg
isature a Reorganization Of parties, the
former coalition Of Conservatives and Ma
tional-Liberals. on which BISMARCK relied
during his last years OF Office. having been
shattered, and the National Liberals having
reunited with the former Secessionists
from their own ranks and with the Pro-
gressists. Chancellor CAPR1v1 depends on
a combination Of the Conservatives with
the Clericals to pass the bill. which will be
violently opposed by the Socialists as we'll
as by the re6rganized Liberal party. The
grounds Of opposition will be obvious
enough II we note certain features Of the
projected law.
The bill. which is understood to have
been framed in compliance with the ideas
Of the young Kaiser. has two fold pur-
pose. The primary aim was to complete
desire their children to be educated in
schools where they will receive instruction
in the Catholic religion. Under the plan
devised in pursuance Of the FALK laws.
Catholic children not only failed to receive
at school instruction In their own faith. but
were. it has been charged. subjected to
teachings Of an agnostic and skeptical ton
dency. If the bill now before the Landtag
had confined itself to removing this cause
of complaint. it would scarcely have led to
dissensions in the Prussian Cabinet. or to
readjustment Of parties in the legislature.
But the Emperor determined to embody in
the measure wish OF his own, namely.
that every Prussian subject. who Is not a
Catholic, shall be q Protestant belonging to
one or another Of certain designated sects.
He resolved. In other words. to stamp out
by statute the skepticism and agnosticsm
which have long been rife In northern Ger
many. and to enforce Christianity by act OF
Parliament.
The Emperor's reasons for believing the
cause Of monarchy and the cause OF religion
inseparable are not far to seek. He knows
that the Socia! Democrats. who have
shown themselves able to cast nearly mil
lion and n half Of votes at general election
for the Reichstag. are skeptics almost to a
man. He is equally familiar with the fact
that a German Liberal who is not an ag-
nostic is scarcely discoverable. We UNDER
state the truth when we say that at least a
third OF the adult male population Of Ger
many never enter a church nor signify in
any way adherence to any form OF religion.
The non-churchgoers. most OF whom do not
scruple to avow agnostic opinions. compre-
hend not only the urban workingmen, but n
great majority OF tho professional classes
and OF the graduates of universities and
classical schools. 1t Is. as the Kaiser has
observed with some natural distrust. pre-
cisely the non-churchgoers who made the
revolution OF ls4s. who extorted a Constitu-
tion from the HoHENzoLLERNs and who
throughout Germany have steadily en-
deavored to substitute representative for
arbitrary government. The inference
drawn by WILLIAM III. is that a ruler OF
agnostics is in much more uncomfortable
and precarious position than he would oc-
cupy II he could manage to convert all his
subjects into Christians. This he knows
would be impracticable as regards the men
who have already reached maturity. but he
thinks that he can work his will upon the
rising generation.
1t Is this secondary purpose imported by
the Kaiser into the bill before the Landtag,
and the arrangements made to carry it
into effect. which have excited such vehe-
deposition. The measure provides that
the parents OF any child, II they hold one OF
certain specified religious beliefs, may in
sist that the child shall be taught their be-
lief ut school by n specially ullnlined in
structor. Ii thirty parents belonging to
one of the designated religious bodies de-
mand separate school. il may be built for
Them at the discretion Of the authorities:
and II the demand come from sixty parents.
compliance with 1t is obligatory. In schools
belonging to 9 religious confession tho