The Irish standard., 1892-10-08
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1892.
THE EDWARDS LAW.

THE EDWARDS LAW.
The organ of the Harrison administra-
tration in this city is an "otfensive
partisan" in the broadcast acceptation Of
that term. It gave it's readers the other
day misleading article underthe caption
of "Compulsory Education" in which it
insultingly referred to the Catholic pre-
lates of Illinois for issuing 8 pastoral let
ter in opposition to the Edwards school
law Of that state. The Tribune does not
give the provisions of the obnoxious law,
but asks why the prelates do not attack
the Objectionable clauses and not the bill
itself. The facs is that the bill is so OBJ
iectionable as g. whole that the bishops
did not deem it necessary to refer in
special manner to any of it's clauses. The
Republican papers of Illinois do not sup
port the bill in this campaign, out say it
must be repealed. The Chicago Tribune
declares that the next legislature will re-
peal the law, because it has turned out
to contain some provisions which the
work of educational cranks made to inter
fere unwarrantably with the parochial
schools. "The policy Of the state,' it
says, "is absolute non interference IN re-
ligious affairs, and when it finds that
statute has overstepped the line which
separates church and state it will correct
the mistake But the Republican party
has failed to correct the mistake during
the past two years, though it promised
to do so on account of it's unpopularity
with men of all parties in Illinois. So
unpopular was the bill in the election of
1890 that it's author, Mr.. Edwards, was
defeated as candidate for superinten-
dent Of public instruction. The Repub-
ican campaign of two years ago in Hi
nois was an offensive thrusting of "the
little red schoolhouse'' in the face of the
voters by lot Of bigots connected with
the Republican party. The Democrats
were denounced by the Republican bigots
who framed and fought for the bill as be-
saries of the Pope The bigots predomin-
ated in the illinois senate and prevented
the repeal OF the bill after the lower
house, which was Democratic, proposed
it's repeal. The Democrats of Illinois in
the next legislature will repeal the Ed
wards law, as the Democrats Of Wlscon-
sin repealed the Bennett law after carry
ing the state. Illinois will be Democratic
this year by triumphant majority, and
then the Edwards law will soon cease to
exist The Edwards law has infringed
on the rights OF Catholics in Illinois, and
because of that fact the Catholic prelates
are justified in opposing it as they have
done. When the Tribune asserts that
the real opposition to the law on the part
of the bishops comes from the fact that
they are still dominated by an old time
notion that education is not necessary to
good citizenship. It is guilty Of gross
discourtesy to men who are conspicuous
in the cause of education and whose
schools have attained a high degree of
proficiency in Illinois. The Catholic
bishops do not enter the political arena
on the side Of ignorance, as the Tribune
says, but they have entered the arena
because they know it is the only
alternative left them to secure their
rights under the constitution. The Trib-
uue ITSELF admits that there are minor
clauses in the bill which it cannot en-
dorse, but it..grows indignant because the
bishopssdo not demand their elimination
instead OF attacking the bill in it's totaity
on background OF it's being compulsory
They do not attack it because it is a
compulsory education law, but because it
interfeces Swith their parochial schools
and the rights Of Catholic parents. The
Edwards law takes away from the parent
the right to educate his children accord
ing to his iudgment.and his conscience,
and gives almost unlimited and arbitrary
power to the local directors of each
school district, enabling them in many
cases to break up the private OF parochial
school altogether. IT. roviidesamong other
things that the children must be sent to
some school il the district in which they
reside, 10 that, i 3 private q paroc,hliall