The Irish standard., 1892-01-23

8iL0F CQQ6luolluk bue9 Alt5lteI C0A0AuAAYs AAS7
decided to write to his old friend, Prank
Wilson, superintendent Of public instruc-
ton in Saltwater, and Judge Mott of
Faribault From these gentlemen he
received lengthy replies, and on the
strength Of the information furnished
him by these men he proceeded last Sun
day evening to lay these facts as clearly
as possible before his parishioners. Mr..
Simmons said that in both Faribault and
Saltwater the parochial school buildings
were transferred to the boards of educa-
ton of these two towns without any con-
dition that the Catholic teachers were to
be retained. How very different is this
statement from the one made recently
by the Ministerial Association of Mime
apolis, which Rev. Morrill, caught
up and made SO much of. He thinks,
however, that owing to the opposition OF
certain Protestant ministers in Saltwater
to the present scheme, the experiment
will not succeed. But as far as Fari-
bault is concerned there is practically no
opposition to it. In this place Congre
gationaI minister is clerk Of the school
board, and has been very active in max.
ing the experiment. success. This
movement, or change, Mr.. Simmons
thinks "has an especial merit from the
Protestant standpoint, for the concession
is nearly all on the Catholic side. 1t is
She Catholics who have most insisted on
sperial religious exercises in school; yet
here they give them up entirely, while
| P. otestants retain more or less of theirs.
The Catholics have also entirely aban-
doned their own curse of g udy and &C.
cepted that prescribed by Protestants.
So great is their concession,
while Professionals have made none, ex-
cept to keep few Catholic teachers and
allow them to dress as they wish" But
to listen to some members of the Mime
apolis Ministerial Association one would
think that the school boards made all
the concessions, and the Catholics none
Touching on the subject of dress worn
! by the Catholic teachers, Rev. Simmons
says: "The mar Ter of dress is claimed to
be one of the chief d~merits of the sys-
tenn, while as matter Of fact it makes
very little difference 10 Catholic pupils
it makes none, as they are used TO it,
| while to the Protestant pupil it is very
doubtful if SO plain g garb would have
any fascinating power to disturb their
studies or corrupt their morals, or even
change their religion. It is no worse
for a person to tell their religion by their
dress than by their words, and that is
what we allow to all! whether Protestant
or Catholic. That dress is no violation
OF p blic school principles, and [ am not
sure but few of them might be of SER
vice to teach pupils, which not all of
their parents have learned, that Catho-
lies have rights in this country and in it's
educational system. The real and grave
objection to the movement is not III the
dress, but in the fact that the sisters are
probably more devoted to their own
church than they are to the schools. But
probably some Protestant teacher are,
too; but with all brought under the eye
of the superintendent that danger is cas-
lily checked. If so checked these sisters
might Go as faithful work in teaching as
they do in their own secular field OF
labor" Mr.. Simmons could have truth
fully said that it was not the dress the
Catholic teachers wore that disturbed
the members of the Minneapolis Minis
terial Association, but the thought that
nuns we're employed as teachers in the
public schools. That is where the shoe
pinches them. IT all the Protestant min
listers in Minnesota we're of the same
sensible caste that MIR. Simmons is, the
school question would soon solve itself.
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NATIONALITY AND RELIGION.
However much is said about the OBJ
bo,,,,arx- hafwo tho rolipio7,e