The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-12-17
THE POPE AND THE PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.


subject, says: "There should be no
haste to pass judgment on the addres
of Mgr. Satolll embodying the views
of the pope on the subject of public
schools in America. If we mistake
not, there is more statecraft in this
document than in any other papal pro-
nunciamento of recent years. 1t it be
not specious, it is nevertheless subtle,
its air Of candor being well calculated
to disarm ordinary suspicion That
the head of the Catholic church feels
constrained to speak in terms of friend
illness of the public schools OF this
country is simply Indicative of the fact
that the pope is aware to what an ex-
tent the Independent Catholic citizens
of the United States favor and support
a system of free education, the inesti-
mable value of which experience has
taught them.
"The time has come when the Cath
olic church realizes that it can not an
tagonize the public schools without Of
Tending and to some degree estrang-
ing thousands Of its own members who
eagerly avail themselves of the privi-
lege of securing to their children the
benefits of system of education that
seems to be the best adapted to the
practical needs OF American citizens.
Concessions are therefore necessary;
but, examining Mgr. Satolli's words as
impartially as possible, it seems that
the apparent concessions are of a sort
that promise increased advantages to
the Catholics in the future power to
regulate the public schools by their
own IDEAS
"There is q peculiar craft in the
declaration that there is no repugnance
to Catholic children learning the first
elements and the higher branches of
the arts and the natural sciences in
public schools controlled by the state,
but the Catholic church
shrinks from those features of the pub
hc schools which are opposed to the
truth of Christianity 1t might be to
the purpose were the public informed
specifically as to these unchristian
features which ARE removable, and
which, presumably, are other than the
co-education of the sexes, to which OBJ
lection is raised on moral grounds. In
the face of this charge of unchristian-
ity against some features Of the public
schools and the avowal that the pro-
visions of the Baltimore council are
yet in force, In which was the COM
pand to Catholic parents to send their
children 'to parochial or truly Catholic
schools in order sto shield and secure
them throughout childhood and youth
from the dangers of merely worldly
education there is some reason to
doubt if there be perfect wisdom and
equity in the proposition to establish
san agreement between the bishops
and the members of the school board.
Gas the public schools of this coun-
try are non-sectarian, as any form OF
religious instruction is prohibited, and
as the Catholic church would be greatly
incensed were Protestant bishop a |
recognized adviser of the school board,
this proposition is rather extraordinary,
to say nothing more. As citizens the
Catholics have the same rights with
Protestants of discussing matters that |
pertain to the education of the young,
since forms of religion do not change |
the complexion or value of citizenship, |
but anything looking to the establish
ment of a religious right in favor of
any particular church, either to confer !
with or infaence the school board off
cially, is not only inimical to the
schools themselves, but is opposed TO
the constitutional spirit of the coun-
try.
"The religious education of youth
may be cared for Independently of
their practical education, and though
it is highly important that the moral
and spiritual welfare of youth should
be zealously protected at all times.
special instruction of religious char
acter has no essential plan in the
problem of public school education,
and therefore there is no need of the
representative of any particular creed
acting as mentor to school board.
We see far-of peril to the public
school system in the very plausible
proposal to issue state certificate or
diploma to persons who are to teach
in parochial or other private schools
While it is true this might tend to In
crease the efficiency and improve the
standard of those schools, it would
also result inevitably in raising up
formidable competitor with the public
schools. and one over which the state
would have no control whatever.
"Let everything he done that may
be to improve and strengthen to use
fulness the public school system; but
whatever is done to improve that sys-
tenn or to create an irresponsible rival