The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-15
AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT.

The parochial schools of the Roman
been absorbed into the public schools of
that city. This experiment, which had
the sanction of Archbishop Ireland, of
Minnesota, is radical departure from the
Roman Catholic policy in other states.
The original proposition, from Rev.
James J. Conry, the Roman Catholic
priest. accepted by the Fairibault board OF
education, was as follows:
In consideration OF 81 l agree to place under
the management and control of the board OF
education of the city of Fairibault, the school
building aud all its equipments. at present
known as the parish school of the Immacul ate
Conception church. with the grounds upon
which the school building is located the same
20 be used by said board for educational pur.
poses under such conditions as that board may
determine 10 be for the best interests OF all con-
cerned.
Since this offer was accepted late in Au-
gust last, the parochiaI schools were tenn
porarily lett in charge of their former
teachers, but these teachers were under the
control of the superintendent of public
schools. The schools have been regarded:
the state textbooks are in use, and the
residents of the city are satisfied with the
experiment. Among the teachers en-
ployed and paid by the city are some few
sisters of the church, but they do not give
any religious teaching during their con-
nection with the public school work. No
religious instruction has been given in the
school buildings turned over TO the CITY by
Father Conry since the city board of edu-
cation assumed control
Father Conry, in turning these Roman
Catholic parochial schools over to the city
school board. made no conditions what
ever, and said that he closed them and
sent their pupils to the public schools be-
cause he was anxious that these children
may receive in their civic training a per
feet preparation for the duties and respon-
sibilities of American citizenship" This
is IN effect confession that eccle.
siastical schools are antagonistic to
patriotism, since the training
given in such schools is not distinctly
American training in sympathy with the
spirit and intent of our institutions. and
Father Conry intimated that the children
thus trained in church schools are put At
a disadvantage with their future fellow
citizens that are trained in the secular
schools.
The action of Father Conrv is in line
with the assertion of Cardinal Gibbons
that the Roman Catholic church in
America is distinctively American in its
sympathies and intentions. and the mere-
ing Of the parochial schools with the
public schools would be an earnest of this
purpose TO place the church in close con-
tact with the current Of national life.
Cardinal Gibbons policy IS in agreement
with the purpose of Father Conry, who
thinks the civic training of youth is
not the proper work of the church.
but Of the state; that it cannot be
done as well by the church as by the
state; that the church should therefore
limit its supremacy heneeforth to the field
OF religion. This is q new and exceptional
departure from what has hitherto been
the accepted policy of the Catholic church;
but II Is quite possible that this action of