St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-16
Archbishop Ireland Outlines
His Position Upon the
School Question.
How He Regards the Delicate;
Matter Of Religious :"
Education,
And His Proposition for Hand
ling 1t in the State IL
Public School. @
Rev. L. E. Morey Gives Away
His Conference With -
the Archbishop.

1lCf. IL. IL vi tOlillWdl6T, re-
Gently outlined to newspaper man an
Interview he had with Archbishop Ire:
land respecting the much-taIkedo 6f
school question, and particularly the
difficulties surrounding religious teach.
: ing in the public schools at the city on
the st. Croix. Mr.. Morey met the are H..
bishop at the request of John O'Brfen,
of Saltwater. and says. at the outset,
Archbishop Ireland charged the public
schools with being Goddess. and pro-
fessed desire to Introduce religious
elements into them. Mr.. Morey con-
tinued:
Esuggested that when went 10 school we
reciteu the Lords prayer and re Id from the
Scripture, and asked now they were driven
out. He confessed that it was largely owing
To Catholic protests.
Il again suggested that committees of
all religious denominations meet and forum
late ritual to be used as a text book CON
tanning religious instructions that would not
be Objectionable To any sect, and that no
person OF good morals could object TO. He
objected on the ground that would not con
fess to the Catholic idea, admitting that
what the Catholics wanted was the teaching
OF Catholic religion in the schools. He cited
an instance in which the state lesisiated in
matter of religion, requiring the observance
of the Sabbath, and remarked that the state
did not do that for The sake Of religion. but
TO require the observance Of Sunday as day
Of rest. He then said:
Why not legislate Immediately in that
way Ill the matter of the pIblic Schools
claiming that by such q plan the state would
immediately arrange religion.
L objected TO the Sabbath as not being
parallel case, the Sabbath being common to
both Catholics and Pro;estants. but that the
Catholic religion, which he was advancing in
BIS plans. was not common to both Catholics
and Pr0teSlanLS. The archbishop frankly adj
mitied that the Protestnnts' conscience had
good reason to be offended when sisters of
charity were Introduced into the central pub
lie school buildings and placed over PIotes-
tant children.
Il asked if / might infer from that that the
gar5 of the sisters of charity had n teaching
force. This be practically admitted.
The ArchbisI.op's aReply.
Archbishop Ireland was seen yester-
day and the MOrey interview placed be-
fore him, and ne made the following
statement: .
1t is not true that what the Cathol ask is
the teaching Of the Catholic religion il the
schools. What they wish is that the teach
ing III the schools be SO conducted as not to
injure the Catholic faith OF children, or TO
prevent the instruction of children in the
Catholic faith. The schools of the state
must be. according 10 law, non-religious, or.
to use a common word. non-sectarian-; but
Quoted as 20 efface practically religion, Or to
render the teaching of religion difficult or
impossible. There is to be no union of
church and state; but there is to be 10 hos
tility between church and state; they must
move on parallel lines. How to bring
about i'll society an amicable cooperation
without throwing the one across the
orbit of the other may require all effort
and spirit of Cancellation OH both
sides, but the results to be obtained are well
worth the effort. The peace which reignSaby
the complete supremacy Of the one, the other
being driven into an unwholesome and muir
derous obscurity. is The peace of Warsaw.
Nor is the remedy found. venture to add.
by introducing as a text book Rev. L.. H..
Morey's ritual containing religious instruc-
ton that would not be Objectionable to Gily
Mofey's form. by cutting OF the heads or feet
of those whose stature protrudes above his
own. Furthermore. hold that the teaching
OF the new ritual, like the reading of The
Bible, as practiced in Mr. Morey's school
days. is iliegai as part of the regular curri-
culum in state schools intended
For All Citizens,
AS to the position of sisters wearing their
conventual garb in the public schools, l hold
that it is perfectly legal. State courts have
SO held. There can be no question es to this
point The laws of the country do not deal
with forms or fashions of dress. Gentlemen
may wear III school or out of school, just as
they please, without any violation of law,
IeCklleS Or no ISckLleS, DafIOr
suits or brown busters; ladies may appear in
boomers or III conyentual serge. with cross
on their breast or at their side, with Christian
Endeayor badge pinned to the shoulder or a
rosary claSped to the Cincture. with head
dress of any one kind out of the innumerabie
kinds that succeed one another in milliners'
windows. There is in fashions of dress utter
legal freedom in the United States.
Nor does it matter that he garb
have incidentally and indirectly a
teaching fOrce.ss The law does not and CAM
not run after incidental and indirect teach
ing forces of garbs The law is sensible, SO
must citizens be sensible. At the same time
l am willing to bring in here an unwritten
prescription which i'll America uuderies all
school customs and regulations-that SO far
as 1t is feasible, without working any serious
evil, the wishes of parents be considered by
school boards. In consequence of this pre-
scription. am willing to say that when the
parents ''upIis, i'll large numbers, object
TO hayi. .leir children Taught by sisters
wearing Tie conventual garb, the board would
do well not 10 impose the sisters as teachers
over such children. But, TO be consistent, as
every American should be, must say in the
same breath that when parents in large num-
bers desire that their children be taught by
sisters, whatever their garb, the board would
do well to employ sisters as teachers of said
children. This much and nothing more. as
10 what hold and concede as to the employ
ment of sisters in the
Schools of the State
IL Is perfectly IluP IluC my eHOrtS and
hopes are not at an end have every con-
fiderce in the fair-mindedness and the prac-
teal sense of my fellow citizens. 1t is mis-
fortune for the country. that there should be
millions of children at the present
time debarred from the standpoint of
their religious principles from par
ticipating in the advantages of the public
schools: it is misfortune for the country
that millions of citizens are dissatisfied with
one of the most vital and greatest institu-
tons of the land-dissatisfied to such an ex-
tent that having paid their taxes TO main
tain it, they feel that they cannot use it. and
must pay voluntary taxes to procure by other
means the advantages which should accrue
to them for it-who will say, with the true in
terests of the community tefore his eyes, that
tits not duty TO consider the position of these
millions, and, whether we agree with them
or not in theory, TO arrange in practice so aSto
satisfy them. while maintaining in its inssg-
rity the educational organism of the landfiIs
| not this duty all the more pressing, that-the,
practical arrangement which is asked for is
SO easily given and is SO entirely within the.
letter and intent of the constitution? just a
little yielding of our notions so as to meet
halfway the notions of others; just little
mutual good will, a little pairing down of
prejudices and mistrust of otherS-just this
much. and the evil is remedied. So
viii continue to believe that the resolu-
ton of the school board of Saltwater closing
the high school. wherein under the AUTHORITY
of regulations of the board the children of a
very large number of citizens Of the city re-
ceiYed instructon.in conditions which while
being fully legal gave to themselves peculiar
satisfaction, was adopted through a misun-
Outstanding and remains open to reconsider
alton. The parents of the children attend
ing the high school are good citizens aud
loyal taxpayers. Their requests | am sure
will not pass unheeded. 3 81
Frustrated by Heat.