The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-01-19
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BulWarks Of Liberty, They Must Be
Preserved.
MEETING OF THE LEAGUE FOR
PROTECTION OF AMERICAN
INSTITUTIONS.

Able Addresses by Rev. DR.. Merrill,
| Judge symonds, DIR. King, and Rev.
| Mr.. Ayres-4What this Leagne Has
Done and is Doing.
| The League for the Protection OF
| American Institutions met last evening
| in the Common Council room. The
meeting had been arranged for Reoep-
ton Hall, but the city officials who let
the hall neglected to inform the janito'r,
| SO it happened that when the people
| came they found no place of meeting.
But the Common Council room was has
tily opened, and there the meeting was
quite well accommodated. 1t was a
most excellent meeting, both in the char
acter of the audience and the tone OF
the addresses. y
Rev. DR.. James G.. Merrill presided,
opening the proceedings with brief ref
erence to the death of ex-President
Hayes, and a eulogy Of his services DR..
Merrill said that the first time the prin-
ciple Of the separation of church and
state was brought TO his attention was
when, as young man, he heard General
Grant refer to it in speech delivered in
Iowa. This principle was directly in
volved in the common school question.
1t was difficult and motientous act to
amend the Constitution of the United
States. After the first amendments,
made directly after its adoption, the
Constitution was not amended for 90
years, striking tribute to the wisdom
of it's founders. But the integrity Of the
common school system was matter OF
such high import that q constitutional
amendment was the necessary solution
of the question. The country was to
pass through troublous times, and there
should be revival of American spirit
and patriotism. 4.
DR.. Merrill introduced first, the
Hon. Joseph w. symonds.
Judge Symonds said that he did not
| wish to detain, the audience, who were
| anxious to hear the distinguished gem
tleman who had come from New York to
| address the meeting.
He was in fhvor Of the proposed
amendment because it seemed to him
| that two essentially American principles
were involved init One was the COM
plete separation sof church and state.
| The appropriation of money raised by
| taxation Of the whole people for sectari-
an schools was radical and distinct VIC
| iation of the principle that the church
and state shall be Separate. 7
Again, the second great principle was
that there shall be absolute religious
equality. The theory is that every sect,
entitled to standing in an enlightened
community, is entitled also to complete
equality with every other sect. The APP
preparation of public money for sec
tartan purposes tends to favor one sect
over another, and ultimately would tend
to raise some particularly favored sect to
position of dominance.
~ The history of New England showed
that grave trouble had come to its society
in the past through this very policy
which we are now endeavoring to guard
against. Applause
r. Rev. j. M. King, ID. D.,
was next introduced. After compli-
menting Judge Symonds for his able
statement Of fundamental principles, he
then said that he was glad to see this
movement gaining such prosperous pro-
portions in Maine. For this state had
the most Defective constitution of the a,
SO far as guarding the public school
fund for public purposes ID concerned.
A movement Of the kind now under way
was especially significant in q state like
Maine for the reason that here those
evils which are menacing other states
are as vet unknown in dangerous power.
T erefore the meeting OF thoughtful
gentlemen to ward off an evil yet far OFT
is Of happy significance.
DR.. King then went on to speak OF the
perils attending any movement tending
to a union of church and state. Re
ligious liberty, he said, was every mans
rieht. and never could be classed as a
privilege. Applause. To the unholy
union Of church and state could be traced
a large portion of the evils that have
afflicted society. IA free church in a
free state'' was the great motto of
Cavour. lily
DR.. King referred to a very able pam
phlet recently published, which treats OF
/ the right and duty Of the state to .edu..
cate its children, even to the extent OF
taking the child from the authority OF
the parent, if that parent is unwilling or
I unable to educate it, This pamphlet,
Dr.. King said, was the ablest work he
had ever seen on this subject, aud he
had read the works Of Dwight and
Cooley. And who was the writer of this
document?
Prof. Bouquillon,
the Professor Of moral theology in the
Catholic University at Washington, a
very distinguished and learned scholar.
And this professor quotes the most ex-
allied authorities Of his church yin favor
of his position. Fifteen pamphlets have
been written in reply to this. And
strangely enough, writes the learned
professor, EVERY one OF these
pamphlets was written by Jesuit
priest"
But the liberal Romanist element Of
IL. ~