The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-12-01

have discouraged them. England's
example is notable, for there are Pro-
testant as well as Catholic parochial
schools. Sometimes when we speak of
parochlal schools people accuse us of
religious bigotry. But in answer to
mat we have only to bring forward the
iact That the countries that are abolish
ing those schools are intensely. Catholic.
Ihere is no suspicion of Protestan t
heresy in Italy or South America.
Ihere is one country that still has the
pafochial school exclusively. That is
ecuador. 1t is naturally a--rich, produc-
1--WE, populous nation, and the parochial
sch 4 co. has done SO well by Ecuador that
III mas no railroad, only one newspaper,
ana not SO many post Offices as single
Maine county,
There is another nation where the
parochial shool is tolerated, that is the
United States of America And wherever
there is a parochial school there is
A Little Ecuador
growing UP around it.
The state must educate it's children.
We sometimes forget the rights of the
state. But we must remember that
hardly thirty years have passed since the
state knocked at the doors of every clti-
zen, demanding of wives, daughters,
sisters, that they give up their best
beloved for sacrifice on the altar of
patriotism. How molly that demand was
responded to is attested by the innum-
cradle white headstones that dot the
Southland today.
Such things as these recall to us the
right and duties of the State.
Those who oppose the public schools fol-
low three methods:
The building OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. This
has been carried on in this city.
clarlng them goddess and vicious. 1t the
Bible is read in them they are declared
sectarian. If the Bible is not read,
they are said to be goddess. There is no
pleasing the critics either way.
The third form of assault is the at
tempt to
Divide the Public School Money,
giving a proportion to tie parochial
schools. This form of assault is no
idle menace 1t is moving now contin-
uously. 1t will become an issue in the
New York legislature this winter.
We must remember that certain re-
ligious element in this country is I'M
alterably opposed to the common school
oy SbCLl, duu Nuou lucn DeES OIL ,U1dU Gle
ment come forward for places of trust
on our school boards we should demand
of them unquestioned loyalty to our
principles of education. This is in fact
demanding of them that they shall
oppose the purposes of their creed. %
We have in our schools some young
ladies of the Roman Catholic church,
who are good teachers / am opposed
to anything that would prosecute them
simply for their faith. / am opposed
to know nothingism, to any organiza-
ton that would turn man down simp-
~ for his faith. But I am also unal-
terably opposed to the election of any
man as a member of the school board
who will use his position to put MEM
bers of his church into office simply be-
cause they are mem bers of that church.
| am opposed to course of action which
passes over the claims of graduates of
our public schools to put into teach
er's position, as has recently been done
in this city, person who has been ed
ucated in a parochial school and is I'M
doubtedly unqualified for the place.
In conclusion, Mr.. Hughes summed up
the duty of all friends of the public school
thus: A people who won't stand by
their institutions don't deserve to have
any, and won't have any when the legi-
innate end comes.
At intervals in the sermon, and at the
end, there was applause from the au
dience.