New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1893-07-26
KILLER AND OUR SCHOOL.
The Earnest Ohio Professor Writes the
Review aLetter.

s < - ~
Review aLetter
High Praise for the New. Ulm Schools and
Caution Against Sectarian
Intermeddling
Rev. G. E. Hitler Of Toledo writes the
Review from Minneapolis as follows:
Your letter requesting me to commun-
lcate to you my thoughts on the New
Ulm school controversy was received by
me at Toledo just when I was at the
point of starting on > vacation trip for
the benefit Of my somewhat shattered
health. I put it into my ssgrip'' withtLe
intention of answering it ut the earliest
possible moment, but regret that the
kind of leisure that IS desirable for SO
important a question did not come to me
until to-day. Visiting and seeing the
Worlds Fair found to be serious bus
mess and all a semi. invalid, like myself,
can summon courage to undertake-when
the day is over-is to write postal home
to wife ana children. :
But as the annual school meeting, if I
am not mistaken, will not be held until
the first week in August, / hope that
these lines will not come too late to be
put to the use for which, they may be
fitted.
In past years New Ulm has had moth
ing of which her citizens might SO justly
be proud as her public schools. When
l lived there they could be compared
without hazard to the schools of any 9TH
or city in the state. I have had oppor-
tunities during my professional life to
become more or less familiar with the
educational equipments of such cities as
st. Paul, Minneapolis, st. Cloud and
Winona in this state and also with those
of Galena, Freeport and Chicago in Illi-
nois and of Toledo, O., my present resi-
,tence, but nowhere did 1 find school
system that admired more, from a pure
ly educational standpoint, than that of
New Ulm.
What are the merits of the present
controversy of course do not knew but
| cannot believe that the people of New
Ulm will consent to have their free
school system crippled and weakened;
| must assume that they want progress
sion in the matter of free education. And
if SO, let them beware of allowing sect
erian intermeddling with their schools,
or of allowing religious sects.to build up
their parochial schools at the expense Of
the public educational system.
If the schools have been run in the in
terest OF any party or class, as seems to
be the belief of some, let such abuse of
public confidence be corrected by the
proper method, but let not such an allie.
CATION be made pretext for disturbing
the grand public school system.
No doubt many sincere people would
like to see religious instruction given in
the publicschools (and if at least the eth
les OF christianity could be taught the
effect would be benefcent) but let us re-
member where so many different religi-
Gus beliefs prevail religious instruction
can not be thought of, and that even, as
it is, the effect of bringing our children
together in the same schoolroom under
the eyes Of impartial teachers with
exemplary moral characters is incom par
ably more broadening, ,liberalizing, ,unify-
ing and elevatlng than sending them to
sectarian ,parochial schools. where excIu.
siveness and narrow mind dedness is the al
most invariable result.
If we have teachers who show no dis
respect to the religious beliefs Of the
children or Of their parents and whose
moral exampl is such that the children
are elevated and ennobled by it, then we
ought to thank God for our free schools
where the children of the rich and poor
alike are rescued from ignorance and are
equipped for the requirements Of life,and
we should be glad to give our children
The necessary religious training in our
hoaes and i the Sunday schools. Nay
~.
tvsistlo1l I'D ~ their votes serve Tie best
interests Of themselves asd their child-
STen. g. E. Hiller.
On AIbor Days 2719 NV treee vere