Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-12-16
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


of life, they are the foundation of
the Republic, the keystone in the
arch of progress, the safeguard of
liberty.
ANY movement, therefore, tending
to impair t he efficiency of these
schools is looked upon with distrust
Friends OF the public schools are
found in every home, and earnest de-
tenders are i'll every community. 1t
would seem like folly for any organi-
cation to antagonize that which is SO
closely entwined about the American
heart, but it appears there is to be an
effort made to secure a division of the
school funds, which means the de-
struction of the system. A bill has
been prepared and will be presented
to the New York Legislature which
provides that when a school for pri-
mary instruction has been carried on
for a year with not less than fifty pu-
pills, the person, or persons, or asso-
citation conducting such school shall
be entitled to receive its proportional
share of the common school fund A
like bill will be presented to other
States and the fight is to be waged
with an earnestness that will demand
the best energies of the friends of the
schools to combat it.
The bill is insidious i'll its nature in
that it throws down the bars and in
vites all to enter. Jew and Gentle,
Mohammedan and infdel, RomanCath-
Ole, Presbyterian, Methodist, Bap-
fist, Episcopalian one and all, under
the proposed plan can take a share
and the work is done, Sectarianism
will reign rampant and the organiza-
ton that can muster the largest crowd
will get the most money. This, of
itself should be enough to eternally
damn it, but it will not and only a
vigorous effort on the part of the friends
of nonsectarian schools will relegate it
to oblivion.
The bill emanates from the Catho-
lie Church and certain of the Catholic
clergy are its defenders. The author
of the measure, in an interview pub
lished in the New York Times, says:
II may say that the bill has been
approved at Rome, where my ideas on
the subject have been approved by the
cardinals and clergy by the leading
bishops in England, Ireland, and all
English-speaking countries, as well
as by some of the most noted prelates
of France and Germany. 1t has also
been submitted to and practically APP
proved by the leading clergy and the
most prominent men in the Catholic
Church in this country"
While this movement has its origin
with the Catholic Church, it is but
fair to state that not all the Catholics
by any means favor the plan. State
Senator Edmund O'Connor discuss
ing the question, said that the public
schools are the safeguard of the Ma
ton; that he is opposed to any bill of
any character or kind that seeks to
divert school money from its proper
channel, and that to his mind the
public school is the public educator
He adds
at would be wicked to attempt to
change what has existed for so many
years. 1t is against the most jealous
prerogatives of our people; it would
certainly be inimical to the denomina-
ton that should attempt it. You can
not make my language too emphatic
or my meaning too clear. For my
self | aim opposed to all hyphenated
Americans. If man who comes
from the other side is too good to be
an American let him return to the
land whence he came 1t is time an
end was put to these designations of
Irish American, German American,
French-American, and the like There
is nothing so productive of the Know
Nothing spirit as this constant slapin
the face of Americans by these hyphe-
mated Americans-these Irish -Ameri-
cans, German-Americans and the like
who tie the name of their birth to
that ofthe land of their adoption. 1t
is time we abolished all this nonsense
and settled down for what we all try
and intend to be-good, everyday,
patriotic American citizens.
1t would be well for Monsignor Sa-
TOLL to study the foregoing and be
sure he fully understands the temper
of the American people upon this sub
ject. He has perfect right to come
amongst us and look after the in
terests of his church, to use all the
means in his power to build it up, but
he will learn ere long that the people
will brook no interference with the
public schools. Sectarianism is all
right i'll lis place, but it must keep
within bounds. Church and State
can never be united i'll this land of
Freedom, Here every person must
be free to worship God according to
the dictates of his conscience, and the
schools must be as free as the air we
breathe, More we do not want, less
we will not have.