The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-11-30
WANTS THE STATES AID.
Cardinal Gibbons Appeal for Share
Of the School Funds.

0iOoOiS FNRROdi III q OdtcNt =
Of the School Funds.
BALTIMORE, Nov. 27.-By direc-,
ton of Cardinal Gibbons printed
circulars bearing on the local school
question are now being distributed
among Protestants here as well as
Catholics. The idea is to agitate
the question before the assembling
of the Legislature in January, when
the State will be asked to give the
parochial schools share of the
school fund that is biennially dis
trlbuted. The circular begins by
declaring that Catholics are not OPP
pose to public schools so far as thew
impart good secular education,
but that this education to be COM
plete must rest on religion as the.
basis of all practical morality.
1.-The system of education in
England. Ireland and the Cana
das," the circular goes on to say,
combines state and denomina-
tioual schools. supported by the
public purse. The only difference is
that in Europe the patrons of de-
nominational schools are required
to build school houses at their own
expense. The UNCONVENTIONAL
schools have the privilege Of select.
ing their own teachers, who are to
undergo an examination and to re-
celve a certificate from the superin-
tendent of public instruction that
they are competent. Both systems
work tremendously and give salts
faction to all parties
Protestant authority is then cited
to show the benefits to be derived
from teaching religion in the pub
lie schools. President Eliot of Har-
ward being named among others.
The circular closes us follows:
"Since it is considered by all that
religion is an essential element of
civilization and the bulwark of civil
government, we consider that the
State in its educational system
should have regard for the rights of
parents, and accord to them the re-
llgious freedom guaranteed by the
Constitution. AS the law now
stands, parents who prefer paroch-
ial schools as places of education
for their children are deprived of
the benefit of their taxes as for as
educating their own offspring is
helped by them. They are also led
from motives of charity to educate
the poor of their denomination ;,
this three. fold tax is very onerous.
Furthermore, the system of edu-
cation which the State adopts pres
ents to our minds a grievance very
much to be deplored, the absence
Of religion in the public schools. 1t
is fact worthy of consideration
that the UNCONVENTIONAL system of
education Is established IN Eng
land, Austria, Prussia, and the
German States, and is acknow-
lodged by them to be preferable to
any other system.
ave wish it TO be understood
that 1T is not our purpose to inter
fere with the public schools-we
only desire such a modification of
the present common school system,
so that the conscience of parents be
respected, and that the State sees
that even handed justice be done to
all citizens that none be taxed with
out deriving therefrom a corre-
spending benefit, and thus public
blessings may be commensurate
with public burdens.
owe are persuaded that the above
modification, by extending the
school system to all schools under
the auspices of the various religious
denominations, and thus increasing
the number of public scholars many
thousands IN Baltimore alone,
would rather strengthen and render
more popular and useful the COM
mon school system than in any wise
impair or hurt it,
al