Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-11
private schools. And they bear it cheerfuly
for the public good, that all children of the
nation may become intelligent freemen.
Sectarian Schools Inferior.


for the public good, that all children of the
nation may become intelligent freemen.
Sectarian schools Inferior.
But our Catholic friends claim that their
schools are as educational and American,
equal to the public schools. This claim was
emphasized IN Thanksgiving address OF
Archbishop Satolli. He said the more pub
lie opinion and the government favored the
Catholic schools, more and more will the
4elfare of the commonwealth be advanced.
rhe Catholic education is the surest safe
guard throughout the centuries of the Con-
stitution, and the best guide Of the republic
in civil progress.
I'VE deny that this is true of any sectarian
education whatever We would resist as
strenuously the proposition to intrust pub
lie education to the Presbyterian Church as
we do the proposition to intrust 1t to the
Catholic Church. The fact is, the Catholic
parish schools are not as efficient educators
in secular studies as the public schools. /
have myself been principal OF pubic
school, and can testify that the pupils re-
ceived from parish schools were below
usually, far below-the grade that their age
suggested. 1 believe this to be the uniform
testimony of all public school teachers, both
Protestant and Catholic.
This in the matter of learning alone. In
the matter Of Americanism, the case is in
finitely stronger. 1t is utterly repugnant TO
the genius of our institutions that our chill
ton along UNCONVENTIONAL lines; and, which
Is really correlary to this, along racial
lines. Our people are heterogeneous; they
must be trained in knowledge of each other.
and in mutual respect and confidence This
can be done only in the public schools, and
in them 1t is done most effectually. More
over, these schools have an inculcate, an
undivided allegiance TO our flag and our
Constitution. / am not alleging any lack or
patriotism on the part of Catholics. l be-
lieve there is no such lack. Within their
churches and their parish schools they -9ch
devotion to the sovereign pontiff beyond the
Atlantic. This is their unquestioned right.
But who will say that it tends TO produce in
the young that intense spirit of American
ism which is essential to the best citizen
ship Of the republic?
Rather American Approval.
"Our Catholic friends make a fatal mis-
take. then. when they plead for a division
of the school fund, as d.. Walsh does for
the New York bill, on the ground that it Is
approved at Rome by the cardinals and
clergy, and by the leading prelates of Eng
land, Ireland, France and Germany. These
are doubtless excellent men and devout
Christians; but they cannot be expected to
understand our institutions or our wishes.
Archbishop Satolli has shown, on the whole,
remarkable appreciation of American
ideas, and has uttered many sentiments that
every American can applaud; but on this
vital question OF the pubic SCnOOlS ne Is lar
astray, and is leading his church toward
bottomless quicksands. For the American
people will never consent to a diversion of
one dollar of the school fund into sectarian
channels.
This is not a new issue. 1t has often
been raised locally and has always been met
promptly and adversely to the Catholic
Church. For one, l am very thankful that
1t is now clearly raised before all our people.
We must not imagine that the whole Cath
Ollie Church is IN one side and all the rest
of the nation on the other. There are some
priests and very many laymen as loyal to
the public schools as any Protestant can be.
THE movement has its seat and force dis
tinctively in the hierarchy. But We should
not be constantly menaced by IT and by
similar movements. The benefcent separa-
ton OF church and state should not be left
to the hazard of repeated local and minor
/ conflicts 1t should be secured once for all
at the point where the experience of a cen.
tury has shown the danger to lie. And this
can be cone only by a constitutional amend
ment
A New Amendment.
Organized peril must be met by organ
| lied resistance. Precisely this is the func-
ton of the National League for the Protec-
ton of American Institutions. 1t is COM
pletely non-sectarian and non-partisan. Its
membership embraces many foremost citi-
zens of all creeds. 1t procured the intro
duction into the last Congress, and will pro-
cure the reintroduction into this. of this
proposed sixteenth amendment to the ma.
! tional Constitution.
NO state shall pass any law respecting
an establishment of religion. or prohibiting
! the free exercise thereof, or use its property
or credit or any money raised by
taxation, or authorize either to be used
| for the purpose of founding, maintaining
or aiding, by appropriation, payment fol
| services, expenses, or otherwise,an church
religious denomination or religious society
or any institution. society, or undertaking
which is wholly, or in part. under sectariar
or ecclesiastical CONTROL
Let this become part of our organic
law. Then UNCONVENTIONAL charities will
flourish upon private beneficence. Then the
government will no longer maintain a part
nership with churches, hazardous and de
moralizing alike to both it and them. Their
our public schools will be safe and the
sacred fund that maintains them inviolable
Then we will have secured for ourselves and
for posterity the priceless blessings of
free church in a free state"