Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-01-20
pRe1EcI,on


auspices Of the Maine Branch Of the Ma
iional LeazHe for the Protection Of Ameri-
can Iastitn,ions.
Speaker Savage Of the House presided at
TIE meeting and introduced as the first
speaker the eloquent lawyer and learned
judge j. w. SymonSts of Portland.
| Judge sgnaonds il an eloquent speaker
on ali occasions and last evening paEficu-
| larry so. His discussion Of the relations of
the law TO the matter under consideration
was listened to most closely and with great
| interest. In the e0arse of bis remarks be
said that the Law always follows, neysr
| pfeeesfes a change ia the standard, 10 the
IPuniic thought and action. Il loves the Old
ways, the beaten paths where the ancient
/ landmarks stand, 10 loi,er in the shadow Of
ancient things, among the forms in which
! the majesty Of buried people did some
times march.
He then enforced the truth that this con
| seEsatism pertains most strongly TO conati-
tusienai Law. The conservatism becomes
tenfoId, manifold. myriadfold stronger
when We approach the question Of change
Of the constitution.
| The one thing that should be most IN
ehaBseabie in human institutions should be
/ the constitution Of the State. The best
| thoughts Of the beat men ia the State have
reduced it to form. It is intended to be
sent down like deep foundation below the
action Of the hour, below the caprices of
public sentiment, belo~ the revGl.ioHs even
Of the feeling Of a temporary majority
| He then referred to the English constitu-
/ tion, It's origin and the processes by which
il hal come down TO ~, citing a. contrast
the constitutions which France has SO
! eaprieiousiy changed. He mentioned the
objections TO frequent constitutional change,
especially on triiiug grounds. II desire II
I TO be borne well in mind that in coming to
press for constitutional change all the pre-
symptoms appear to be against u.s. Not
outstanding this he believes that the times
demand this constitutional change which Is
proposed.
He then stated the main point of the pro
posed amendment, which shall provide that
there shall be no sectarisn diversion OF
school funds, that the public school funds
shall remain foreSer inyiolate and intact
for the benefit Of public schools. He eni-
/ phasizc'i this to considerable length. show
ing the need Of excluding wholly from pub
/ lie school moneys any school wholly or
partially under sectaran control. lie
| thought that the form of the proposed
amendment would be found unexceptiona-
Bile. and he believed it in strict harmony
with the text Of our present constitution.
He said that although the State Is now al
lowed to aid sectarisn schools and colleges,
it Is n tradition of the early colonial times
and the circumstances of our life, social
anil religious, have changed. If our fathers
should revisit this scene they would be
panied TO ind that We had learned nothing
in the way of improvement in this respect
He was opposed TO the diversion of edu-
cational funds to sectarian purposes because
he believed that this was opposed to two
radically American ideas; first, that there
should be au absolute separation
between church and state The union of
the church and state in the past had been
fraught with peril that was recognized, and
there could not be an establishment of a
religion without danger to free Institutions,
and he thought it a direct violation of that
fundamental American idea for public
| school moneys to be appropriated to sec
tartan institutions. The use of public
money is an act of sovereignty, and when
the money is appropriated for sectarian pur
poses it unites the state with that institu-
ton and sect and makes that sectarian in
stitution for that purpose the state itself.
| The second American idea is the equal
| ity of all or equal liberty of all religious
sects or denominations. And he distin-
gushcd this from liberation. In accord
anee With this idea, how are We to take the
money raised by the public of all denomina
tons and appropriate it for one denomina-
ton without appropriating it for all without
discrimination: To divide this equally
among all denominations is impossible. He
( pointed ont the danger of throwing wide
Al E,iI
I for fayoritism.
! This is not an assault upon any sect but
an assault upon the principle of distributing
money raised by all for the benefit of few.
The Next Speaker was Rev. lanes N. King,
secretary of the National League. Mr.
King was a rapid and forceful speaker He
explained at the beginning of his speech
the history of the origin of the movement,
/ necessity that it should be non partisan and
uun-sectarian. The manner In which the
public school funds were being used in some
of the larger cities had given animus to
this movement. He referred to the attempts
that had been made to have a 18th amend
inent to the national constitution prohibiting
the states from Rppropriating money for
seetariau schools adopted and how the move
ment had succeeded in several of the indi-
yidual states.
The Protestant churches practically stand
together on the question. Appeals have
been made to the Roman Catholic church
und courteous replies have been received,
but not a fna reply,
Absolute separation of church and state
is absolutely necessary.
Rapid progress is being made in the indi-
vidual states in passing this 10th amend
ment that it has been attempted to have
Congress pass But there are states where
there are large cities where the element
Of foreign born and of foreign thought and
purpose is so great that the state would not
adopt this law short of the millennium.
He referred to the manner in which Con
gress had been appropriating public money
contrary TO the constitution TO several re-
ligious creeds for the purpose of educating
Indians. Congregationalists- Methodists
Catholics and other denominations were
given these public moneys and so many In
dians to educate, and educated the Indians
must be under the creed having them in
charge. Nearly all the Protestant denomi-
nations after discussion have withdrawn
their hands from the natiuh1' treasury.
He then referred to the attempts to make
compromises between the parochial and
American sCnOOi sf Stems out III titt statc VI
Minnesota and the failure attending it. He
denounced any attempts at compromise.
| These things he wished his hearers never
| to forget:
| /. The defence of the American free
common school system of education.
| ? The elimination of religious contro-
versy from political questions.
! ,. The absolute separation of church
and state.
! 1. The destruction of the power of
ecclessstieism over both citizenship and
I Craftsmanship.
1 Religious liberty is not privilege but a
right. A free church in free state. The
union of church and state has always
worked to the utmost disadvantage and
peril. In eur schools children of all nation
nlities enter and come out Americans: and
these schools are the greatest factor for
making Americans out of heterogeneous
elements.
( The speaker discussed the three PROPOSE
tons of the Romans propaganda. The
( first plan is for composite schools, that re-
/ iigious instruction might be given in the
school buildings. and implicitly during the
progress of the schools.
/ That, of course. would be absolutely
destructive of the system, for the reason
that it introduces in its most repulsive form
sectarianis,n by WY of instruction to our
children.
The second plan is that during the
school hours the leaders of the different
scots where children from the families of
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