Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-12-20
AN ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC.
Defence Of the American Free Common
School System, by the National
League for the Protection Of
American Iustitutious

American Institutions.
The practice of the nations in the
support of schools where the union of
Church and State prevails, furnishes no
precedent for the United States. We
are not looking to monarchies for in
struction concerning the best training
of youth to fit them for citizenship of
this republic.
Popular suffrage here rests for its safe
exercises upon the character and intel
ligence of all classes of the people. The
republic for its own preservation has
established and must insist upon main
tanning free common school system
of education.
1t must be maintained without COM
promise. 1t is the only institution cap
able of converting the dangerously hete-
rogeneous elements of our population
into a safely homogeneous citizenship.
The tax for the maintenance of public
schools levied upon all citizens, whether
they have children to educate or not,
is for the public good and not for pri-
vate benefit.
The State opens it schools vita equal
advantages to the children of all its
citizens Its laws make no distinction
as to the creed of the individual in the
choice of its teachers. In the State of
New York no compulsory law exists re-
quiring the attendance of children upon
the common schools of the State.
The State does not deny the right to
parents, organizations, or churches, to
establish and maintain private or pa
rochial schools at their own expense.
A movement, however, with audac-
ious demands and specious claims has
been initiated in the State of New York
for the division of the public school
funds on sectarian lines, and it is an
nounced that the same programme is
proposed for all the States.
That this has mainly in view selfish
and not public ends is shown by the
fact, that the movement is being pushed
almost exclusively by single religious
denomination which for many years,
by its chief authorities, has been as
saulting the public school system. A
few of its mole liberal representatives
have tolerated the system, and have
sought in many ways to control it.
Every compromise, however. between
sectarian and public schools which has
previously been tried has invariably
resulted in the humiliating surrender
of some vital principle of public school
education.
1t is undoubtedly true that majority
of thecitizens of even the denomination
making those demands, prefer the pub
lie schools for their children and pat
ronize them whenever free to do 80. 1t
is unquestionably true that full pro-
portion of the teachers in these public
schools are attached to the church
which by many of its official antagon-
ICES this common school system.
1t is auspicious for the republic that
the demands made are now plainly set
forth and clearly defined.
There is now no opportunity for the
compromising citizen or politician. to
evade responsibility.
The question is not, are these common
schools capable of improvement.
Ths questions presented by the pro-
posed bill, and which now demand an
answer, are:
l. Shall the whole principle on which
the common schools rest, /. e., the right
and duty of the State to educate i'm
partially its own children for intelli-
gent citizenship be surrendered to it's
enemiesp
2. Shall the common schools be dis |
integrated and destroyed by the disper-
sion and use of their funds for sectarian
endsY
8. Are our citizens in favor of the
union of Church and State in the most
dangerous possible feature of such
union, viz, in the fundamental and
elementary education of future citizensp
These questions now demand an an
swer and must be permanently settle
for veal or woe. We believe they will
be settled in the interests of the whole
people, and not in the interests of any
one class of our citizens, however spec
ious their claims or urgent their de-
mands.
The National League for the Protec-
ton of American Institutions whose
objects are stated in Article ii, of its
Constitution
tsTha oh,aofs of 4ka o..~,,o - a. -.