The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-02-17

when We consider that he has had but
limited experience in public school edu-
cation. The children whose parents do
not believe in the Protestant Bible, and
the children whose parents belong to no
religious denomination, may receive no
harm from hearing it read, but that is no
reason why they should be compelled to
listen to it or be obliged to absent them
selves during its reading. Thss matter
was decided in the Edgerton Bible case
9 few years ago in Wisconsin. Catholics
believe in combining religious with secu.
lar instruction, and because they know
that religious instruction cannot be given
in the public schools as they are consti-
tuted at present, they support privata
and parochial schools in which religious
training is given to their children in &C.
cordance with the tenets of the Catholic
Church. In the common district schools
Bible reading and praying cannot be car
ried on by the teacher unless the parents
are satisfied with the program. It the
pupils be all Catholics or all Professionals
in given school, there is no valid reason
why the day exercises should not open
with prayer, Bible reading or sacred
hymns when it is pleasing to the parents.
But it is seldom school is found where
in the pupils belong entirely to the Cath
Ole Church or to any one Protestant
sect, and to avoid disssnsion it is far
better for the teacher and all others con-
cerned to conine themselves exclusively
to secular branches of instruction.
Many Catholic boys and girls are now
attending the public schools in this state
who would remain away if Bible reading
were introduced. These pupils have
enough to bear ali eady in hearing their
Church misre resented and their religion
sneered at by ignorant teachers who
have never read two sides of question
in their lives. We hear complaints from
time to time about false observations
made by Protestant teachers in reference
to the Catholic Church, and we have seen
historical exercises dictated or written
on blackboards by the teachers for Cath
olic pupils which were extremely errone-
GUS and misleading. Personally, we
would not only Danish the Protestant
Bible from the public schools but also
every book treating on disputed religious
questions, and until the public schools are
made secular and non. sectarian they will
not prove satisfactory to the bulk of the
Catholic population. The Professionals
are we'll pleased with them. and they
would be better pleased if they could
have their Protestant prayers and Prot
estant Bible read every day without any
regard to the feelings of Catholics. The
literature of the schools is Protestant,
through and through, and that ought to
satisfy them. ....
The children of every creed and no
creed are entitled to equal rights and an
impartial footing when once inside the
doors Of the public school. Sectarianism
Of the puritanical type has no place there
and should be discountenanced by all
lovers of freedom Of conscience. It is a
species of prosely tisna to force the read
ing of the Protestant Bible upon children
of the Catholic and Jewish faiths. The
state never contemplated that religion
should be taught in the public schools to
pupils of various creeds. It recognizes
no church more than another, and in
order that the public school shall per-
form the duties for which it is designed
it must impart nothing but secular, nom
sectarian knowledge. The children of
good Christian parents are supposed to
say their prayers every morning before
going to school, and if they do not say
them at home, the public school is not the
place for religious exercises of any kind.
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The champion pugilist, Jim Corbett,
has cleared. $4,000 with his theatrical
company since he defeated Mitchell. If
he takes care of his money he will soon
be rich man.