The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-15

ssaersss ed jnsttes q - sspssns
court uas Catholic.
Ihs ameudmeat 10 she Federal Coasti-
tuatse psohihdttag the sstshlishnsns q ,
seote fsl1gion uas drscussed "a ths Massar
eAasssss ststs eoavsnsion md 81 abisss -
SsDdsss vsrs the sbjsss Puritsn eisrgynsa
- ~ eousssstsa. Rev. Dr.. wooassy Il
Yats eosIses potsts ost that this absolute
/ sspasAtfoa q ehsreh and state doss not
1ssttfy he description u our countFy -
n unehristisa ststs, s.for Il b no DoRs
uaehvistisn than IN academy Of schemes
vttAout creed, o. mercantile 6f0 with
ct peayen IN The counting hose.
The sbsolnts constitutional sepassttCn
~ church md seass sss urged for adoption
~ soms a. shs sbisss divinss q the Bap-
siss asd Congregational ehurchss Of New
Eneiand. snd the nsv. D.. Howard
Crosby. Of Ssw York city, sstrics orthodox
diviss, always ssesd that the American
eommon school should b ebsoiuteiy Ssca-
IAs.ssd, and opposed ths ~ Of Tie Biblsin
- seheeis pecauss. unAsr H. funda-
mental Ansficsn thsory o. church and
stats. The Protestant Btbls had no moro
right In The Americas ire school than The
Catholic Bible, tie Kosan a. the Talnud-
Dr.. Crosby, in the solumns Of the m
Aepnlens, argued shss DO ssstaFisa boek
Aad any place in our public schools;
that morality can and should b tausht
IN secular schools when IL can b taught
% oomnon ground: ssctariaa rsligion
expcesssd IN 3 secsarian book cannot -
taught bat shs fundamental principles of
publio and private mosalitv. such - hon
ssly. intsgrity. lovs. justice can b taught.
over and ars bat the capitalization Of the
highest and most universal human sxps-
risncs.
Whsssvsr the question has been legally
tsstsd the courts Of Ohio. Wiseoasin, New
York and ether states havs rspsatsdly
rulsd against oil ssctsrian Instruction In
the public schools. In lS74 the common
council Of Buffalo. N. r.. refused tbs
prayer OF the Roman Catholics 70 sdopt
their parochial free schools. hampsrsd
By the coalition that the pupils should b
instructsd In the tsnets Of the Catholic
church. The eommittes said:
.sIt il not within the scope Of the fune-
tons Of the state 10 inculcats religious
doctrines or dogmas. This 10 the privilege
and duty Of the family, the Sunday school
and the church. Tho law provides that
teachers shall poessss moral character.
learning and ability TO teach any common
vIdss that seaehsrs shall b identified with
any religious sect. or authorizes them 10
make religious instruction . part Of the
course Of study. or Of the sxsrcisss In the
schools.
"Ths schools are part and parcsl Of our
system Of state and municipal govern
ment. and they ought not TO b made sub
ssfvisnt 20 religious propAgandism In any
form or under any pretext The common
schools are neither Protestant nor ca.
thoiic; they are not established and main.
tanned - nurseries Of creeds: they are and
ought 70 BE- sustained exclusively for the
are recognized - essential 70 good busi-
mess sducatiOh.s
The cry for religious or ssctarian instrnc-
tion in the public school II not only un-
wise in . country where religious freedom
10 guaranteed by the constitution. but 10
also unnecessary. II 10 true that La Swift
ssrlaud, whore children srs educated al
most wholly In the public schools. that the
state itself, In oil but one canton. pro-
vidss for their religious education either
In or out Of the school house, and scrupu-
lonsly arrangss that neither Catholic.
Protsstant or Jew snail b subjected 70
any religious instruction other than that
Of their own ballet. but in order to do this
with our public schools our constitution
would have to b changed, which 10 prac-
ticaily impossible. and the drift Of Ameri-
can public opinion. even among
the clergy, Ii 10 make the public
schools. like the state. absolutely non-
secsarian and colorisss In the matter Of
religion, except % far - . so-calisd ere.
ligion" comes In conflict with our funda-
mental Law. We do not allow . Mormon
to practice poiygamy ~ religion" We
treat that defense - We do Falstaif's de-
Tense OF highway robbery that IL was ibis
vocation. and man may labor in his vo-
cation"
So strong 10 the drift Of American public
opinion In favor of absolute enforcement
| of separation OF church and state that an
eminsn, orthodox clergyman Of New York
city. Rev. Dr. Madison Peters. has an
article In tho current number Of the Foram
| opposing the exemption Of church prop
erty from taxation, a. did Presidents
Grant and Garfield. Among other things
Rev. DIR. Peters says:
Making the state pay tribute to the
| church. instead Of the church to the state
" eiaring seif-contradiOion in the
| United States. IL Theoretically - we'll a
| practically adopts the principle OF the
| union of church and state. The American
| people would rise up I'm rebellion against
| direct taxation for church support; but
| what 10 exemption from taxation but an
/ indirect state support Of the church, a vir.
susi subsidy tor its support aud at the ex.
| uense Of the general naaiieT The state
| reimburses Itself BY increasing tie tax on
| the non-exemp,ed property. and exsmp-
4 ton 10 ~ clearly q eff as would be the
| amount Of taxes the exempted property
| should PAY II IL we're directly appropriated
from the public treasury.
1
| "it 10 claimed that churches should Be
exempted because they improve the
| morals Of the community and raise the
| taxable value Of the other property. That
| dep<ads altogether on the church. But
| admit the fact that churches, a. q RUE.
| are public benefit: 80 are private schools.
/ picture galleries and factories, yet snch
1 property cannot be exempted without
| starving the state. Why. then. shoald
1 churches snioy this favor on the ground
| of benefits rendered. and other property
that can assign the same reason for the
/ favor b excindes therefromf
Il would tar al charitable institutions.
hospitals and orphanaxea. Their work il
4 not wholly phitanthroric. They receive
4 e-va,rs In Naz Nayk .gtv a~-h.~~---