The Portland daily press., 1894-06-05
DIVISION OF SCHOOL MONEY.
The Question Impending Before the New
York Constitutional Convention.

The opening discussion In the New York
Constitutional Convention against the di-
version of the funds of the State for secta-
rian or charitable purposes will begin this
week with what promises to be grand py-
rotechnical display of oratory. Two after
moons Wednesday and Thursday will be de-
voted to the subject and four committees
will sit conformity,
Each one of the Chairmen and every one
of the members on the four committees re-
alize that the duty and responsibility i'm
posed upon him are about as heavy and
oppressive as those will fall upon any
other delegate in the convention.
So far as the diversion of the school fund
is concerned the opinion among the dele
gates regardless of political factions or Sc C
tartan feeling is all one way that the COM
mon schools of the State must be raised far
above the reach of sectarianism.
But on the question of exemptions from
taxation and appropriations for eleemosyn-
airy institutions the sentiment of the dele
gates has not crystallized. All regard this
as a knot that will prove exceedingly diff
cult to unite. The more radi al members
believe in taxation of all property except
that belonging to that State or Federal Gov
eminent. Others are of the opinion that
the line ought to be drawn in favor of in
situations are of an exclusively charitable
character.
Some of the delegates believe in a gradu-
ated reduction that is, that the State should
begin with period of, say, five years, to
reduce the number of institutions that re-
ceive aid from the State, and within ten
years all exemptions should cease except
as to property belonging to the National or
State Government.
The National League for the Protection
of American Institutions is doing a great
amount of missionary work to prevent sec
tartan grants for school and charitable
purposes. A pamphlet, which has been
laid upon the desk of every delegate in the
convention, contains the provisions of
twenty-three State Conventions against
allowing the money Of the State to be used
in behalf of any Church, sect, or denomi-
nation of religion, or in aid of any priest
preacher, minister, or teacher, and to pro-
hibft the Legislature from making any ap-
preparation or from paying from any public
fund in aid of any religious creed, Church
or sectarian purpose or to help to support
or sustain any private or public school, a.
cademy, seminary, college, university or other
institution of learning controlled by any
religious creed, Church, or sectarian de-
nomination.
The States which have placed in their
Constitutions prohibitions against any sec
tartan appropriations OF exemptions, and
the year in which the prohibition was made
are: Wisconsin 1S4S; Michigan, 1850; Indiana,
1851; Minnesota, 1857; Oregon 1857 Illinois
1870; Missouri 1875; Colorado 1876; Georgia
1877; California 1870; Texas 1876; Louisiana
1884; Florida 1885; Idaho 1889; Montana 1889;
ew-Hampshire 1889; North Dakota 1889;
South Dakota 1889; Washington 1889; Wyom-
ing 1889; Mississippi 1890; Kentucky and
Arizona 1884,
Among those who are expected to appear
in behalf of the proposition against secta-
rian exemption and appropriation are Will
lam Allen Butler, ,Dorman B. Eaton, Ce-
phas Brainard, Judge Henry. E. Rowland
and Wheeler II. Peckham. Those who will
oppose it are Frederic K. Coudert and Col.
George Bliss who will represent the Catho-
nc Church. Commodore Elbridge T. Gerry
is expected to make a non-sectarian adj
dress.