The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-16

Hc SIcdt preparatory DuSltleSS VI uic
Is education: our Welsh ancestors rec
ognized this fact. and made munificent
provision, according to their lights, for
the instruction Of the rising genera
tion. Endowed grammar schools are
scattered all over the land, and the
great and ancient seats of learning Of
Oxford and Cambridge were open to all
who could afford the cost For a couple
of centuries all Nonconformists were
debarred access to these ancient foun-
dations. The endowed schools were
kept as close preserve in the hands Of
churchmen. 1t was a rare thing to find
Noncomformist on any governing
board. 1t was much the same with
admission to the school. II the chill
dren of NonconfOrmists were not ex-
pressly excluded they were kept out
by narrow and invidious principle Of
selection. 1t was almost an absolute
prerequisite that they should attend
the services of the Anglican church,
and they had to play the part of docile
neophytes, ETC., at school. For the higher
prizes 1t would be useless to contend.
The prizes would have taken them to
the universities, and the universities
were closed against them, except at a
sacrifice which conscience and honor
forbade. Nevertheless the sacrifice
was sometimes made. Parents weighed
the worldly welfare of their children
against their religious scruples and
prudential considerations carried the
day. The law put premium upon
such sacrifices, which thus became a
subtle form Of persecution. Many Of
these endowed schools dated their ORR
gin from a time when Puritanism flour
ished within the Anglican church and
had Puritans for founders; but the Act
of Conformity swept them all into the
M nf tI,n ,oto n 1ich Tho ,,vix
stiles did not both adopt the same rule.
Nonconformists were admitted at Cam
bridge to the usual course Of stud
les, and were only prevented from TAX
ing degree. Oxford was more con-
sistently intolerant and refused to ad-
NIT them at all.
Some Fundamental Principles.
It Is true that this period of legal per-
secution is in great measure over,
but there have been born from 1t influ-
ences which still operate and the effects
Of which will not be completely effaced
until long after the Anglican church
has been dlsestablished. The state
cannot single out one class Of its SUBJ
jects for offensive treatment and per-
sist in 1t for a couple of centuries, with
out producing bad social results. Such
action on its part divides the commun-
lty lHtO q pLiNhCSCu iIllhOiity anu dh
oppressed majority, and when an ex-
ample like this is set by people in
power, 1t Is only too likely to be sane
toned by the habits and sentiment Of
those whose sense Of superiority it flat
ters and confirms The action Of the
state strikes the Keynote to public
opinion. A law which meets with a
neutral reception at the outset and
which Is even unpopular, may at last
bring the people round to it, and create
a temper In harmony with it's own. 1t
has been so with the laws levelled two
centuries ago against the Noncon-
formlsts In Wales. They gave the
sanction of the state to q social schism
which would else have soon closed and
disappeared. They encouraged one part
of the community and that the most
influential, to look down upon the other
part with aversion and contempt, and
to make those who belonged to it the
victims of all sorts of petty persecu-
tions. Those iniquitous laws appealed
to all that was arrogant, domineering,
and base in human nature, enlisting 1t
on the side Of the dominant church. 1t
was considered a condescension to have
anything to do with the dissenter.
Throw the snails into his garden,
then, If you WILL" said Dr. johnson;
and what the good doctor said in Jest
1t was very general fashion to do in
earnest. The Nonconformist took his
cudgelling meekly. The law was
against him. When the prosecuting
laws were first passed, the Noncon.
formists could count among themselves
some families Of aristocratic descent
and many more of old standing and
large estates But with persecution
came sitting time. The grain fell
through, but the FURNISHED chaff flew
Off plentifully, till Nonconformity be-
came for the most part the profession
of middle class and Of the select poor.
The social schism extended to every
town and every village in the land. It
Is not In human nature to suffer inju-
ries without resentment. 1t may be
suppressed, but 1t will burn all the more
fiercely within, and 1t will be impaired
In its full intensity to all who are bound
by tie of kindred with the victim. In
this way strife became hereditary,
handed down as O sacred heirloom from
father to son.
The present generation received the
fiery cross from the hands of their dis
couraged and sorely oppressed fathers,
and are ready to fight to the bitter end.
1t is not their fault that there Is a
struggle at all. They have but taken
up the challenge and are insisting that
right shall be done at last. The victory
Will yet be won. 1t is true that the
last election resulted in the return to
power of strong English church par
ty, but the year 1895 will ever be re-
membered as the year wherein the bill
for the disestablishment of the Angli-
can church In Wales was first brought
before the house of commons. There
is now in Britain strong party
pledged to support the Welsh members
In their struggle for religious equal
ity and 1t was my satisfaction to hear
the real leader of that party-Sir WILL
Harcourt-in July Of this year. declare
emphatically to a crowd of several
thousand Of Welshmen that he would
throw himself heartily into their strug-
gle and make their cause his own. 1t
Is matter OF no small interest to know
that Sir William was afterward re-
turned from ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
constituency by greater majority
than was secured by any other candi-
date In the British Islands.
We have but to wait to see a new Lib
eral government in power with Sir
william Harcourt as prime minister
and Lloyd George, Osborne Morgan and
John Ellis leading a united Welsh
party, when disestablishment bill
VIII be rassed with so great majority
by the lower house that the upper house
with Its lords spiritual and temporal
viii be forced to bow to the ineyita-
bic and recognize the cause of discs
adjustment as the cause of truth. And
when once the Welshmen have gained
victory for themselves, those who are
now feebly struggling for religious
equality In England will find their
hands wonderfully strengthened, and II
may be that the first decade of the
twentieth century will not have passed
before In the whole of Great Britain
every religious body will have equal
rights and privileges and the abuse of
centuries will be swept away,