The Portland daily press., 1895-02-28
Especial to the Press. }

gan and MI. bennett Have a Passage
at Arms.
Especial to the Press.
Augusta, February %. L. B. Dennnett,
Esq. conducted the hearing on the non
sectarian amendment this afternoon be-
fore the judiciary committee.
Mr.. Deanett introduced first. Hon,
James P. Baxter of Portland. president
of the Maine Association for the Protec-
tion of A merican Institutions. Mr.. BaX-
ter said in the beginning that he did not
want to oppose any educational institu-
tion, but he believed that all of the ac-
ademies now receiving state aid might
do better work if enirely freed from their
relations with the state. Mr.. Baxter told
of the reference of the amendment by
the last legislature to this, and quoted
from the address issued By the commit
tee OF the society TO tie people CT the
state. 1t is matter of history that
James G.. Blaine, in 1875, in the National
House, presented a similar amendment,
which passed the House by large ma
| jOrity, and was defeated i'll the Senate
by only two votes, and one of these was
cast by man who voted against the
| amendment because in his opinion it
was defective in that it did not make
reference to the Deity. Soon after, both
the great political parties went onArecord
in favor of such an amendment Mr..
Baxter, continuing, spoke as follows;
| :" have no Goubt, gentlemen, that OF
the opinions OF the people of the state
on this subject, our citizens are patriotic
and Intelligent, and firmly believe III
our public school system, and in the
principle EN- bodied in this amendment,
namely, the entire separation of church
and state, at least until that millennium
day when all shall see, eye to eye.
Then church and state may we'll be
one, but while warning factions rage both
must suffer by being united. And how
much better separation is for the
| church. I use the words in the restrict
ed sense, for aloot from the strife and
confusion, the self. seeking and garrul-
BUSINESS of politics, it will be enabled to
more freely exercise those uplifting in
f1uences which mankind ever hopefully
awaits"
| Mr.. BENNETT then read the following
letter from Hon. Joseph W. Symonds:
To the Honorable Judiciary Committees:
| Gentlemen Much to my surprise
and regret, find it will be impossib BILE
for me to appear before you IN behalf of
| the proposed non-sectarian amendment
to the state constitution. At the same
time,T remember with pleasure that
have once had the honor to present this
subject to a judiciary committee of a
former legislature, and in general way
to the legislature itself, at a meeting
held in the hail of representatives.
The great difficulty with me is that
| the case in behalf of the proposed amend
ment is too good. ] cannot see where the
field for doubt, dispute OF controversy
| begins. The proposed cOnStitu tional
| amendment seems to ne to be part,
and a necessary part, OF our faith in
religious freedom and equality. That
| pu bile moneys, moneys raised by taxa
ion upon all. should not be appropriated
| to the benefit of one or few favored
or influential sects, seems to me to he as
plain principle as any result of the
multiplication table.
This is a land of freedom and equality
in religion. Public moneys are to be
used only by the state, or by state agen-
cies. To allow favored or influential
denominations to put their hands upon
the public funds is to do wrong. The
Ameri can idea is not one of religious toll
GRAFTON. federation implies a superior
and an inferior. We have no religious
body in this country that is entitled TO
| tolerate anybody. One traveller upon
the highway does not tolerate another;
theysshave common rights. Our institu-
4
| field for all. This is not possible if
some sects are favored by public appro-
priations. refused to Others We do not
want favoritism precedence, power, as
cendancy of one sect over another. We
4 want the public school fund forever
intact and inviolate. There is no other
| state interest so vital to the republic rs
the education of the children. The
whole tone and tendency of American
| thought in a few generations may be
utterly changed in the schools. So far
as education is vital element in good
citizenship, it should be the highest
care of the. state, and in it the state, not
the church, should be supreme. The
key which unlocks the future is in the
hand of little child. Denominational
schools may be supported by the several
denominations as they please, that is
their own affair, provided they teach
loyalty to the republic and provide the
| funds themselves. In thepu bile schools,
if we maintain them freely and gener-
ously in the interest of the repu bile,
the foreign children Will become good
Americans, and in a few generations
the differnce of origin will be forgotten.
| lemain with sincere and great re-
| spect,
Very truly yours,
| JOSEPH W. SYMONDS,
| The remarks of Mr. Baxter and the
| Vi tu6 lcbGcI lIOlu JuuG0 Sy-
| monds commanded close attention. but
the excitement came during the remarks
| of Mr.. bennett, who spoke next. Mr.,
| bennett told first of the amount of aid
| extended to the academies in the past.
and then, in response to question, ex-
pressed his opinion that the Catholic in
fuence in this country was menace TO
American institutions. Both political
parties, he said, were dominated by that
influence. The supreme pontif of the
Republican state convention-but not
Of the Republican party-who lives, not
by the Tiber, but by the Kennebec, at
the last convention had refused to allow
plank on this subject to be inserted in
the platform. mir. bennett thought the
danger existed in Maine, and said that
the 10000 majority of the Republican
party might disappear like the sands of
the desert. Here Mr.. Kegan applauded
loudly.
Mr.. keegan continued: 1T is because
of the large number of Catholics and
Democrats in the legislature that you