The Evening dispatch. [volume] (Provo, City, Utah) 1891-1895, 1895-04-17
'ROVO CITY. APRIL IL, 1880
IIN.AMERICAN SENTIMENTS.


The catholic hierarchy in Canaoa
entertain some exceedingly un-Amer-
ican sentim ,nts with regard TO the
public or free school p, licy on this side
of the Atlantic ocean. Archbishop
Fabre of Montreal has ordered bis
clergy to keep quiet on the subject OF
the school matter in Manitoba. IL
seems that while the catholic church
wants and really asks for share OF the
school money raised by taxation, Tor
the support of parochial schools, she is
not willing that the children OF catho-
lie parents should attend the public
schools. This produces, as may well
he understood, confusion and disorder.
On this side of the line the idea would
not be tolerated for a moment ana the
position OF the clergy would be broadly
condemned, Archbishop Ireland, one
of the most brilliant and able OF all the
catholic clergy in America recognized
the Importance of the question as well
as its difficulties sometime since and
set about some adroit management SO
as to win the permission OF the POPE
TO bend little here and there to &C
commodate the widely different views
of the authorities of the church and al
so of the government Of the several
states in the west. The recent emeute
in Minnesota was so accommodated
temporarily and while the authorities
of Rome seemed to recede, they
simply only restated their un-
conquerable hostility, not only
to the general nonsectarian policy
of the schools, but to any participation
in the benefits arising from the tax or
rather the schools established and
maintained by the money secured by
the general nonsectarian school tax
levied and collected. They Gere not SO
adroit in Manitoba and now they are
deep in an embodiment which must
ultimately lesult in struggle between
the catholic authorities and the Amer
can idea Of free nonsectaTian schools.
This means also that in a very short
time the people here will also be deeply
engaged in the selfsame struggle.
Rome cannot change. Her politics
are fixed and eternal. She may bend
to the storm, but change absolutely,
never. Rome does not consider the
Individual. She deals with states and
nations. Her politics are not for the
individuals forming the nation. They
are for the nations and incidentally for
the rich, the powerful and the infuen-
tial. Now there is nothing 80 entirely
democratic as this same great free
school idea of ours. 1t is at war with
all sorts and conditions Of aristocratic
pretentions, and exclusive privileges.
1t means if you educate your child at
the public expense, you must do so by
and under the rules laid down
by the pubic for the governance
of the schools. If you have other
views, if you would educate them by
and under any church rule whatever,
you must do it at your own expense or
the expense of the church to which you
adhere.
We consider this righteous idea, one
of the the sheet anchors of the Ameri- |
can hope. 1t is at the very deepest
foundations of our American theory of |
a government by and for the people. |
We want no state church, and no
church with especial privileges. We |
will have nc church aabbling with or
controlling the schools or any other
public interest of the people. No man
may ask TO what church one belongs. |
All we can with propriety ask is, is he
the best man for the work in hand2 Ii
yea, then he may be catholic, prot
sstant, Jew or Gentle, it matters not
which. This is Americanism pure and
simple, and this must and will prevail.
1t is entirely too late in the century for
he introduction of church influence in
in Legislative halls, IN the ex-
cutive branch, or indeed anywhere
Use, save In the churches or in the ]
chools founded, conducted and con- t
rolled by the church, No Romish or
,ther church can order us to keep quiet
Ipon the school or any other question
n which the people are interested.
hat is authority which we have dele
ated to no human being and this gov {
will look disproYingly upon !
my, even the smallest exhibition of
uch spirit here or elsewhere. {