The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-31
THE TROUBLE IN MANITOBA.

~ a..
In attempting to force the parochial
school system on Manitoba against the
VIII OF a large majority Of its people
the Dominion government has raised a
dangerous. issue. The nature of the
issue can be well understood by the
people of this country, who would fight
to the death for the preservation of the
public school system. The people of
Manitoba believe that the preservation
or their common school system is in
volved in this issue.
The trouble dates back to an indis-
Greet promise made by the Dominion
authorities twenty-five years ago. In
1870, when England turned over the en-
tire Northwestern territory to the Cana
dian government, a majority of the pop
ulation of Manitoba were Catholic and
when it entered the Dominion they were
assured that their schools should not be
1nterfered with. At that time the pop
ulation of the province was about 25, O00;
it is now more than 100000. and over
whelmingly Protestant. Five years ago
the people, through their local govern
ment, established national common
Ollie parochial schools We're cut off from
government support, just as they are
in the United States. From that time
to the present the Catholics have been
trying, first through the British govern
ment and then through the Dominion
government, to have their schools re-
stored to the old basis. The pledge
given twenty-five years ago that the
parochial schools should not be inter-
fered with was insisted upon with so
much earnestness that the Dominion
government finally issued an order di-
recting the government of Manitoba to
restore the separate Catholic schools to
a participation in the public funds.
This Manitoba positively refuses to do.
and the people seem determined to fight
it out on that line. They deny the
right Of the Dominion government to
make such an order. and. even admit
ting the right, say they will not obey
it. Manitoba has a local government
of it's own, and the Legislature has been
in session for some time past. On
Wednesday last the newspaper organ
of the legislative majority, published at
Winnipeg, contained what was supposed
to be an inspired editorial, from which
the following is an extract:
Let Quebec and Ottawa rest assured that
the restoration of the old order or things
will never be made. Manitoba has too keen
a sense of Justice, to much regard for truth
and equity, to recognize as a religious aris-
tocracy element of it's population by no
means the most worthy. As civilized peo-
pie attempting to realize in a measure the
ideals of the nineteenth century, Manito-
bans will not silently submit to the prepoS-
hat CHI ch
the wheels of progress three hundred years.
She will stupbornly refuse to supplant
modern civilization by mediaevallsm
This question is not quarrel between
Manitoba and the Dominion. 1t is not even
quarrel between creeds and races II is
nineteenth century or the ideals of the
Dark Ages shall prevail. The act of 1890
was designed to give to every church in
Manitoba the benefits of common school ed
ucation. 1t recog nized neither class nor
creed, but placed all on the same level Of
Could anything be more just? Yet what
was the attitude of the Roman Catholic
black mantle of arrogance, it demanded that
it should be considered religious aristoc-
its members receive instruction side by side
with the children of those who are their
superiors in intelligence and wisdom. And
promised different treatment from others by
the act that called the province into exist
ence. When shown that, even II this were
true, which it is not, no just citizen would
claim a fulfillment of the PROMISE since it
would violate one OF the foundation prlnci.
all-it gave a second reason that the pubic
schools are Protestant.
And this is answer to Quebec: We
shall not allow the state to support reli-
gions; shall not allow the church to
the civilization of the Dark Ages; we shall
not recognize Rome as better or in any
way different from Others; We shall hold
and that principle shall be dearer to us
than confederation itself.
This shows the spirit in which the
people are resisting the order of the
Dominion government. Fridays dis
patches from Winnipeg stated that the
Legislature had adjourned till May 8,
evidently to cool off and give the Do
minion government time to reconsider
it's action.
Behind the present controversy lies
the deeper fact that Manitoba, from it's
interior and far Western location, has
no sympathy with the Eastern provinces
of the Dominion. 1t adjoins Minnesota
on the south and all it's commercial re-
lations are with the United States. 1t
has railway communication with Min
nesota and steamers ply on Red river
between Winnipeg and Moorhead, MINI.
If the Dominion government should try
to enforce the obnoxious order it may
precipitate conflict that will end In
Manitoba seeking annexation to the
United states. 1t is a little more than
twice the size of Indiana and a country
of vast AGRICULTURAL resources.
INDIANA's GROWING CITIES.
! Two or three years ago. when the