The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1896-09-21
Continued from 1st Paac)

with accusing our foreign born po-
pulation with being thieves. 1t will
not be long before Hudelson will
have something to answer for in
court"
In beginning his talk about the
schools, Father Yorke said: at
would be an old story to repeat to
you the efforts that have been made
to prove that the Roman Catholic
Church has some sinister design on
the public school system. They say
that the Pope Of Rome is organizing
a descent on this land and that his
first attack will be on the little red
| schoolhouse.' In order that they
might have a fitting emblem they
went into the depths of Canadian
wood aud picked up the little red
schoolhouse, and though the people
laugh aud sheer at this pretense of
protecting that for which they pay
no taxes, they go bravely on.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE IN NO DANGER
as long as the majority of the people
want them. The day that any
American institution needs protec-
ton it has ceased to be an American
institution.
"The present theory of the public
school system requires that these in
situations should be open to all,
irrespective of class, sect or color.
They are maintained at the expense
of the State, which is governed by
men selected by all its citizens. In
order that it shall be governed by
the best men, it's citizens should be
able to cast ballot intelligently,
and to do this they must at least lie
able to read and write.
"To my mind it is not tho duty of
the State to provide the higher
branches Of education, although
when it is generous enough TO do so
it is hardly likely that any one would
object; but it is the duty of the
State to see that every child is
taught the rudiments of education
known as the three RS Therefore,
it is that the people are taxed to
support these institutions known as
public schools, because If the people
are not sufficiently educated to act
intelligently in their own interests
the Republic itself must sooner or
later perish.
SIN THIS AMERICAN COMMONWEALTH
where all religions are free it would
be impracticable to teach any one to
the exclusion of the rest in the pub
lie schools, and the peopleof these
United States, recognizing that fact,
have decided that they shall be non
sectaran as we'll as free. The only
1 y
way by which we can have the pub
lie schools open to all the children
alike, as provided in the Constitu-
ton, is that they shall be conducted
on an absolutely non-sectarian
basis"
After reviewing the history Of
American education from the day s
OF the Pilgrim Fathers up to 1910,
when John Hughes first opposed
sectarlanism, which he claimed had
prevailed in the interim, Father
Yorke said:
"These men who deuounce US for
maintaining parochial schools forget
that George Washington was edu-
Gated in private academy, and that
that glorious patriot, Abraham Lin
coin, was taught by Catholic priest
in a private school. Let us be just
and bear tribute to the men and
women of bygone days who taught
for teachings sake and not because
theirs we're positions to be sought
after.
GAS LONG AS THIS COUNTRY
was practically a Protestant coun-
try-and it was SO until the early
thirties- sectarian schools prevailed,