The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-08-07
Church and 8tat6.
Another Chapter to the Discussion of State Aid for Higher
Education.
Education.

| think of the insult! Out on such non
sense.
IF not compulsory attendance" upon
State institutions. says the Recorder
there is compulsory support, which Is
worse" The only trouble with that
statement is its falsity. There is nc
more compulsory support of our educa'
tional institutions than of our courts OF
/ justice Both are supported by taxation
and there can be no taxation without the
consent of the people thereto, directly or
| through their representatives.
| And if the Recorder would like to
know where it gets its arguments against
State aid. we can inform It. We doubt
not that many a Jesuit priest is laughing
| in his sleeve ut the ground that is taken
! by these Protestant enemies of Higher
| Education by the State. The Roman
Catholic church said. first, 1.-THE Bible
must be banished from the public schools,
| because Ito use the Recorders exact Ian
guage) the State shall not support any
system of religious Instruction. And
some States were foolish enough to ban
ish the Bible from the schools on that
ground. Now" says the same church
again, 'there is no religion taught in
these schools and we cannot send our
children to them. Hence it is unjust
that we should have to support our
own parochal schools and those of the
State too, by taxation. Therefore, either
give us some of the public money or
down with the public schools The only
difference is that the Recorders posi-
ton is Il little more absurd. since Higher
Education deals with those of maturer
years, many of whom are processing
Christians.
There are other underlying fallacies in
the Recorders position. Christian edu-
cation can only mean in the majority OF
studies, the influence of the Christian
teacher. There is no such thing as Il
| Christian course of mathematics or an
evangelistic department OF chemistry,
| Though DIR. Whitsett's sad fate would
lead one to believe that there Is Bap-
| fist science of history. which is indepen-
| dent of the facts.) And even the educa-
| ton of man in theology does not make
| Christian of him. We cannot ask
| for anything better than the Influence
of Christian professors and the Christian
ministry at our schools, both Church and
State, and we rejoice to see these influ-
ences anywhere.
Another fanacy is the cOnfounding of
church education with Christian educa-
ton. We believe in UNCONVENTIONAL
schools most heartily as Davidson and
our excellent Presbyterian colleges for
girls well know. Every church should
have them wherever possible. But
schools which are under the control Of
some denomination are not the only
Christian schools. And for our part, we
hope that as North Carolina refused to
Al hn ,,,thI liz .
at the bidding of the Romish priesthood.
so it shall not close its State institutions
or refuse them the most liberal support,
under the pretense, that because they are
not controlled in the interest of some
one denomination, they are therefore
''inimical to Christian institutions and
Christian denominations" We are not
afraid of any such result. In fact if the
Recorder and its allies keep up their con-
tention much longer we may be com
PEELED to protest against too great an in
crease in State appropriations and too
large an enrolment in the State institu-
tions. For according to rhe Recorders
own testimony. since this agitation be-
gan, both appropriations and enrolment
have increased.
The Recorder evidently does not under
stand our reference to Presbyterian his.
| tory. We will let Thomas Carlyle ex5
plain:
''There is an inspiration in such people;
one may say in a more special sense. the
| inspiration of the Almighty giveth them
understanding Honor to all the brave
and true; everlasting honor to brave old
Knox. one of the truest of the true! That,
| in the moment when he and his cause,
amid civil broils. in CONFUSION and con-
| fusion, were still but struggling for life.
he sent the schoolmaster forth to all
corners. and said, Let the people be
| taught