Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-24
ParochiaI Schools Plan Adopted.

! The first afternoon session Of the as
| sembly was held yesterday. The report
Of the Ad Interim Committee on Paro-
chial Schools, which was before the as
sembly when the body adjourned. was
again taken up. DR. Walden, the author
| OF the amendment to the report. again
took the floor. and for three quarters of
an hour he advocated its adoption.
| DR. Walden began by calling attention
| TO the fact that the issue drawn between
the substitute and the report Is sharp and
| clear The issue is not nOn-Chrstian
education against Christian education
The substitute is positive, and calls for
education under Christian and Presbyte-
rian influence. The real issue between the
two papers is that the report calls for
schools under ecclesiastical control, while
the substitute calls for schools under
Christian influence.
In the next place, the distinction made
by Drs. Shearer and Summey as to the
difference between control ANA admins
tration was answered by showing that the
distinction made involves an admission
as to the point contended for, and. in
reality. does not answer TO objection
brought against the theory Of the
Church's mission underlying the commit
tees report.
The speaker then addressed himself to
that the theory of the Church propOund-
ed by the committees report is i'm oppo-
sition to the theory OF the Church, as
held by the Southern Presbyterian de-
nomination, as an institution for the
realization Of the idea of grace He then
enlarged upon the history of the Church.
showing that there was never a clear
definition OF the Churchs mission as be-
ing non-secular or spiritual, until 1861.
The necessity drove our Southern Pres
byterldn fathers TO found our Church as
a distinct organization. Broad churchism
is clamOring for the extension OF the
Church. hI;.sioD TO all the phases OF hu-
man life, for which fertile source we
have the modern tendcGcy toward moral
legislative reform. Two tendencies are at
work i'm modern life-one is paternalism
in the State the other is ecclesiastical
paternalism in the Church. TO commit
the Church 10 the theory of the Church
control OF education is a violation Of the
true doctrine Of the Church.
SPEAKS FOR THE REPORT.
DIT Walden was followed by DR.. Kerr
chairman OF the committee, who spoke
for the second time in favor of the re-
port. The parochial schools, he contend
ed were the foundation of the colleges and
universities. The children should be
trained III TtHSious principles IN the
formative period Of their life and
when they BECAME II or l6 years old it
would not matter who got hold of them
The whole object of the Church's educa-
ton is TO bring a man up to Cod and yet,
he said, we are told that the Church has
no right 10 assume functions which be-
long TO the family He read letters adj
vocating the parOehial school system
from Rev. DR.. 7. ID. Witherspoon, Dr.
Robert H. Dabney. and others.
DR.. Kerr deprecated the idea advanced
i'm the amendment. OF me esta blishmen.
of private schools. which he said, would |
only be controlled by that misty thing
called influence
The Church is doing more than the
State to-day for education i'm this coun- |
try. and in support of this contention he |
quoted figures furnished by DR.. w. T.
Harris. Superintendent OF Public Instruc-
ton. Mr.. Cleveland had said to him Che |