Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-13
PROTEST FROM CATHOLICS
DECLARATION AGAINST PRESENT
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM
Representatives of Catholic Colleges
Place Themselves on Record
at Chicago Conference.

declaration of the Catholic position on
,ducation in the United States was adopted
today al the closing session Of the national
conference of the Association of Catholic
colleges The resolutions comprising the
declaration received the unanimous assent
Il IN" representatives of seventy different
r'lieges-prac tically the entire collegiate
system Of the Catholic Church in America
Tn" delegates on adjourning were enthusi-
dstic over the results of their labors feel
ing confident that the conference has been
Il marked success.
The declaration adopted was as follows:
First-Tnat this association of Catholic
colleges request its president Rt Rev
lf'maS j. Contay. respectfully to call the
attention of the bishops of the United
states at their annual meeting. to the
work of this conference in regard to our
collegiate conditions, and especially to the
Importance of the high school moy ement
Second-That the tendency of educational
IrSlSlatIon FORCES us to warn our Catholic
people of the systematic and wel-defined
effort in certain quarters toward absolute
state control in education, thereby threat
enIng and Gripping all private educational
Effort thus depriving large class of this;
citizens of the liberty of maintaining
schools in which their religion shall be
made an essential element.
Ghird-That We remind legislators of the
rights of conscience guaranteed to US by
our American citizenship and call their at
tention TO the system of schools which our
people have maintained at great expense
and sacrifice.
Fourth-That we protest against the I'M
fair and unjust Determinations resulting
from much of the educational legislation
ana "" appeal to the observation-disclosures and
~,'rse Of justice of the American people to
protect us from such illiberality.
Fifth-That this conference of Catholic
colleges convinces us that are justiflees
in asserting that our college system de-
serves the generous cooperation of all in
tefest"d in higher Catholic education; and
We lletSe ourselves to use every effort to
perfect still more our collegiate conditions.
SlNth-Ihat We call upon all Catholics to
recognize the imperative need of a more
perfect organization of our educational sys-
TEN, and We assure them that with a fuller.
Development Of the Catholic high school we
shall have complete system. with it's
h"adShip in the university. and thus we
shall continue to maintain Il high collegiate,
STANDARD
y cabegram of congratulation was re-
c-ired from Pope Leo XII at Rome The
message read as follows:
ROME. April II. 1901.
Mgr Thomas J. Conaty. president of the
Conference of Catholic Colleges:
The holy father thanks YOU for the good
wishes expressed by You in the name OF
The conference of Catholic Colleges. and
t,estows most heartily the apostolic bene-
fiction. CARDINAL RAMPOLIA
The ca5legram was in answer 10 a mes
NTSe which the convention sent to the
pope when it convened.
III: IplONlng officers were chosen to
serve during the ensuing year: President.
Right Rev Thomas J. COnaty. D. D. rec
'"r "1 the Catholic University, Washing
ton: secretary and treasurer, Rev. Jonn
conway. s. j., GOnzaga College. Washing
ton, D c.; members of the standing COM
mittce-Augustinians Rev Lawrence A.
lriurey. Fiilanoya College. Nillanova, Pa;
f;enedictnes, Rev. Vincent Huber. St.
Evdc'S College, Peru Ill: Fathers of the
iIoiy Cross. Rev. James French Notre
Dame University. Notre Dame. Ind; Dioc-
-stfn. Rev. William l.. O'Hara, Mount St
Mary,s College, Emrnittsburg. Md; Jesuts,
Rev John Conway. Gonzaga College Wash
iuston. d c.
Great interest attached to the closing
Hddrcs of the president Of the conference,
Mgr. Conaty of Washington, d. c.
He spoke follows:
Gentlemen of the conference: The work
III our third annual gathering is at an end.
Its word Is the word of organization, the
word Of unifcation in education. You are
I" be congratulated that the days spent
together in elaboration have been Wit
Ncsses of benefit to our cole giate instrUc-
ton The difficult problem of entrance
'.nditions has had its first answer. Care
fully prepared and admirably well deliver
III papers have been presented to us for
serious reflection The teaching of the
Important branches of science history.
English and Greek have been treated in
e. mastery manner, and the committee
appointed Tor that purpose will report to
The next conference a practical way to in
'.rpoYate into our system the valuable
N'sStStlPHN Nilch nave peen mate me
attention of Catholic educators has been
directed u the need OF development OF the
H.gh school movement as an essential ele-
mHnt TO our educational success. while the
study ahorded 10 us OF the plan and pur-
Jose OF tdicatIonal legislation should open
inc eyes OF All 10 me hangers which threat
'H our liberty OF conscience by thr ten
Isucy toward absolute state control over
an agencies in education. thus crushing all
iN"lNlIVai eh9Ft ana cf'ppii2S all attempts
at private schools. II which our religion IS
" .dr an essential factor
W e. are CltiZenS as Wei as Christians.
-tNd W. refuse 10 b-nd the knee 10 the
i.ti'h OF state pateiHalISIn. ami claim. b.
virtue OF our citizenship. IN" right 10 tdE-