The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-09-28
MAKE rHEm NON-SECTARIAE.

During the sixteen years of it's pub
LEGATION the Irish Standard has been
the friend of the public schools, de-
spite the fact that they are not quite
satisfactory to the Catholic citizens of
the United States. Our principal OBJ
lection to the public schools as now
conducted is not the absence of rel
igious instruction but the prevalence
Of sectarianism. The literature is en-
tirely Protestant and consequently an
ti-Catholic. Secularize the schools
and change their sectarian character,
and then no reasonable person of any
religious denomination will have Just
cause for complaint
The Professionals are in the major
ity in this country and seem to have
but little regard for the honest reli
gious convictions of the minority, else
they would favor the secularization of
the schools and Danish sectarianism
forever from these temples of learn
ing in which the great mass of the
people receive an ordinary intellectual
training for the secular affairs of life.
| No religious exercises should be car
ried on in the public schools, and
teachers should he prohibited from in
fiicting their peculiar religious notions
on the children committed to their
charge. Parents who desire teachers
to impart religious instruction should
send their children to UNCONVENTIONAL
schools
A few weeks ago in North Tona-
wanda, N. Y, a public high school
was dedicated with religious exer-
cises. Among the invited guests was
Rev. Father Cronin, the able editor
of the Buffalo Union and Times. At
the close of the dedcatoly address by
State Superintendent Skinner the
priest arose and asked the privilege
of making few remarks pertinent to
the occasion. The request being
granted, Father Cronin said:
II beg to disclaim in advance the
slightest intent to give offense to any
one in the declaration l am about to
make. have been kindly invited to
the platform, but 1 prefer to remain
upon the floor, where, in my capacity
as citizen, not as clergyman, 1 wish to
enter a respectful protest against the
religious features of these dedicatory
exercises, and indeed against the rel
igious element which has been infused
into our public school system at large
81 maintain, sir, that the obtained
custom of introducing religious feat
ures of any sort in connection with
public school exercises is direct vi
olation of the letter and spirit of THE
law governing our system of public
education. The very corner stone OF
that system is the absolute divorce Of
religious manifestations from every
and any phase of our state schools.
The chapel exercises. therefore, OF
whatever nature are against the law;
so also are Bible readings, hymn sing
fngs and prayers of every description;
and to these 1 may add the habit Of
delivering 'baccalaureate sermons in
sectarian churches.
why should tie children of Heb
rev parents, for instance, who do not
believe in the Founder of Christianity,
be subjected to such practices? Why
should Catholic children have a YER
sion of the Scriptures read to them
which their church rejects? Why
should they be expected to join in
Protestant prayers and hymns?
80 jealous has the State Superin
tendent of Education-the gentleman
who has just addressed you-been on
this question, that he excluded from
the public school room ladies of rec
ognized ability as teachers, because
they wore a religious garb. No law
exists in this commonwealth discrimi-
mating as to the dress that teachers
shall wear; but the gentleman found
one in Pennsylvania and he colonized
! it hither to aid his contention. And
yet by notable Inconsistency, the same
gentleman openly permits a glazing
violation of the law along the lines 1
have pointed out.
what then? Am l opposed to
religion as factor in education? Quite
the reverse. hold, on the contrary,
with numbers of our public person
ages of light and leading that the
training Of the moral nature of the
child must go hand in hand with its
mental development; that the seeds Of
honesty, chastity, justice and other
virtues should be implanted in the
plastic heart of youth; that otherwise
our nation will be honeycombed with
crime, and that in the words of Lloyd
Garrison, our prime criminals will be
the educated ones But I have dealt
with our public school system as it
now exists; and repeat that as long
as it thus stands. all semblance of re-
ligion connected Herewith is contrary
to its fundamental principle"