The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1903-01-03
THE CT THOL/C PRIEST rs
AND PUBLIC EDUCA-
TON IN MAINE.

TON IN MAINE.
We had occasion to read this
week a most interesting pam
phlet, entitled "A Study of the
Schools of Northeastern Maine, .
issued by Mr.. w. w. Stetson,
superintendent of schools in that
State. Mr.. Stetson gives a brief
history of the settlement OF
Northeastern Maine and of the
growth of it's public school sys-
tenn.
The fact that that section is in
habited by Acadians makes Mr..
Stetson's booklet unusually in
teresting to the people of South
western Louisiana. The story
of the expulsion of the Acadians,
familiar to most of our readers,
is told in an entertaining style
and the racial characteristics Gus
toms and traditions of our cous-
ms on the bleak coast of New
England are very cleverly por-
trayed. It will no doubt be a
source of satisfaction to the peo-
pie here to know that their
kindred who found homes on the
hospitable shores OF Maine have
preserved their good qualities
and to-day are esteemed a
worthy portion of one of the
great commemorative of the
North. But it is rather their
educational development than
their commendable traits that
we wish to dwell upon. Mr..
Stetson gives US an interesting
history of their schools and
shows how adverse conditions
have been met and overcome
and how, to-day, public schools,
well managed and largely at
tended, are to be seen through
out the settlement, teaching to
the Acadian childr rem the Ian
guage of the country and the
duties of American citizenship.
A distinguishing trait of the
Acadians of Maine is their I'M
swerving fealty to the Catholic
church. They have the true
Acadian attachment to their re-
ligion, and are wont to seek the
advice of their priests even in
affairs which are not purely
spiritual, but fortunately for
their welfare the advice which
they have received regarding
their relations with the public
schools has been of most en-
lightened character. The in
telligent clergymen of that coun-
try have not considered their
support of public education in
compatible with an honorable
discharge Of their clerical duties.
They rather believed that educa-
ton and religion go hand in
hand, that as the two greatest
militant forces of civilization they
receive the earnest, &C
tive support of all the well
wishers of the race.
The rapid growth of the pub
lie school system among the
.cadians of Northeastern Maine
has been in great measure due
TO the cooperation of the Catho-
ic priests to whom Mr.. Stetson
pays the following deserved tri-
oute:
The circulars issued have been sent to the Z
lergymen of these towns, and by them have =
'een brought before the parents, teachers +
nd children in such give them 7
full understanding of the instructions which l
hey contained. They have voluntarily read 7
hem to their people both in French and =
English and explained their meaning with a q
that has borne grea, results. +
hey have shown in marked way their G
vmpathy with the reforms which have been +
laugurated and their desire to make them +
seful to their people. The parents and I
1iidren have been instructed by their
,irtual advisers as to what their duties are +
the matter of attendance, conduct, obe- v
ence, and studiousness. They have been f,
Id in terms which it was easy for them to f
aderstand that 1t was for their. interest as r
ell as their moral duty to follow the in t.
ructions given and make the largest posi- a.
{ use of the schools which are provided. a.
iysc fi,ns hav We been given as TO the care Of p