The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-07
The Roman Catholics and the Con-
stitutiOn.

StltutlOn.
We print to-day letter from one OF
the Paulist Fathers in which he seems
to express a hope that 1t will be possible
to get round this clause Of the Consti-
tuition of New York respecting public
education:
ARTICLE IX SECTION 4. Neither tho State
nor any subdivision thereof shall use its property
or credit or any public money or authorize or
permit either to be used, directly or indirectly.
in aid or maintenance other than for examination
and Inspection, OF any school or institution ofleam-
ing wholly or in part under the control or direction
of any religious denomination. or In which any
denomlnational tenet or doctrine Is taught"
Father McMILLANs theory seems to
be that the clause, "other than for ex-
animation and inspection affords a
loophole for legislation to admit religious
schools to participation in the distribu-
ton Of the school fund. He finds some
thing Ambiguous in the clause; but to
us it is open to no such interpreted
ton. 1t simply authorizes expenditures
for examinations and inspections con-
Quoted by the Regents to determine tho
fitness OF sectarian institutions Of learn
ing to confer degrees, and also for in
spections conducted by various other
public officers for other purposes.
The Roman Catholic Church is stag
gering under burden OF maintaining
it's parochial schools which was vOlun-
tarily assumed by it, and, naturally
enough, it desires to shift the load on the
State, in whole or in part; but by the
section of the Constitution We have
cited such support from the school fund
is plainly prohibited. That Church can
get nothing more than examination and
inspection of its institutions, unless the
Constitution of the State Of New York
shall be amended by the votes of the
people.
Now, is it advisable for that Church
or for any other to force this question
before the people? Undoubtedly, Catho-
lies now have the sympathy of individual
Professionals in their principle that re-
ligion should be made the basis of public
education and that, accordingly, re-
ligious schools Of the various denomina-
lions should be allowed to participate
in the distribution Of the school fund.
The Rev. Mr. GEER has expressed that
sympathy very decidedly. But If there
came a political campaign to amend
the Constitution in accordance with it,
how much of Protestant support would
the Catholic hierarchy receive practi-
cally? In our opinion, it would be very
little.
OF all the different religious denomina-
tons, the only one which has an ex-
tended system of religious parochial
schools is the Roman Catholic. Prot
estants, therefore, would argue against
the amendment that practically only the
Roman Catholics would profit by it, and
probably the question would be fought
over with Protestants squarely on one
side and Catholics on the other.
1t is not for the interest of the Roman
Catholic Church or for the interest OF
religion generally that any such conflict
should be precipitated. 1t would cause
no end of bad blood. Correspondence
we have printed indicates that any at
tempt to divert the school fund to de-
nominational schools of any kind would
be bitterly resented by Professionals, by
Jews and by that great majority Of the
people made up of inf1dels and those in
different to religion or distrlstful of the
organized Churches.
1t would be lamentable conflict, and
our advice to the Roman Catholic Church
is to keep out of it. The attempt, we are
confident, would be unsuccessful, and
tho making Of it could only serve to re-
vive the now happily dispelled animosity
against that Church and distrust Of
its motives which infamed passions so
violently fifty years ago.