The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-06-13
Conversations Of Our Club
By Orestes A. Brownson

Having got through with the courts
and law of the land, the debaters, in
this number discuss the school ques-
ton in it's various phases. 1t will be
seen that the situation has not
changed very much during the past
half century.
Therefore" added O'Flanagan,
when not goddess, they are devilish;
for all sectarianism, | take it, is from
the devil No education at all is bet
ter than either The example of my
own countrymen proves it. The ras-
cally usurping Saxons, in their hatred
of the Catholic religion and the Celtic
race, took from us our churches, broke
up our institutions of learning, pro-
hibited, under the severest penalties,
the establishment of Catholic
schools, and forbid the Catholic par
ent to teach his own children even
letters. They compelled us, to fear
full extent, to choose between educa-
ton and religion. We chose religion
with ignorance and poverty, rather
than heresy with wealth and knowl-
edge. We could only teach our chill
dren their prayers and their cate
chism. Taught this much, however il
faith, maintained their integrity and
the honor of their religion and their
country, and there is not in the whole
world a people to compare with them
in wit, faith, piety morality, and
solid worth"
1.-The Catholic Irish people," added
Winslow. Too much in our age, and
especially in our country, is made of
the mere secular education of what
are very improperly called, the
Masses You cannot do the best you
can, give thorough education to all
the children of the land, and the
smatering of learning acquired in
common schools, is often worse than
nothing. Better not know how to read
at all, than to read only lying news
paper, or a yellow covered romance.
A little learning is a dangerous thing,
Drink deep or taste not the Pierian
spring;
There shallow draughts intoxicate the
brain,
But drinking largely sobers us again.
Thus sang one of Englands Catholic
poets. The life, intelligence, and
rank of a nation depend on the thor
ough education, the high culture and
mental discipline of its natural aris
tocracy, not on the simple ability of
the many to read, write, and cipher
The national schools in Ireland are
producing a great change in the Irish
people. but l have not learned that it
is a change in favor of religion and
morality Educate the few as much
as you please. but for the many it
suffices that they be taught their pray
ers and their catechism."
There can be no question" re-
marked Diefenbach, among Catho-
lies with regard to the absolute neces-
sity of moral and religious education
1t is so important, so necessary, that
Almighty God has appointed, set
apart, and consecrated by a special
sacrament a class of teachers to look
after it. But l should like to be in
formed how much more moral and re-
ligious education those of your chill
dren receive, who run at large in the
streets, who are kept at work, or beg
ging, by their parents, than those re-
ceive who attend the public schools"
I'm your country" said De Bonnie
vile, where you have no state re-
ligion, where you have multitude of
conflicting sects, and where the state
recognizes the equal rights of them
ALL and its obligation to respect equal
ly the conscience of all it's citizens, it
is impossible to establish a system of
public schools, in which moral and re-
ligious instruction shall be part of
the education given. The state must
confine itself to secular education,
and such very general moral and re
ligious principles as everybody ac-
cepts."
Therefore" said Winslow, 81 would
have no system of public schools, and
would leave education to parents, to
the church, and to each sect for it.
self"
Where authority, either civil or
ecclesiastical does not intervene" re-
piled Diefenbach, comparatively few
parents will take the trouble to pro.
vide for the education of their chill
dren. In England and the United
States, laws have been needed to force
parents to let their children be edu
Gated, by prohibiting them from en-
ploying them under a certain age in
the factories, and without a certain