The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-12
PASSIVE RESISTANCE TO SECTA-
RAN SCHOOLS.

England Is upon OHe eve VI oHOshSA
struggle for freedom of religion. A gen.
Grafton has passed since the non-Conform-
lists refused to pay a rate to support the
esta blished Episcopal Church. They re-
garded that as not only an injustice but
as a restraint of conscience to which they
would not submit. They did not submit.
They refused to pay, some OF them were
sent to prison, thousands had their goods
distrained upon, but they won their fight
They are fact to face with another like
fight over an attempt to compel them to
pay for and send their children to secta-
ran schools. 1t is thus described in the
Outlook by Rev. C. Sylvester Horne,
chairman of the London Congregational
Union:
ssAs soon as the Education Bill of 1902
was introduced, the Nonconformsts pro-
tested that new church rate was being
levied under the guise of an education
rate The reason for this was that the
schools of the Church of England were
now to be put upon the rates, and yet
were to remain under denominatlonal
management. Our contention his hitherto
been that as soon as an institution be-
comes State institution it must cease to
be sectarianl This invaluable constitution
al principle has now been ignored The
Nonconformist ratepayer will pay his
money to Church of England schools. and
will lose his ancient privilege OF control-
ing the expenditure OF his own money.
American readers should understand that
in eight thousand parishes in England and
Wales there is only one public elementary
school available in each parish, and that
that school is under Church OF England
auspices, and that all children in the par
ish are by law compelled to attend it. The
Nonconformist therefore asserts that the
new education rate is worse than the old
Church rate. The old Church rate went
to keep up the parish church, but at least
the Nonconformist was not compelled to
attend the parish church. The new educa-
ton rate goes to support sectarian
school, and Nonconformist children are
compelled to attend this school. To under
stand the intensity of the Free Church
opposition to his new system something
must be known of the social and religious
conditions which prevail today in many
parts OF England. The power of the Es-
tablished Church in thousands of parishes
Is almost absolute The squire of the par
ish, who probably owns most of the land,
expects his tenant to be loyal to the
Church of England; and multitudes of la
borers and small shopkeepers are given
TO understand that their very livelihood
depends on their conformity to the will of
the squire and the parson. The latter is
very usually, nowadays, what is known as
High Church. The old priestly notion of
the ministry has been revived with great
success. He repudiates the name Prot
estant. He regards the Nonconformist as
schismatic and hereto, and the child
rem of Nonconformists as proper subjects
for his priestly influence. Even the
Pilot, which is an Anglican weekly pa
per OF conspicuous moderation and great
influence due to its statesmanlike opin-
ions. declares that if the Church of Eng
land is to be -Protestanized ten thousand
elergymen must be turned out. These men
are interested in the movement for re-
union with Rome, and their teaching is
hardly dIstlnguishable from that of Rome.
The schools which these men manage are
the most valuable fundamentally they
possess for proselytizing young England
Backed up, therefore, by the social in
f1uenee Of the squirearchy, they are able
to make the position of the independent
Nonconformist almost intolerable. He may
be strong enough to take his own line so
FAR as worshipping at a Nonconformist
chapel is concerned, but when he sees his
own children's mind set against him and
the faith he holds most dear, he is driven
to the very verge of rebellion. So that
when now he is required not only to expose
his children to this peril, but to pay his
rate that they may be seduced from their
principles, he is astonishing the Govern
ment by asserting fatty that he will not
pay, but will suffer loss of goods or even
Imprisonment"
1t is singular, in this day of religious
freedom that any country should seek to
compel members of all churches to pay