The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-07-09
THEIR POSITION
Tho Question as Whether Cath.
olics Object to
State Schools Answered Plainly
by a Writer.
DO Catholics object to

| Question L. DO Catholics object to
state schools?
Certainly they do, answers Fiscar
harrison in the New World. Their
good sense demands it and their prot
cSts have become known throughout
the whole United States. Bishop,
priests and prominent laymcn have
raised the voice of protest, both in pub
lie and private, in their diocesan syn-
DDS and general councils, in their state
and national conventions. They have
emphasized their protests all over the
country by building their own schools
and Keeping their children out of the
state schools. y priest that has no
parochial school connected with his
parish is in our days considered to be
Il negligent pastor of his flock This
OF course is said of pastors i'll places
where there is Il possibility for Il
school to exist. And even in such
places it is the duty of Il good priest
to look forward to create the posi-
bility.
Such is the sentiment in the Catholic
church of the United States in regard
to parochial schools. Does this not
argue decpfclt opposition to state
schools: Ii there are some odd nom
entities among Catholics, who venture
| to differ in their opinions in regard to
| st1o 81,
| bodies of men, so in the Catholic
church. the rit1ratl will come to the
| top carried by the powerful stream,
! because it is lighter and not so sub
stantial. Will the stream cease to flow
Oh account of such rffratf, or will it
not rather float it along as Il thing of
no consequence! So it is certain that
Catholics do most vehemcntly, in word
and deed protest against public
schools, and their protests will soon
grow into Il rcsistlesS torrent that will
wash away the foundations of these
schools. But our fellow citizens will
have Il right to ask and receive salts
factory answer to the Question No.
,. Why do they object to state schools?
1t is with them Il matter of con-
science. They believe that children
must be brought UP good Christians.
They are, moreover, convinced that
this religious bringing-up must be in
terwOven into the secular education
and must form Il part of it. They are
convinced that this secular education
without this religious element acts like
an insiduOus poison and raises Il god
less generation, destructive of the M
ton, both spiritually and materially.
Hence they will none of it, But this
reason none but Catholics are able full
ly to appreciate. Intidels will not COIL
cede it; protcStantS will not see the
full bearing of it, and so-calcd states
men and political economists are too
short sighted to understand it fully.
On this account Catholics cannot bring
it forth as IL convincing argument in
this country. But they can give other
and very urgent reasons for their OPP
position to schools. Here is one of
them.
One Of the greatest statesmen and
rulers once said. "Letat, cest moi"
Myself, 1 am the state" He came
as near to right definition as most
of those who labor in trying to define
Il 'state." A state is nothing else than
the nation itself as represented by it's
rulers and it's laws. The individual
citizen agrees to let certain persons
in the nation transact for him such
public affairs as will be conducive to
the welfare of all and which ut the
time cannot be attended to properly
by individuals. What each one can
do just as well or better for himself,
he will wish or ut least should wish
to reserve for his own activity, be-
cause it would unnecessarily infringe
on his personal liberty, which is the
most precious prerogative of man on
earth. Before God and his conscience
every man is obliged to exercise and
preserve his personal liberty, because
that is what constitutes him as man
and is the most precious element of all
activity and most worthy of Il creature
of the Almighty. Since God wishes
him to reserve as much Of his own
individuality as possible no man can
give to the ruler of state more than
is necessary for the general welfare
of Il secular state. If he cannot give
it, then the ruler, or those in authority
cannot accept it, if offered; and as
soon as the ruler, or those in author
ity claim more than they can receive,
then they are illegal and tyrannus.
Any laws of this kind that are passed
by him or by Il vote of the majority
are null and void; they are criminal,
evil, unjust, ungodly, not to be obeyed,
but to be resisted.
Now, remember, Il state is altogether
founded on the material well-bcing Of
men. not on their supernatural or
heavenly interests, but always in such
II way that the manner of procuring
the material interests that will in no
respect whatever interfere or harm
the supernatural interests or the rela-
tions of the citizens with the Almighty.
Hence it is easily sccn,. how much