The Irish standard., 1905-04-01

estant religions were taught for halt
an hour each day. Such, however, is
not the Canadian system, nor is it the
law proposed for the two new prov.
inces. The Minneapolis Journal re.
Gently expressed horror at the idea
that Sir Wilfrid Laurier proposed to
| allow separate schools In the two new
provinces, and we could not help but
think at the time that we read the
Journals editorial that SO out of every
100 people that read the article would
be led into believing that Protestants
were compelled to support schools in
which the Catholic religion was
taught. Perhaps the editor of the
Journal believes that way himself. 1t
requires only superficial study of the
Canadian system to disabuse ones
mind of such an idea. From most any
point of view that can be taken the
Canadian system is more thoroughly
representative and more democratic
than our own for it allows the people
to select for themselves their own re-
ligious instruction and to pay for it
out of their own pockets. While our
system of public schools is perhaps
the best that can be obtained for our
country it nevertheless lacks the rep
resentative qualities of the Canadian
system. Every school in this country
is sectarian. A public school in which
no religious instruction is given or in
which no religious coloring is given to
the secular instruction is an agnostic
school and Is sectarian as truly as a
Baptist or a Methodist school would
be unless it be assumed by those who
oppose Christian instruction that it is
better to be brought up an agnostic
and a dis-believer than to be brought
up in the Christian faith of some other
church than the one to which the OBJ
jector belongs. That seems to be the
animus of those opposing Sir Will
frid Laurier's action. And it seems
to be assumed on the part of the peo-
pie in this country that these laws
are passed exclusively for Catholics.
Such is not the case. Any denomina-
tion may petition for separate schools.
1t is true that Catholics petition more
often than all other denominations
because Catholics are more DESTROYS
of teaching their children in the re-
ligious faith of their fathers. Catho-
lies of the United States would be the
last people in the world to ask Prot
estants to pay for the support Of Cath
Ole schools. In this country they will
ingly support their own schools and
pay their fair proportion toward the
support of public schools which are to
say the least, non-religious, and, there
fore, great deal more dangerous
than schools in which some religion is
taught, for Catholics scarcely enter
tain the idea toward Protestant re-
ligious instruction that has been en-
tertained toward Catholic schools.
The late Senator Vest of Missouri,
speaking in the United States Senate
on the school question said that there
are people in this country who believe
that an Indian child bad better die an
utter unbeliever than to be educated
by the Society of Jesus or in the
Catholic church. This is not the Cath
Ollie attitude toward religious instruc-
ton even though that instruction be
non-Catholic. 1t is better that some
religion be taught in school than that
none be taught. The Canadian sys-
TEN does justice to Al per cent OF
Canada's population in that it allows
that portion Of the people to support
their own schools through the regular
system OF taxation and thus have their
children receive the desired religious
instruction without paying double for
it. In the United States Catholics and
others who desire their children to re-
ceive religious instruction pay twice
for they are taxed the same as other
pcOple ttllu luey dIc COIllpelleu 10 sup
port parochial schools besides. A lit
tie intelligent consideration of such
questions as these with true en-
deavor to be honest in the matter
would be a great deal better for every
body concerned. 1t will not do for
Americans to ignorantly condemn in
telligent efforts of other people.
In Ontario the great majority of the
population is Protestant, and there it
has always been the right of the Cath
olic minority to petition for separate
schools. In Quebec the great mass of
the people are Catholics and it has
always been the privilege of the Prot
estant minority to petition for separ
ate schools. Certainly no true Ameri
can would claim that the 50 per cent
OF non-C Catholics in Canada should
have the right to establish schools to