The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-09-23
THE WEEKLY JOURNAL.
AN UNFORTUNATE DISCUSSION.

~N~V SsNNANNS'f-@ passed through an unfortunate con- troyersy over the school question from the point of view of school adminis- tration. Involving as it did religious preferences and religious distinctions, the outcome of the trial of strength or its accompanying interpretation by popular will of the understanding of democratic institutions cannot be re- ceived with satisfaction by either par ty to the contest. Every controversy in free country like this which brings into conflict religious differences of opinion must be counted public loss, whichever way decided. The result does not wipe out the bad feelings provoked nor does it make its contri- button to the principle of universal brotherhood,
 The city of Middletown is nearly equally divided in it's school children as regards their religious beliefs There are nearly as many Roman Catholics as there are Protestants. The former have for years provided excel lent instruction for their children at the expense of the faithful, They have fine school building and an excel lent corps of teachers Some time ago the suggestion was made by Father Donovan of St. Johns church that it's parochial school would be given rent free to the school district provided the right to select the teachers and man. agement of the school should remain in the hands of the reverend father That is to say, the city of Middletown should take over the financing of the parochial school but otherwise leave the administration of it in the hands of the church authorities. This sug- gestion, as we understand 1t, was made by Father Donovan to the board of school commissioners. which dodg- ed 1t and put 1t squarely up to the vot- CTS. At a town meeting held last week a substitute resolution was introduced and referred to the people which de- clared for the taking over of the pa- rochial school by the school board subject to its rules, the laws of the State governing the administration of public schools and to such additional rules and regulations as the contract ing parties might make. It was this proposition, which in no material way modified the proposal of Father Dono- van, that was voted upon by the resi- dents of Middletown on Friday and defeated.
 While 1t was inconceivable that the citizens of Middletown should ever agree to thus introduce a religious controversy into the management of the schools of that city 1t Is pity nevertheless that the proposal was permitted to get as far as it did. There is no qualification to be taken in re- Iigious quarrel, however it comes out and there is a great deal to deplore in a controversy involving religious diff ferences which comes into touch with political methods of settlement. Theo- retically the Catholics of Middletown have a grievance against the school policy of that city because they are obliged to submit to taxation for the support of the public schools in spite of the fact that they maintain an excel lently administered school of their own. Similarly those have a grievance who, having no children or having children whom they are educating at private Institutions, are obliged to sub init to the school tax The Catholics may with truth declare that as good instruction is given in their school as is given in the public schools, but they cannot on that account say with truth they are therefore entitled to the use of the public treasury. If that should be permitted then the various Protest ant church schols, of which there are many in the State of Connecticut, could step to the office of their school board and demand their share of the public treasure. It is to avoid such conflicts of judgment and conflicts of benefit that Connecticut has establish ed the rule and the practice that while the public schools of the State shall be supported out of the common fund they shall exercise no discrimination in welcoming pupils either on account of their color or their race or their re- ngion. All are to be cared for as they appear, though this concession is made, that if parents prefer to edu' cate their children in private schools they may do so provided they obey