Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-29
UNIVERSITY OF NoTRE DAME.
The Catholic viewpoint R~egardIng
Public schools.

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The Catholic viewpoint ReEardIns
Public ehools
In an address which President Cavanaugh
of Notre Dame was invited to deliver at a
convention Of public school teachers OF In
diana on the Catholic viewpoint regarding
public schools, he said: 1T is one Of the
great signs OF modern progress that people
no longer feel obliged to hate one another
for the love Of God. There was a day when
a discussion of this subject would inevi-
tally give out more heat than light, but
among earnest and cultivated people that
day has happily passed. If you cannot
accept the Catholic view, It is at least in
cumbent upon you to respect its sincerity.
1 believe that II there ever was a case in
which earnestness and sincerity were
shown in dissenting from a popular opin-
ion this is that case. There are a million
children in the Catholic parish schools Of
this country. I believe that $25 Is the gen.
ersl estimate of the cost OF educating a
child for one year, and, II 80, those pa
rochisl schools are doing $25.ooO.oOO worth
Of work each year. But suppose, for the
sake of security, that we fix the cost Of
the parish school system at the absurdly
low figure Of s15,O 0O. 900 a year. and then
reflect on what these figures mean. They
mean that our people. out OF their poverty
and their faith, have, in obedience TO a
conscientious scruple, upreared a system OF
schools at a cost which staggers the mag
nation. II we could make use of the pub
lie schools generally and divert this money
into colleges and universities instead Of
into primary schools we should be able to
establish each year a university more
richly endowed than the University of
Chicago; and in half a century we should
have such universities sprinkled over the
whole country In every state of the union.
I believe that you will agree with me that,
whether the Catholic scruple is we'll
founded or not, 1t is worthy of the admira-
ton of all who respect manly character
and loyalty to conscience. and that in view
of all the circumstances It is the most re-
markable fact In the current history OF our
country"
The cosmopolitan character of the stu
dents of Notre Dame is plainly shown by
the personnel of players who took part In
the Junior club comedy. In the cast Of
twenty. thirteen states were represented.
The university has on its register students
from Canada. South America, Japan,
China, Cuba, Porto Rico, the Philippines,
Germany, France, Austria, Belgium, Ire
land, Italy. Russia, Mexico. Spain. When
students are in any number from any for
eign country they Immediately form into
clubs. and without endangering theii
knowledge OF American spirit they keep
alive the spirit OF their own country. Al
most all the states of the union are rep
resented by clubs4 a.. -,--. "
The students OF the department of archi-
lecture spent almost all of the last week
in Chicago at the Art Institute in study
ing the exhibition of the Society of Amer
lean Architects. Accompanied by Prof
A~delsperger, head OF the department. they
made a tour Of inspection Of the principal
buildings with the view OF getting a closer
knowledge of modern architectural engi-
neering. BY submitting reports OF the trir
they will be given credit marks based on
the thoroughness Of the report.
In the peace oratorical contest to de.
termine the representative of Notre Dame
in the state contest, Francis Wenninger OF
Indiana received first place from the
judges. TIL title of his grafton was "Rea.
son versus Force" II was a strong pre-.
sentation of argument ~favorlng arbitration
In any international difficulty.