Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-24
the EnsIiah elections.

The EmHktah ElectlOnbs
OMAHA, Jan. 2S.-To the Editor of The
Bee: whenever a man undertakes to In
form everybody concerning everything II
Is inevitable that he viii trip up many
times. Mr.. Frederic Hasklns, Of course
does. Let me correct an error Of his which
occurs In his article in this evenings Bee.
In II he makes the assertion that the
Church OF England is seeking to control
the public schools. Nothing could be much
farther from the truth. The contention OF
English churehmen is that religious educa-
ton IN the public schools should be aoso-
lutely fair and impartial. They maintain
that every child shall be taught the re-
ligion of Us parents, whether the child be
Christian br Jew; whether the child be Of
church parents or OF nonconformist. Fur
Their, they insist tina the child shall be
taught this by teachers who really oelieve
what they are teaching.
The late Parliament was overwhelmingly
nonconformisL and It has sought steadily
TO enforce a system Of religious education
which was odious to churchmen and which
it called undenominational 1t failed in It's
purpose to do this. although 1t formulated
four education bills with this object in
view. one Of it's bills passed in the lower
house, but ii was so obviously unfair that
the House. of Lords rejected 1t. The other
three bills were Withdrawn by the govern
ment itself on account of the determined
resistance of lay churchmen and the clergy.
The archbishop OF Canterbury and a ma
jority OF tho bishops entered into a COM
promise on the education question with the
nonconformist minister OF education; but
the moment the terms of the compromise
became known 1t was absolutely ~repudiated
by the leading chprchmen OF England. Tn
bishobs suiked and the bill was withdrawn.
The purpose OF the ministry was to as
sault the Church Of England in the re-
lfefous teaching OF the young. 1t stood
ready to make concessions 10 the Jews and,
to an extent, 70 Roman Catholics; but II
was relentless to Anglieans,
The present election turned as much on
the education question as upon tariff re-
form or the budget. rs the elections are
swinging the hold Of the nonconformists
on the education question is gone. They
are already in a hopeless minority and can
only hold office by the grace OF the Irish
nationalist. who are going TO give their
support only In return for such legislation
a. they shall demand for Ireland, TIL
liberals, as such, have no love for the
Irish, except as they may be able to use
them for their own purposesi and the ma
tionalists have as little love for the lib
erals as they have for the uniouists. II
the liberals are willing TO accept office by
a coalition with the nationalists, the latter
viii turn when out OF office, unless they
obtain what they win demand in the form
OF Irish home rule. Mr.. Asquith is not a
Gladstone and he Is not at all likely to
swing the entire liberal strength for home
rule. He win hardly hold office for six
months as things are going. England Itself
is evidently going against him, and his
hold on public office viii be more than
preearious n he has to depend upon the
grace OF the nationaiists 70 keep him in
Il. The unlonists may be a little better
off, but not much. II the liberals go out,