The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-08-11
Rev. James E ConnelI Replies to Rev
CIR. WILKINSON,

In tne interests OF truth and justice
and fair play, will you kindly allow me
little space to answer the letter of the
Rev. G. r. Williamson concerning the
attitude of Catholics towards the public
schools. | shall endeavor to be as brief
as possible.
AS regards the reverend gentleman's
disquisition on the rights of the preach
ers to cry out against the abettors of
fraud and injustice, we are glad to be
able to say we are in hearty accord with
him. The fact is there was no need of
spending so much time and energy in
trying to prove point which all right
thinking people will readily concede.
But anent the application of his princi-
pie toa certain particular, concrete fact,
that is a horse of quite different color
As the old Latins would put it: "Tot0
c0cLo diSfaL"
Passing over his column and a half of
irrelevant matter, we come to the onus
of his letter. Briefly his thesis is this:
That Catholics are untitled to take part
in the management of the public schools
In his own words The Catholic who
holds a position as officer or
teacher in the public school, will be
from the very nature of the case either
false to his church and true to the
school, or false to the school and true
to the church. He tries to prove his
thesis by pointing out that the 'polit-
icoC!D ecclesiastical body known as the
Roman Catholic church has through all
our history been the implacable foe of
the public school; has sought by in
tringue, intimidation, etc, to have
division OF the school funds; and has
persistently opposed the reading of the
Word of God in our public schools.
As to his first supposed proof, we
deny it outright The Catholic Church
is not now and never has been unquali-
tiedly inimcial to the public schools.
There are, of course, individual Catho-
lies, and even Catholic papers, holding
ultra views on the subject, but you have
no moreright.to hold the Church, as such,
responsible for the private opinion of a
few individuals, than we have to hold
the Methodist Church to account for.the
utterances of the Rev Mr.. Williamson.
Very many OF our leading Catholics,
clerical and lay, throughout the country.
have been educated in the public
schools, and we have never heard any
of them say a word against these
schools as far as they go. We say as
far as they 60, for the unw!Ilingness OF
Catholic parents to send their children
to the public schools is based. not on
what these schools teach, but rather
on what they fail to teach. In a land
like ours, where church and state are
separate and with such multiplicity Of
sects, all intelligent Catholics recognize
not only the utility, but also the neces-
sity, Of the common school. They
realize too, the difficulty of adopting
system that would prove satisfactory
to all. Still, no right-thinking person
can deny that in the matter OF educa-
ton, the public schools 90 only half
way. This is clear to anyone who
knows the definition Of education, which
consists not merely in secular instruc-
ton, or book learning, but in the de-
velopment of all the faculties. There
can be no such thing as a complete edu-
cation without the proper development
of the moral and religious sense. We
nave, then, no fault to find with the
public schools as far as they 90, but
they do not go far enough for US. And
that's nobody's business but our own.
It's a matter of conscience, and to
blame US for it is nothing short Of rank
intolerance. We are not, | repeat, IN
reservedly hostile to the public schools.
Our position with respect to them is
like that of Christ, who came not to
destroy, but to perfect, the law. No
number Of garbled extracts, or verbatim
quotations torn from their context can
alter the facts.
Anent Mr.. WIS second point: the de-
sire Of the Catholics to obtain Just
portion Of the school funds, he is per
fectly correct. Bear in mind that Cath
olics are doubly taxed in the matter of
education. They must support their own
schools, and at the same time contribute
to the support of the public schools
which they cannot in conscience use.
All that we contend for, is that where
there are enough Catholic children to
fill a.school, the Catholics get their pro-
rata share of taxes for its support.
Where is the unreasonabIeness in such
a demand? 1t would entail no extra
burden on the State. 1t is the system
adopted by the British government in
Canada, and has been working there
successfully for many of years. We
don't resort to intrigue, intimidation
or any underhand methods to reach our
end. We are perfectly open and above
board about it, for we have nothing to
be ashamed of. We recognize that our
Methodist brethren have the same right,
if they wish to avail themselves of it.