Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1911-01-21
Need OF America1Today Is For
Intelligent Industrial
Edication.
subject Upon Which Catholics
Have Reasons For
Thought.
Demand Great For Young Men
who Are willing to
Work.
THE REAL BEAUTY OF LIFE

In a timely article in the last issue
of the Columbiad the Hon. Thomas
o. O'Brien declares that no class oil
people have more profound reasons
for serious thought upon the subject
of education than have the Catholics
of America. Unfortunately at an
early day the question of taxing Tor
the maintenance of the public
schools those who did not desire to
avail themselves of the system, re-
suited in putting the Catholic body
in an apparently hostile attitude to-
ward State education, with the result
that our public educational institu-
tions have absorbed perhaps less
Catholic thought than any other de-
partment of the Government. In
the effort to make the schools non
sectarian the public authorities have
felt compelled to avoid all religious
teaching. They have, it is true, en-
deavored to inculcate moral doc
trines, but almost entirely upon
rather underlined theory of ethical
principles, ignoring any definlte
authority as the source from which
moral law obtains its strength.
think we can all agree this Is
unfortunate. The recognition OF
Divine authority we believe to be
necessary for the highest develop
ment of humanity; the recognition OF
civil authority is closely allied, and
it is generally found that the denial
of either results in the denial OF
both. Parental authority is of
course derived from the two already
mentioned, so that we easily see that
an educational system, which after
all has for it's main object the devel-
opment of mental processes along
sound lines and in accordance with
sound principles, must commence by
fixing in the youthful mind correct
standards of authority. Without at
tempting to discuss whether or not
American Catholics have in the past
done their full duty as citizens In
this respect, or whether 1t would not
have been wiser to have paid the
school tax without murmuring and
have then insisted upon the right to
be consulted as to along what lines
public education should be devel-
oped, It is sufficient to say that now,
when throughout the United States
Catholics have everywhere entered
upon a system of education all their
own, there can be no question that
the duty is upon them TO furnish one
which wifi develop Industrious,
useful and loyal citizens, whose lives
and achievements will evidence the
beneficial effect of the education SO
received.
In material matters the first idea
the intelligent American boy receives
is that 1t is his duty to progress. No
fault can be found with this, but
some might disagree as to the proper
definition of progression. Advance
ment is not always secured by an at
tendance upon college nor by enter
ing one OF the learned professions
The need of America today is for in
telligent American-born boys who
are willing to work; that is, for
young men who are willing to work
with their hands as well as their
heads, who understand native and
natural forces, who have mastered
the details of construction work, and
know how great bodies of workmen
are organized, fed and handled. how
the complicated machines which do
so much of the work OF the present
day are constructed and operated.
Nearly all the men who laid founda-
tions for great fortunes, and all of
the men who achieved greatness in
industrial\life were those who In
knowledge OF the details Of the in
dustries upon which they were en-
gagged. believe therefore that in
dustrial education is Of prime i'm
portance at the present time. l do
not desire TO be understood for a
moment as decrying higher educa-
tlon, but are We not ignoring pal
pable truth II We assume that any
large proportion of the youth of the
country ever will be able to take
advantage of such institutions?
Fundamentally the American Gov
ernment was intended TO give each
Individual. as far as possible, an
equal opportunity for development,
hence the most important institu-
tons are those within reach OF and
available for the masses OF the peo-
pie. IL more than a small porpor-
ton OF the people entered the pro-
fessional or mercantile fields they
would starve, for being strictly non
producers there would not be suffi-
cient demand for their services from
those TO whom they must look fol-
employment, viz, the real producers
Society would be top heavy. and
disaster would result here as 1t has
In every country where that condi.
ton existed. We should therefore
while maintaining the higher institu,
tions OF learning and developing
therein great scientists, scholars
and philosophers, afford an opportu
nifty TO the numberless young mer
who wish TO progress In the science
OF farming, 70 become scientifi.
farmers. To him who wishes Il
tunity to do so should be given, ant