Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1914-09-05

schools are listed as private schools,
and there Is fee OF tuition, accord
ing to the elegance of the surround
ings and the accommodations af-
forded TO the students. Some are
boarding schools, but the majority
are for day scholars only.
There are 1875 Catholic colleges in
the United States. Most of them
have preparatory schools of a high
grade. There are twenty Catholic
universities in the United States. In
all the populous dioceses there is an
ecclesiastical seminary for the educa-
tion OF the clergy, where the studies
are up to the university grade. The
dioceses that are not able to main
tain such seminaries send their
students to a we'll organized institu-
ton such as that maintained by the
diocese of New York, Boston, Phil
adelphia, st. Louis, or the other
great centers.
Thus the system of Catholic
schools covers every grade of educa-
ton from the elementary school to
the university, and all strive to
realize the ideal noted in the decree
OF the last National Council held in
Baltimore in 1884, which expressed
the hope that "the Catholic schools
snail continue to grow ever more
efficient and prove to be the honor
and the ornament, the hope and the
strength, not only of the church. but
also of the republic"
Liberty of conscience Is pre-
tense without liberty of education.
Nun oil
lurist: "As the church is the school
OF the parent, so the school is the
church of the child" The Catholics.
besides paying their share of the
taxes for education, spend thirty
millions of dollars annually besides
the cost of buildings, equipment.
ETC., in order that Catholic parents
may educate their children in ac-
cordance with their constitutional
right of religious liberty. Il may be
worth while in this connection TO
recall the words of John c. Spencer.
who in 1871 was the Superintendent
OIL Public instruction in the State of
New York. In writing to Mr..
Seward, who was then Governor of
the state of New York, Mr.. Spencer
said:
I'm regard to sectarianism in edu-
cation it is an error to suppose that
the absence of all religious instruc-
ton, If 1t were practicable. is a mode
OF avoiding sectarianism. On the
contrary, it would be in itself sec
tartan, because 1t would be con-
sonant to the views of a particular
class and opposed to the opinions of
other classes. Those who reject re-
ligious creeds and resist all efforts
to infuse them into the minds of the
young would be gratified by a sys-
tenn which so fully accomplishes
their purpose"
have often thought how diff
ferent might be the condition of the
country if such sane notions as those
OF Mr.. Seward and Mr.. Spencer had
prevailed. The latest census of the
United States tells us that out of
our population of 100,0OO,OOO only
S2,OOO,OO0 profess any religion
whatsoever. OF these 100000
are Catholics. Sixty-eight millions of
our people practice no religion what
soever! When men have lost their
knowledge of God and their hope of
eternal life there is nothing for them
to aim at except what earth can give.
II there is no destiny for man in
eternity, and if all his hopes are
bounded by the little span of his
present existence, why should he not
strive to get by any means in his
power whatever may help him to any
real or fancied happiness? No won
der If many of the 6S,00O,OO0 of
our people who have no religion
should fall victims to the theories of
anarchy and social unrest that are
so widespread. No wonder that
divorces grow more numerous, crime
Increases and that the press gives
so much detail of moral decadence.
Serious men see the danger to the
State and to the individual, and are
seeking remedy.
As Senator Mark Hanna said:
There is a crisis coming that will
have to be met, and the sooner Zhe
better; there is no place for anarchy
or treason in this country. In this
connection / once said that in the
day of trouble the United States
must look to the Supreme Court and
the Roman Catholic church. l will
go further now, and say that | be-
lieve that the best friend and pro-
tector the people and the flag shall
have in the hour of trial will be the
Roman church, always conservative
and fair and loyal. This is the power
that shall save u.s."