The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1919-06-21


|lHI gress where the Smith and TOwner bills
I2-l provide for perfection of the public school
system and are frantically opposed by every
agency of the educatiOn-hating papal system.
AS previously stated in these columns, those
admirable provisions for the Improvement of
our great nOn-sectarian educational system were
introduced last winter by their authors, Repre-
sentative TOwner of Iowa and Senator Smith of
Georgia; and have been reintrOduced by those
gentlemen and referred to committees in both
branches of congress.
simultaneously every papal publication, from
obscure parOchial organs to the Jesuits' mis-
called "America," are up in arms against these
measures whose only fault is that they favor the
public school. Priests are preaching against
them; and all the societies, sOdalites, sOrOrities,
and celebrities of Roman extraction are resOlut-
ing and resolving that these bills must not pass.
Characteristic Of the output is that adopted
by the Knights of Columbus prior to the present
congress when the pope's knights of Illinois were
in session at Alton on May IA. Here is what the
Illinois Knights of Columbus resolved on that
occasion:
Whereas, bin commonly known as the Smith bill
s 5635) was introduced In the senate Of the sixty
congress; and
Whereas the same or similar bill will in all probability
be introduced in the sixty-sixth congress; and
Whereas, the said bill is dangerous and mischievous
intrusion into all forms of state and private education, and
breathes the Prussian spirit Of domination centaZaton
and regulation Of all institutions of learning; and
Whereas, proposes which is contrary to the
American principle Of local control Of education, and Of
j state rights; and
Whereas it would strike blow at the essentially Amer
lean practice Of encouraging freedom of education by impo
ing handicap all private institutions of learning;
Now therefore, be resolved that the Illinois representa-
tves Of the Knights Of Columbus in state convention
bed earnestly denounce this unwarranted invasion of the
/ rights Of state and private educationj
And be further resoved that heartily in the
resolution passed by the supreme board OF directors con-
demning the said Smith bill;
And be it further resoved that pledge ourselves cor
poraly and individually to oppose by all legitimate means
within our power the passage of any similar bill;
And be further esolyed that the state council pledges
Its support to the state deputy in any action he may take
regarding any bill of similar import that may be offered in
the congress Of the United States in any state Legislature
So the pope's Knights Of Columbus, who are
pledged to support Of his parOchial schools in
9preference to any other, take it upon themselves
to declare that the creation of national depart
ment of education with secretary of equal rank
with other cabinet officers, and the appropriation
of one million dollars in aid Of public education
would be an intrusion, contrary to states rights
and a handicap to private institutions OF
( learning.
| Worse than that, according to these cham
piOns of papistic mediaeyaliSIn, 1t would be dan
gerOus and mischievOus, Prussian if you please
destructive of an alleged American principle Of
local control of education and an unwarranted
! invasion Of state and private rights.
a How sad it would be if the big brutal federal
J government were to intrude upon the ignorance
l of backward states and Of their iiterate pOpula
: tions. They should be left in their ignorant pri
g vacy, for privacy is more precious than enlight
{ enment. To do so would be to Prussianize thu
q poor little kids who do not want to be Prus
= = sianized.
. This Prassian piffle reminds one Of Arch
bishop Glennon's recent outburst in which HI
0 declared that education had already been Prus
sianized In this country because of its practica
/ monopoly by the public school. 1t seems tina
a these gentlemen are somewhat peeved at tn
= Prussians but more particularly sore at school
' they are unable to bring under Roman Catholi
e control.
It States rights are also set up as an impedi