Charlevoix county herald., 1920-04-23
Bill
Is Attacked
Catholic Prelate Brands Amend
ment Travesty on Democracy

Challenging the authors of the pro-
posed anti-parochial school amendment
to produce proof "that the Catholic pa
rochial schools are not 100 per cent
American, as efficient as the public
schools in secular education and unique
as a bulwark against the forces of dis
order which threaten the foundation of
the government today" Bishop Edward
d. Kelley, of the Grand Rapids Roman
Catholic diocese, in a diocesan letter,
attacked the Wayne Civic society and
the supporters of the bill which would
abolish parochial and private schools,
and called upon the voters Of the state
to defeat the bill as un. American.
The letter, read in all churches of the
diocese at all masses, reads in part az
follows:
The passage Of the proposed amend
ment would mean death warrant to
constitutional rights and travesty on
democratic government. We are slow
to believe that the enactment of this
measure is possible, where education
and enlightenment. have at all obtained.
The common sense and the patriotism
of the vast majority of our non Catholic
brethren can surely be depended upon
to rebuke the bigoted element which
has recorded itself as willing to prosti-
tute the principles of liberty to the
furtherance of unreasoning prejudice
to sell the constitution for mess Of
potage.
'Here indeed is case of wanton as
sault upon the rights of citizenship.
Were the Catholic schools of Michigan,
against which the measure is primarily
directed, not proven by every standard
of education and citizenship; were they
failing in the thoroughness of their
Americanism; were they lacking in any
qualification desired In those institu-
tions which cradle the hopes of the
America of tomorrow, the amendment
would be ineligible on the gIound Of
public policy. But there is no such
refuge.
eve challenge the author of this
scheme with the high educational
standard achieved by our schools; we
challenge them with the records of the
army essay contest as published in the
daily press recently; we challenge them
with the record of patriotic services
rendered; we challenge them with the
names of the bravest and the most de-
voted and the most brilliant among the
men and women who fought Americas
fight for democracy; we challenge them
with the records of the heroic soldiers
who died for liberty at Chateau Thierry
and in the Argonne. Because they dare
not accept our challenge we brand
their much touted one hundred per
cent Americanism as one hundred per
cent self-interest and venom, and we
look to the voters of the state to rebuke
those men who seem to value so lightly
their own liberties that they are willing
to betray the liberty of their neighbors.
"The amendment in question may be
styled an act to prescribe the Catholic
religion. Its intent is to rob the little
ones of their most treasured possession;
it means the assumption on the part Of
the state of parental duties which, be-
fore God, cannot be yielded; it means
that Catholic parents are to be legally
prevented from fulfilling their most
solemn obligation towards their child
rem and towards Almighty Gsd.
''No majority is empowered to abro-
gate Divine law, or destroy a natural
right. Coercion is sinister word; II
does not breathe OF the spirit of demo-
cracy; it i'll harmonizes with the idea Of
liberty; and when coercion is directed
against the mandate of religion, when
it invades the sacred precincts Of con.
science, it becomes odious beyond the
bounds of sufferance."
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