Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1920-04-08

Chancery Office, Grand Rapids Mich.
DEAR FATHERS AND BELOVED PEOPLE:
May venture with you word of light and encour
agement in the face of the injustice and tyranny involved
in the proposed School Amendment of the Wayne County
Civic Association This organization would suppress
religious schools. suppress our Church. suppress
homes for orphans and destitute children, and Danish
God from Society and the State.
Conscience demands of that educate
children in the fear and love of God, in for
ancient and holy things, in loyalty to beloved coun
try. How any American not blinded by bgory and
unspeakabe hatred legislae against the religious afl
alton and rights of conscience of his fellow American?
Perhaps what is needed most of all is the old detin
ton of democracy democracy is government OF the
people for the people by the people, all of which means
that the state exists Tor the people, not the people Tor the
state The state has inherently the right to protect
science 1t has right whatever to destroy conscience
Democracy and its eternal principles set square
y against autOcacy, radicasm, Capitalization and big
otry Democracy can no more harmonic with these
things than truth with light with darkness With
democracy you have liberty the liberty you have created
in anonted in glorious traditional past, the liberty
of the liberty of worshp with autocracy you
have repression; with radcalism chaos with cenraz
alton a paternasm akin to Socialism,; with bgotry.
fanaticism that is Mahometic in its nature.
If we would be safe in the future, we must choose
now the liberty of democracy and the dangerous
political and socalstic ism of the day The Constitu
ton of the United States founded that basic prlnc
pie of democracy that the State has right to restrict
the liberty of the individual beyond those limits neces
sary for its own protection and preservation
Violence is being done to national ideals, the
spirit of Constitution is longer the anchorage Oh
our ship of State Power has been seized and utilized at
has been set to invade personal liberties God has been
banished from the paraments of the world His name
crowded out of the League of Nations Our national
notices are becoming meaningless. f pluribus unum
will be in the scrapheap with that other In iod
we Trust We travelling backwards on the road TO
Caesarism and pagansm.
One might have thought that the lofty principles
with which this nation entered the and the vast
losses sustained would have served forever as warning
lest having preached the gospel OF liberty TO others
might ourselves become castaway The effect however
has been the opposite The of repressive legislation
continues undated gathering momentum as 1t proceeds
What the future holds in store result OF TINS pOllcy
NAV best be Judged from the pages Of history
The passage of the proposed amendment would mean
a death warrant to constitutional rights and travesty
ON democratic government We slow to believe that
the enactment of this measure is possible where educa
ton and enlighment have at all obtained The common
sense and the patriotism of the vast majority of our non
Catholic brethren surely be depended upon TO reDuKe
the bgoted element which has recorded itself as Wiling
to prostitute the principles OF liberty to the 1urtheance
of unreasonng udce to sell the constitution Tor
of pottage. ,
Here indeed is a of wanton assault upon the
rights of citizenship Were the Catholic schools or Mch
gan aginst which the measure is primarily directed not
nroven bv every standard of education and ctzenshp
were they failing the thoroughness of their American
ism were they lacking in any qualification desired IN
those institutions which cradle the hopes OF the America
of tomorrow, the amendment would be mtelhgibe on
the ground public policy But there such refuge
We challenge the authors of the scheme to produce one
scina of proof that the Catholic Schools not
hundred per cent American, at least efficient the
public schools in secular education and unique bu
wark against the forces of disorder which threaten the