Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-26
Letters to the Editor
e.e,arlaplsm In Schools

"a, pd;,or Of tho ErenirD Pnbir h"do'r'
~-In fridays EvESIsa PUBLIC LEpoEr
s,,.,, ~ A. pike, ESQ. traced the or'sin
,na antl.religious garo pili 10 M Wns. y. ",
ryssms, in the public school In the III
Catnos 90 yiiiape of Galliizn, Pa. He says
We ",s,ers were employed as teacners III
tns. school; they wore the habit OF nuns
ma. sosary beads at their girdlesi thaa we
WIN ,s,o required to rise aud say. wei
pupils ws,sorp' when a priest visited the
eopn eon., C,allitgin is Catholic retirement
fchovI orotto, in which there are compara-
.iv,,y few Protestah's'
N,rtistoyn. where Catholics consti-
II I. considerable part of the population.
m,s W. vnung children in 1880 had TO 1uena
public school opened IN tne ,,,nr ntr1 To,ho.
sps.d church. a few years later Cn,no,
formeu, r,srsn had to attend the high school
m 18th AT least three Protestant ministers
IN w,rarent times taught the highest di-
sn.,an and the costume OF these clerssm M m'en
a. distinctly clerical as the one ,ney
was as conducting services In Prot
NoN aswrch The white neckcloth anu
ss'an. .,otbcs as loudly proclaimed them 10
p'A,,nistcrs p'Aen as the beads and renxious
Pc q. nroolaImed the teachers In the dai'''h'h
ssshooi TO be nuns.
,v,u. Mfr Pike regards the saiutation oi
a.. nrlsst as serious odenseY II may DC
ssrs dismissed as an enurey rossnn
nsuHA Il
~, =, Ia customary in almost every schoo'
"a college for scholars and stuoents "
80 upon the entrance OF Visitor nv a.,
s.s.room In order to show respect ano ~
~s,cons him or her. Failure 10 40 80 Mvs
breach of politeness almost eaulVaIen'
= ,ru,,lt Exception cannot, therefore,
,ak.n to tn, aforesaid salutatioh 10 u
49,, ,vhon A. like honor Is paid IN PUBIC
Wsao,. 10 the non n-Catholic laity ana ciersy'
Ia as cordially by Catholics as by o'hers'
while Mr.. Pike does not charge that 'ne
r.,ho,lc Bible was read and hymns sung IN
y. GallitzIn school. the Protestant biple
w sooa and hymns were sung In the Nor
.,..n,xn school. These things In the NOT
...,oyn school were as sectarian ana oneh,
iva 10 Catholics as the things cohpla,n,u
:, IN the Gnliitzin school could poss'o'y
~. been TO Protestants. Tre nuns carp
hs NV, M, be more out of place In public
sshao, than a minister's costumci tho str'nE
- h,ads mere exasperating to Protestahts
M,n King James Bible was to Cathohcs'
rvsrv rule should work both ways The
catholics made neither protest nor souRh'
,s,islation against conditions In the NOT,
Yistown school which the patriovc oroers w"
as.ir,t conditions In the Galiitzin school:
yvby this feyerish activity upon the part OF
an. Jr O u A. NJ. against sectarhhlsrh
=. ,,s latter school and such cGmplaccnt in
a,Serence TO sectaria nism In the FORMER!
7. thor. not an incon sistcncY in this Jr.
a ". A. MS differentiation which beEetS
,hs suspIcion OF prejudice and persecution
m the anti-religious garb bill az wei hs III
an. Anti -Sectarian Association? l'Oes not
,Ss lawsuit against Mennonite teachers wear
,ns the white cap In the public schooIs sect''
IA be n sort OF camoufiage to hide an u'-
terior purpose and make thCsc DETERMINATIONS
sr,e,r as opposing scctarianlsm impartiaiiE'
s,s,inV II no matter who is responsible Tor
a., What harm can the white cap OF the
W.nnonIte teacher do to the patriotism or
y,iigon Of her pupils? Her modest anu
economical drcss is silcnt rehuKc 10 'he
rnbecoming cxtravag-nt fashions "t To-Day
Tho principle OF the anti-relIgious Garb
MIL II carried to its ultimate conclusion
would proscribe in the public streets dress
rorn by any sect in witness to It's religious
yisws or doctrines. The law against wear
Ing a religious garb in the public schoo,s'
n enforced TO the letter, would deny tne
nsmbers Of the Society OF Friends the rlEht
10 wear their simple and elegant attire IN
public Il is only a step from the pr"hiDi-
tion Of the religious garb In tho PUBLIC
schools to its prohibition on tho streets
TT were possible (many think II is not)
10 keep sectarianism out OF the puollc schoo's
All efforts to do NO would bc praseworthy.
and In SO far az impartial efforts upon the
part Of the Jr. o. U. 4. VI. would I've com
msndsble In the case OF the schools men
TONED there Is reason TO believe that the
idea OF proselytizing never entered the minds
Of either the sisters or the ministers; that
both served 10 the best OF their ability the
pupils Of every creed alike. and that 'heir
Efforts were directed singly to lmpart knowi-
edge and help their scholars to become viz
tuous. intelligent men and women.
II does seem that there are people sun
IN the world so affected toward scctarian-
ism In others, and so Indifferent to II IN
themselves. that they strain at the snat
while they swallow the camel.
30 d. I. McDERMOTT.
st. Mary's Church. Philadelphia. July 23.
1871.