Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1921-06-11
sunday-schooI Association Urges
Forces to Rally to Support Of o
Towner Bill.
ana Opposition Announced to All.
legged Position of the Catholic
Hierarchy.
Friends of Freedom of Education 70
Safeguard Their Rights as
Citizens.
FIGHT SAME AS IN THE PAST.

Inc belief has obtained in soma
quarters that the Towner bin for
the creation Of a Department Of Ed
Scation formerly known as fhe
omlth-Towner, now as the Townar-
oterllng bid was practically dad
inasmuch as it appeared that the
Oil Tor the proposed Department of
FuDllc Welfare would attain nri-
Urlty ana prominence over tba
IoWner Dill, and the new depart-
Inent would absorb the Bureau of
houcation. letter sent ont CON
tdinlng this information has bean
IIslnterpreted to the extent of i'm
plylhg that the Catholic Hierarchy
were heartily in favor of the Denarf-
ment OF Public Welfare. primariIv
because Its creation would obviate
the purposes of the Towner hill
rms iact is brought out in a letter
issued on June 2 by the Sunday
SchooI Association in carto;r
state in the Middle West. to tba
members of its Executive Comn,it-
Itt, winch letter also urges a wig
orous Protestant protest" in favor
OIL the Towner bill, for the burmese
VI informing "the President and
congress as to where Protestant.
isn stands" The letter, along with
Whlch the members of the Executive
committee named also received
copy OF letter issued in the mat
yer Dy the National Catholic Wei
rare council, and which the Cen
| eral secretary of the Sunday-Scbool
association terms "a letter from
catholic Hierarchy" reads:
hou are more or less familiar
Win the Towner-Sterling education
al Dill formerly Smith-Towner)
nave lust had an urgent letter from
pr waiter S. Athearn, who has
Deen IN Washington interviawing
! me PRESIDENT and Senate and House
lLonamittees sinr behalf Of same IA
states that the bill providing for a
department Of Public Welfare In
Which the Bureau of Education will
De submerged, and which is snon-
sored by the President and support-
ca enemy by the Catholic hierarchy.
| Is nkeIy to supersede the Towner-
Sterling bill providing for an indie
| pehuent department of Education
with a Secretary of Education In
the Presidents Cabinet. If the suh-
stltute measure is passed, il will he
dlrect dow at public education.
As nation we are already rapidly
drifting toward illiteracy. What is
needed is vigorous Protestant pro-
test, so the President and Congress-
know where Professionalism stands.
| AS one measure, DR.. Athearn
suggests that kilograms be immedi-
ately dispatched to President Hard
ing' and letters to the Senate and
House Committees (names en-
closed by a large number. urging
/ mat education be removed from the
Department of Public Welfare and
that the people be given an oppor-
tunlty 10 say to Congress whether
or not they want an independent
| department of education. Will Won
as an individual citizen, take unon
yourself to comply with this request
as fully as possible?"
The names of the members of the
Senate and House committees with
their addresses are appended, as in
| dlcated, to the letter in question.
| Thus one can readily see that the
nght for the Towner bill Is being
waged with the same determination
as 1t was in the past. Additional
light on the matter of the Towner
Dill is shed by an article appearing
In The Builder, a Masonic publica
ton, which proves two facts-the
present bill is essentially the same
as the former bill and is merely
dressed In a different garb, and II
has the support of Masonry. "The
BILL" says The Builder, "as reintro-
duced in the House is changed from
the original one, reported out ia
yorably and strongly by the House
Committee on Education, in verbi-
age only" Continuing the same is
sue of the Masonic organ quotes
resolution adopted by the Mason
lc Grand Lodge of Mississippi pledg-
Ing Its members as Endorsing ef-
forts, to create a National Depart
ment of Education as set forth In
the Smith-Towner BILL" the lodge
endorses the public school and
pledges every influence within its
power to maintain and safeguard
the same from the assaults Of those
who would destroy and create in
its stead a system of parochial
schools. dominated and controlled
by and under the absolute influence
OF an autocratic hierarchy"
The expressions of these two sep
arate agencies, originating at two
different places and at different
times, are indicative of widespread
efforts to secure the passage OF the
Towner bill 1t Is necessary that
all friends of the freedom of ed
ucation inform themselves of the
continuance Of the danger and be
prepared to safeguard their rights