The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-11
to limit. curtail, hinder or destroy the
public school system of our land"

public school system of our land
Masons Not United
Do all the Masons here subscribe to
this doctrine? Not bit of it. The writer
talked to many MaSonS of high degree
who regretted that the resolution had
even been adopted and who are actively
nghtIng the enactment of the law. The
newspapers are carrying paid advertise
ments signed by r. Il. Maleom 33d de-
gree, insplrator general III Oregon, An
cient and Accepted Scottish Rite" urg-
ing voters TO vote yes. MIR. Malcolm )
advertisement states that the bill pro
poses no religious restriction; it contem-
plates no limitation of the right of the
parent to teach religion to his child
IN his own way and according to
his own belief; il raises no issue of re
lgious difference" but that it is purely
measure to insure that all children by
attending the public schools shall be
taught alike during their grammar school
years so that their outlook may grow to
be a unified outlook for the common
wealth and for their country and its in
stiutions.'
Were it not for the fact that the Ku
kluX Khan here is strong and that it's
candidates came within 500 votes of win
ming the Republican nomination for gov
ernor in the usual type of anti-Catholic
fight waged by the Khan, the claims of the
supporters of the bill that they are not
aiming it at Catholics but all denomim-
tiOnS would not be so much a subject of
controversy. There are more Catholic
parochial schools than any others and
naturally the Catholics cannot be con-
WINGED that the measure is aimed else
where.
In the same official pamphlet, wherein
are printed the affirmative and negative
ton of the bin by the Oregon and
Washington district of the Evangelist
Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and
other states. Some of the leading bust
ness men and bankers, several of them
MasOns, signed another argument against
the bill condemning ii as ii denial of the
right Of parent to choose teachers tor
his children n revival of the Prussian
method of education and as the system of
Bolshevist Russia (which treats the
child as the ward of the state
Presbyterians Opposed.
Presbyterian ministers and other
clergymen have joined with members of
the Catholic Civic Rights association in
declaring that what the country needs is
harmony, not diseord, and pointing out
that the measure Will not accomplish the
objects sought even if enacted.
Who owns your childf The state
Do not you? Asks the Lutheran group
in their official appeal to the voters of
Oregon. Who feeds and clothes your
child? The state? Not while you are
living and able to care for your own.
Why do you feed and clothe your child ?
Because it Is your child. If you don I
own your own child, what in the wide
world do you own? Now if YOU own your
own child and are in duty bound to feed
and clothe il, you have some say about
your child's education and its teacher.
The state has right TO compel you TO
educate your child just as it has right
to compel you to feed and clothe your
child But the state has no more right
to choose the teacher for your child and
the school il shall attend than IT has to
tell you where to buy your child's cloth
ing and what style of clothing 1t must
wear. ...
Under the constitution of the United
States and of the state of Oregon YOU en-
JOY religious liberty that is the liberty
to worship God according TO the dictates
of YOUR conscience and to rear your child
according to your religion. If you see fit
to send your child TO n school IN which
the religion of your church is taught not
one day in the week but every day. and
the whole training of the children IS per-
meated by such religion, the state, under
the constitution must not prohibit you
from doing so. This bill. if enacted into
law will prohibit you from doing so. This
bill is manifestly unconstitutional
Would BE Expensive.
w NAT makes the SITUATION 50 utinSull
| to understand is that the Democratic
nominee for governor who is making such
| Roadway because of his advocacy of a
program of lower taxation, should he
| endorsing measure which if enacted
would mean new schools and teachers to
| take care 'of approximately 1000 chll,
dren now in private denominatlonal
| schools.
| At present writing the bill has a fair
| chance of passage because on SUBJECTS
| like these so many people feel instead
| Of think" Before the campaign is over,
/ however. it is safe to predict that every
/ newspaper in Portland will come out
| against this bill That may change the
| situation considerably and bring about
| a defeat of the measure. The same kind
/ IF bill was submitted to the voters III
| Michigan in recent years and was beaten
/ in Oregon this wear except this educa-
/ tionai bill and it is Uncomfortable that u
/ nearly Two to one Nothing else counts