Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-10-19

public school standards. the number
of children that the Roman Catholic
Church is caring for in its parochial
schools in Maine. would cost the var
ious municipalities the sum of
S6S2,000.
Agreeing with us in the very great
necessity for religious education, and
further believing that it is impossible
to secure this religious education in
Consonance with the public school
system, the Roman Catholic Church
in this State, through its official
head, is definitely committed to the
policy of securing a grant of public
. school funds for the development of
sincerity that l have no reason to
question, that this is the only solu-
| ton of the matter. In fact. within
the past six months Bishop Walsh
has publicly predicted that within
ten years, as the nation awakes to
the necessity of religious education.
, we shall definitely adopt a system Of
church schools such as exists in the
Netherlands, which Bishop Walsh
has indicated as his ideal. Under
this system the public school funds
are divided among various church
schools. which the children attend
dCCOIulHs W lle IGllSlUuS preferences
, of their parents.
1 think the great majority of the
! people of this State are in agreement
that the adoption of any such
| policy as is advocated by Bishop
Walsh would be disastrous to our
unity of a nation. and utterly in con-
! traVention of the fundamental Amer
! lean principle of the complete separ2-
ito of church and state. and I think
| YOU will all agree with me. and that
| the Protestant people of Maine will
| agree with me, almost as a unit that
! it is imperative that an amendment
| prohibiting the appropriation of pub
! lie funds TO Sectarian schools should
! Immediately be added to our organic
! law. Thirty states in this Union have
already acted. This will be and must
! be the bulwark of our public school
i systematic great protecting wall
which we must erect for our children
against the encrOachment of any and
all religious sects.
Such an amendment lacked but
few votes in the last legislature of
the necessary two thirds to secure
its reference to the people and it
should be our primary concern to see
that it is passed by the next legis-
! lature without fail.
The adoption of such an amend
mcnt. however. will not solve the
problem as Bishop Walsh has de-
clared that the paroCIial school sys
tom of the Roman Catholic Church
will continue to develop irrespective
of the grant of public funds.
think we are likely to sec the de-
velopment of other parochial schools
| by different religious denominations
to which even some of our more
thoughtful citizens, apprehensive of
the proper religious development of
their children will send their boys
and girls. There are a considerable
number of these schools already in
existence, and they are increasing in
importance each year. I feel such
tendency to be extremely unfOrtun-
ate. as I think most Americans feel
now that the public school system
is the netting pot of our nation,
I where all may learn to share common
ideals and common points of view
and thus alone enable this great
experiment in democracy to succeed
Many of our citizens feel so
strongly upon the divisive effect of
parochial schools that they urge
legislation requiring the attendance
of all children at the public schools.
Such law has actually been adopted
in Oregon.
A recent decision of the Supreme
Court of the United States. however.
in the so-called foreign language
cases, has indicated a great prob
ability that such law would be held
violation of the constitutional
rights Of the individual parent.
The Roman Catholic Bishop Of
Maine is entirely right in my judo
ment. in his insistencc upon the
primary importance of religious