Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-02
Anti-Sectarian Bill
Continued from Page Cne)


the danger Of those religious dis
turbances which had SO wrenched
Europe. lie had given this much
thought before presenting TINS
measure to the Legislature. The
time had come. he believed, when
the state was to decide whether 1t
is wise and prudent to use public
funds for sectarian schools.
Discussing the question of wheth-
or there was Il demand for the use
OF public money for such schools,
Senator Brewster read from a
phamplet which was distributed to
members of the Legislature of 1917
in which the work of the Catholic
Public Schools of Maine was de
scribed and the statement made tEa.
one of the solutions of the problem
Of the distribution of the school
fund moneys was for the municipali-
ties to turn ovN a certain percent
age to those schools.
II admit that the grants of pubic
funds to sectarian schools in Maine
are almost negligible at the present
time but | submit that is all the
more reason why we should lock
the stable and stop these grants be-
fore they become general" Senat or
Brewster continued.
Speaking of the constitutional
provision of Maine which permits
the giving of funds to schools and
academies. Senator Brewster said
that it was impossible at this time
to clearly see what prompted the
trainers of that document to incul-
cate that provision. 1t was, he urged.
the duty of the Legislature to deter
mine whether the conditions OF to-
day were not so changed as to rem
der the step proposed by this con
atitutional amendment necessary.
He urged the submission of the
question to the people of the State
tor decision. AS Senator Brewster
concluded. he was loudly appiauded
b. the adherents of the resolve. who
We're for the cost part. seated ut the
lclt OF the hail. as was more fully
emphasized when rising vote was
asked for and nearly all who were
seated at the left of the hail arose,
with few scattering groups on the
right.
If the public schools of Maine
were good enough for James CT.
Blaine. William i. Frye and Thomas
ls. Reed, they are good enough for
South Portland. said Mayor Will
liam r. Mcdonald, OF South Port
land.
Rep. Cummings declared that it
was wrong to create antGgon:Stic
factions, such as were growing UP in
the country. He wished that all re-
iiSions woUhl ;2oli1e the Importance
OF this ste and consent: ana so
their ways and sin no more.
1t was rCgTetable. declared Rep.
Cummings. that there had come a
demand from the Roman Catholic
Church. so arrogant and out OF
keeping with the policy of the sep
aratiOn of state and Church as to
cause surprise and apprehension
They are demanding the division of
the public funds with the schools of
their faith.
Hon. Peter Charles Keegan of
Van Buren, lead the opposition to the
resolve and said that the portion of
the state from which he came
would be the most vitality affected
of any by this resolve. That sec
ton was composed wholly of one
kind of people. In the years that
he had served in this Legislature he
never heard the words Catholic or
Protestant mentioned.
The district from which I come,'
said Mr.. keesan, made up of about
10 per cent Catholics have been rep
resented in this House for the past
three sessions by George Hammond.
VINO Is not 4 Catholic. The district
from which Il member of your COM
mlttee. Mrs. Pinkham of Fort Kent.
comes. is normally a Democrat one
and the majority of its people are
catholics. Vet they elected Mrs
flhkham. who is neither a Demo-
crat or a Catholic as their repre-
sentative. That is the way we dis
pose or the question of ones reli-
sIous pelefs when public matters
are concerned up in my country.
III conclusion Mr.. keeGan said that
the people of Maine were n preat
iy hVlhs together in peace and
harmony and insisted that the state
OF Maine should not tie itself IN ana
plhd future legislatures by this
amendment.
Timothy f. Callahan. former st,te
auditor. who spoke in remonstr,nce
arose from the side of the hall large.
~ occupied by the proponents of the
Dill and facetiously remarked that he
was on the right side" so far ms his
attitude towards the bill was con-
cerned. People are ATTEMPTING 70
iiiake a crazy quilt of the Constitu-
tioh OF the State by patchwork
amendments" said he.
Mr.. Callahan expressed the be,iaf
that under the provisions of the pro-
posed amendment a school building
could be let for no other purpose
AFTER school hours: that if a church
IN Lewiston were to be DESTROYED bv
ilre the city could not allow it's mem
pers the use of the city hall. He did
not think the committee or the neo-
pie of Maine desired to subscribe to
such doctrine.
He referred to the recent Meeting
Oh the ku KluX Khan in the City hall
at PORTLAND, where he sail mart
owners of the building were insulted
by the speakers and asked if that
was in keeping with the spirit Of this
amendment.
Inc Brewster amendment was
characterized by Arthur D. WEIGH of
Portland as "a document that for
ciumslness and lack Of clarity takes
the blue ribbon" 1t begins with for
bidding State Aid to schools in which
UNCONVENTIONAL doctrine is incul-
Gated, then goes on to forbid State
ald for churches and finally provides
mat no inmate of a charitable insti-
tuition shall be compelled to attend
religious instruction against his own