Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-27
BREWSTER'S REPLY
STAND ON SCHOOLS
FOR AMENDMENT

ing before the League of Women
Voters, Tuesday evening. at Bangor.
is reported to have said in part: THE
State Of Maine has been startled and
awakened by the revelation Of fla
grant violation of the liquor laws in
Aroostook county. 1t is now be-
coming clear that the conspiracy to
violate the liquor law by one of the
high officials in one of our greatest
counties was only the logical result
of the course which We have been
pursuing for a generation in this re-
gard.
An anarchist is one who believes
in an individuals right to determine
for himself by what laws he shall be
governed. An anarchist does not
violate all the laws. He simply vio-
lateS such ones as he may choose.
The anarchist, however, is logical
and he recognizes that IL he is to
have the privilege of determining
what laws he will elect to obey. that
he must accord the same privilege I'd
others. The individuals who conI
done violations of the prohibitory
law, are what we may justly term
"selective anarchists" or "prohibi-
tory anarchists" but they are not so
logical as the avowed anarchists. as
in almost every case they desire the
protection of the laws against burg
larry and arson, and the protection of
the persons of themselves and those
they cherish.
1t is fundamental principle of
criminal law that one who partici-
pateS in a crime is an accessory to
the crime. Mr.. Justice Hough of the
| United States Circuit Court of APP
peals has ruled that this same prin-
ciple is applicable to the Federal
Prohibitory law and that a purchas
er of liquor from a bootlegger is
guilty of a conSpirace to violate the
Federal statutes against the sale of
liquor.
Senator Frank G. harrington at
Bangor recently discussed in detail
his position in regard to the appro-
priation of public funds to sectarian
or parochial schools. He criticized
the constitutional amendment intro
duced in the last Legislature by me
as liable to terminate the practice in
some towns by which education is
provided for the pupils of high school
grade by arrangement between the
school authorities and local non-sec-
tartan academies. Senator Earring
ton criticized my statement that in
northern Aroostook the public school
system and the parochial school sys-
tenn We're united, as a very mislead-
ing and unfair statement. lie further
contends that there has been no at
tempt to divert public money to
parochial schools and therefore that
it is unnecessary to consider any
constitutional amendment to pro-
tect the American public school sys-
tenn against such diversion.
!, 90 yI-h0
was opposed to appropriate arrange
ments by the municipalities with the
non -sectarian academies of this
State for supplying high school
education to the pupils in the vicin-
ity with..proper compensation. l do
not believe that money appropriated
by the towns to pay this tuition
! needs to come within the definition
of monies raised for the support OF
public schools which is the Ian
guage of the amendment on which
Senator harrington based his con-
tention. If my view is correct. the
amendment proposed last winter
would not affect these academies in
any way and it was certainly not In
| the thought of anyone to prohibit
the existing arrangements. On the
other hand, If it shall seem to any
substantial group that there Is a
question regarding this, it is very
simple matter for all the interests
concerned to substitute a more ac-
ceptable phraseology. The substi-
tuition of the word common FOR
the word public" would apparently
meet Senator Farrington's objection
/ do not believe that those interest
ed in the non sectarian academies OF
the State will be aroused in oppo-
- 30 nnnctitntinnol nTnon6n1nnf
prohibiting the giving of public funds
TO sectarian schools because of any
fear as to their interests. when 1T
will be so much more easy for them
to be reasonably assured that the
language of the amendment is not
designed to affect them in any. way.
1t is also of interest to observe
that under existing statutes, the va
rious towns have a very large voice
! in the administration of some of
these academies already, since there
is a provision that in the case OF
some of these academies "a joint
committee for the selection OF
teachers and the arrangement of a
course of study in such an academy.
shall include the experimenting
school committees OF the contract
ing towns. with an equal number OF
such committee"
| have stated that in northern
ArOostook. the public school system
and the parochial school system are
identical. and this statement has
been challenged as very unfair and
misleading" l do not propose to
involve the Department of Educa
ton in any controversy regarding
this matter as their position is very
difficult and delicate and l do not
believe they should be disturbed in
the endeavors which they are max
ing to deal with this problem.
made this statement on the au-
thority of ex-senator Edward w.
Murphy Of Cumberland and Bishop
Louis s. Walsh, the Roman Catholic
bishop of Maine. Senator Murphy
was for many years member of
the comrlittee on education of the
Maine Legislature and in 1919 was
chairman of that committee. He
has given very thorough and life
long study to educational problems
in the State of Maine and is per-
haps more familiar with them than
any other lay-member of the Ro-
man Catholic church in the state,
as Bishop Walsh pointed out in
recent statement concerning him. In
the legislative record on March ii.
1915. Senator Murphy, as chairman
of the Committee on Education of
the Legislature. made the following
statement: For instance, the pa
rochial schools in Aroostook county
are public schools and the Sisters
are counted in as public school
teachers" In 1917. Bishop Walsh
published a pamphlet and distribut-
ed it to the members of the Leg