Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-02-20

mornings and are starting out on uh-
charted courses, even churches ehsase
in somewhat lively debate on matteIs
which are not necessarily essentiai "
turn religion or Christian iiving' oe.
vout members Of churches are eaugnt
by fair sounding phrases and do
things and think thoughts not con-
sistent with the doctrine OF love as
onuuciated by the Nazarene.
Any organization which has Tor IT'S
basic or partial purpose the creation
of racial or religious prejudice and
which tends to turn men away from
safe and normal standards OF 1udg-
ment and action is un-Amerlcan' Is
not founded on enduring principles
and is a menace to the peace and safe
ty of the state and nation. And men
should think long before they iend
themselves to any delusion which en-
courages or fosters any such innuehce.
Any organization which seeks TO
arouse in the minds and hearts OF
men feelings of hostility, OF bitter
ness and unreasoning prejudice is not
safe guide to follow and is not
helpful factor in society.
We all want to develop Maine. ad-
yertise her resources and do all we
can to show to the world that Maine
i is a good place in which to live. and
| to which industries may be attract
ed but as long as this RELIGIOUS and
racial controversy is on. development
and progress is out of the question
we should not lose sight of this fact.
The School Question
am speaking plainly and frankly.
/ And permit me to say that l am
Protestant, a member for over 35
1 ot,, nov
no brief for any religious belief, but
| do deplore the issue that has been in
jected into this campaign, needlessiy.
as I view it, and for the purpose of
creating among the voters of the State
| religious prejudice and bitterness
| which 0akes calm judgment very dif-
| ficult if not impossible. An attempt
| is being made to have. the people be-
! lieve that there Is immediate danger
| to our public school system. Some
even believe. from n misunderStand-
| ing of the facts. that there has been
| an attempt to divert public money to
parochial schools. No parochill school
| in Maine has ever received one
dollar from public funds and l be-
lieye the present constitution is am
pie to take care of any such contin-
gency and I am absolutely against the
rochial schools, as such.
I doubt if any one here tonight Is
familiar with the provisions of the
Constitutional amendment which was
before the last legislature. l want
particularly to call your attention to
Section ]. of the Constitution amend
ment voted on last session. the So
called Brewster Resolve. where it
says: ".All moneys raised for the
support of public schools. and all
moneys which may be appropriated
by the State for the support of COM
mon schools shall be applied to and
expended in. no other schools than
those which are conducted according
to law. under the order and superin-
tendencc of the authorities of the
town or city in which the money is
expended"
Many academies over the State, not
sectarian in any sense of the word,
serve small communities and take
care of the boys and girls in those
places where there is no high school
This is taken care of by a contract
or agreement entered into on the part
of the town and the trustees of the
academy under which the town pays
a fixed sum to the trustees for the
education of the boys and girls OF
high school age. Bear in mind that
in most, if not all cases-probably all
tho trustees have full charge of the
academies and they are not ''under
the order and superintendent of
the authorities of the town or city
in which the money is expended"
which is the language of the resolve
voted on last session. From q legal
standpoint l have no hesitation in
asserting that If this amendment had
been passed it would have affected
every one of list of forty-five
academies, all of which with the ex-
ception of eight or ten are absolute
~ non sectarian. This would mean
that it would be impossible for the
towns to make any arrangement with
| these academies for the benefit of
their own pupils, because the acad-
emies are not under the order and
superintendent" of the authorities
of the town. Where this is true it
would mean that. if this amendment
had passed. the town would have to
take over the academies or uuiid
structures to take care of the situa-
ton or send their pupils elsewhere. I
trust this point is clear. Another eff
| feet of this amendment would he to
raise most serious question If the
State would be able to assist these
academies, as is now done. by money
paid by the State under the existing
law for help in the carrying on or
some of the courses in the curricula
of those academies.
| have discussed the matter with
one of the trustees of Monmouth
academy lying just west of augusta
who is one Of the leading lawyers in
the State. In his opinion the passage
of such an amendment would have
absolutely barred the town of Mon
mouth from arranging with the trus-
tees for the education of the youth
of that town in the academy, and this
trustee told me that his academy
would have to close its doors il such
an amendment were passed. l have
no doubt but what is true of Mon
mouth Academy may be equally true
of the various academies in Penob-
| scot county.
| am going to ask you men ana
women here present to answer in
your own hearts the question as to
whether or not you would have voted