Year: 1875

TIL, Democratic organs are now loud


and emphatic i'll their assertion that


n ither they nor their Catholic allies have


any intention of destroying the useful


hess Of the public school system. Oi


tine Democratic party it is not necessa


ry TO speak. In its ranks there is a very


respectable minority, particularly in the


rural districts, that appreciate the value


of our public schools and would at any


time forsake the party to defend them.


The Democratic leaders are Of another


stamp The facility with which they


followed the Priestled GeglIan in the


last Legislature shows what they would


do if again called upon by their Catho-


lie allies The question next arises


whether the Catholic church would be


likely to call upon the Democratic party,


in case it is successful, for legislation


which will tend to destroy the usefulness


Of our public school system. The sub


Joined extract from tie Cdihoiic TtIe-
grGjh aids one materially in answering
this question:


''The present system Of public schools
brands the Catholic faith as "A crime, and
the American State Furnishes it yearly by
fines equal in amount to the sum which
Catholics are compelled to expend after
| tie payment of school tax upon the
4 II 4 4
The American school law is penal ell
actment against the Catholic religion,


originating and perpetuated in the same
spirit that has driven the educational or
ders of the church from the soil OF Ger
many. He who hath no care fhis own
household has denied the faith, and is
worse than an iniidel; and the Church,


with no uncertain sound, or ambiguous
language, but in clear, explicit, and deci


sive phraseOlogy, has declared to the
CATHOLIC world that the religious educa-
ton of their children is an all important
care, paramount duty, which cannot
be neglected without guilt. There could
therefore, hardly be a more impudent
falsehOod than the assertion that n pub
lie school system of education does not
interfere with the religion of Catholics.
IL is an Interference that amounts to a
most grevious and insulting outrage; it
illustrates most perfectly the brute rule
of "A reckless majority in the domain of
religion, from which the letterof Ameri-
can law excludes all interference"


This clear, unambiguous language is
from the organ of Archbishop Purcell,
and it may lie accepted as n statement
of sound Catholic doctrine. Is there
aught in this doctrine that conflicts with |
the public school system OF Ohio, As
suredly there is. They say our ''pres-
ent system OF public schools brands the
Catholic faith as II erime," that the
american school law is penal enact
ment against the Catholic religion, that
the assertion that Il ''secular education
does not interfere with religion is an i'm
pudent falsehOOd, that our public cdu-
cation amounts to a gTievOus and insult
ing outrage" and ''illustriatcs the brute
rule of n reckless majority" This is the
view Roman Catholics take Of our
schools and from this standpoint it is
their imperative duty to do all in their
power to destroy them. In their eyes
the thousands of teachers ia the land are
engaged in II work that is "grievous,'
Insulting" and Outrageous to all true
Catholics. The Catholics must then la !
bor to destroy this school system or
prove recreant TO their religion. ia
their de9p-seated antagOniSm there eX-
ists no element from which one can hope
fora compromise or reconciliation. They
regard the schools simply as despOtic,
and n part of u ''penal enactment
against the Catholic church" How can
they do otherwise than labor to shake
oil this "deSpotisn" and trample under
feet this ''inSulting" and Outrageous
institution. That they are bound to do
it rs soon as they get the power is as
clear as proofs of holy writ. Their own
language with the history and genius of
their church proves this eOnclusively.
The Democratic organs assert the coli
trary, and some Catholic papers sustain
them, but they reason against evidence
that they cannot overcome. If the DE
moeraey succeeds at the coming election
it will only be through the support Of
the Catholic church, AMI after the elec-
ton they will attempt to recompense the
church 10y aiding them in their inroais
upon our public schools.