Year: 1876

THE SCHOOL AMENDMENT-PARTl-l


SAN DEsPOTISM.


The school issue should have been set
lied by this Congress, even at the cost Of
great concession to the partisan despotism
Of the Senate. We discard all considera-
tions Of political expediency when we say |
that the school issue should have been set
tied by this Congress. While it is true
that every State constitution goes as far as
the Blaine amendment, and sacredly pro-
tects the schools from all sectarian denom-
ination, an amendment to the fundamental
law of the country would at once and
orever place our schools above the ruth
less grasp Of paltry, reckless politicians.
The Republican members Of the Senate
care nothing about the safety of the schools
about which they professed SO much anx-]
iety, or they would have accepted the
amendment which came from one of their
own most gifted leaders, with nearly the
unanimous endorsement of the House.
But Blaine the author Of the amendment
is lion in the path Of Republican free
hooters. They hate him and would gladly
crush him as they did his amendment.
The Republican Senator studied but one
thing, and that was how to construct an
amendment as would present the appear
ance Of sincerity, while SO offensive in fact
as to force the Democrats to vote against
it. The willy Jacobins studied out the
problem, and the Democratic Senators
were simple enough to step into the polit-
ical trap of their enemy set for them, and
the vote sht Tvs that the school amendment
was killedby strict party vote, the Dem
ocrats soldly voting against it. True the
Democrats voted solid for the Blaine
amendment, and made an earnest stuggle
for it that proved their sincerity, but by
refusing to let the Senate amendment pass
and go to the House and reach joint COM
mittee for revision, they placed themselves
in false position. Upon this subject the
Philadelphia 'Times" very correctly says:
"Had the main points Of Senator Kernan's
speech been signed by the Democratic Sen
ators as protest against the details Of the
amendment, with the declaration that they
would vote for it to enable it to reach "a
comnittee of conference for revision, they
would hsve shown sagacious leadership,
and defeated the majority in their attempt
to subordinate the school issue to partisan
advantage; but Bourbon like, they would
60 straight ahead to dash their brains cut
against the cunningly-constructed stone
wall, when they could have gone little
around and either attained their object, or
placed the responsibility of defeat clearly
where it belongs"


Iii very true, and the unanswerabl


argument Of Senator Herman proves it,
that the school amendment, as modified by
the Senate. would remand the nation back
TO religious intolerance and bigotry, and
would practically defeat the main purpose
Of the original Blaine amendment, yet it is
to be regretted that the Senate didn't send
the measure to the House, where it would
have been consigned a committea of con-
ference for revision. The Jacobin leaders
are determined to keep the bible and
school question political issues. These
blatant demagogus, these conscienceless
agitators who never open the lips of the
bible, to hide their political defects and
natural depravities, inAame religious pre-
judice by declaiming against the exclusion
Of the bible from our schools. These hy-
pocritcA Jacobins don't believe in the BIZ
BE, and are foes to free schools, education
and religion. For political prefermen
they sacrifice and destroy all social order,
they are the worst enemies the friends
ef law, of order, Of education and religion
have to fight against.