Year: 1875

NO pfluclple ls nofe IlrIliy lAeu III
the minds Of the people of the United
States than thatthe public school sys-
tenn is one of the main pillars which
uphold and maintain their Republ-
can form of government, and nothing
will more thoroughly arouse the
masses than an attempt to interfere
with or in any way change that sys-
tenn. 1t is noble, a grand institu-
tion. 1t places education and enlight-
enment within the reach of all. The
child of the beggar, the penniless or
phan and the offspring of the rich and
influential each reaps its blessings
and shares it's benefits. 1t recognizes
no caste and knows no creed or de-
nomination. 1t is the common heri-
tage of all-the birthright of all. Its
importance is well understood and its
advantages fully appreciated by every
intelligent voter in the United States,
and so we'll satisfied are all classes
with it's working that none will brook
the slightest change or listen for a
moment to arguments favorng in
roads on the system. President
GRANT was fully aware of this when
he made his Desmoines speech. We
shall not conjecture from whence he
received the promptings that caused
him to give utterance to the senti-
ments then expressed. The source
was undoubtedly sectarian, and was
one of those home thrusts which re-
ligious denominations 50 well know
how to give each other. 1t was mas
ter stroke and struck keynote in
the breasts of the masses, the rever-
berations of which were heard in Ohio
and throughout the States that held
elections on Tuesday last. The an
nOuncement that the next internecine
war in the United States would be for
the Lords sake--would be religious
war-was meant to mean struggle
between two denominations and the
impression was conveyed that the en-
tering wedge which should divide the
nation was the claim of one party to q
share of the public school money to be
used in imparting sectarian educa-
ton, and the denial of this claim by
the other. In word, it was to be a
contest with the Roman Catholics on
one side and the Protestants on the
other. The premises once laid down,
the President limited, and his party
organs and leaders have since assert
ed, that the Republican party would
espouse the Protestant side of the con-
troversy, and stand by 1t unto the Bit
ter end. Having defined the premises
and assumed their own position, the
Republican leaders proceeded to as
sign the Democratic party its place
in the contest, which was an
advocacy of the Catholic cause.
We may deny the correctness
of the premises and denounce
the position as false, but the argument
of those who drew the map has been
made, and in rebuttal nothing was
offered. Not one false line has been
pointed out, and the Democratic party
is to-day called upon to answer the
charge of asserting to the Catholic
demand for division of the school,
money. That the indictment is found
ed on false evidence is most true; that
the principles Of Democracy are as
positively and unalterably opposed to
giving the control of the slightest por-
ton of the school funds to any sect or
denomination of whatever religion, is
fact which all intelligent minds will
admit. But this cannot be claimed
for here and there q man who found
a place on the Democratic ticket, and
it is these men who brought suspicion
on the whole party, and the feeling of
distrust born of this suspicion defeated
the party in Pennsylvania and New
Jersey and reduced to fraction the ma
iority in New York. There is one, and
but one, way to remove this damag-
ing suspicion, and that is the manly
and honorable way of embodying only
Democratic principles in Democratic
platforms. The sin of commission Is
almost as damning as that of commits