PERILS.— JiELKiJOX AND THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 99 



• When the public fully appreciates the fact that the 

 Roman Catholic school policy is fixed, and that conces- 

 sions are useless, it would not be strange if there were a 

 tendency developed to Protestantize the public schools; 

 but against this we must caution ourselves, if for no 

 other reason, because in the eyes of the average voter it 

 would make valid the Catholic argument for the division 

 of the school fund ; against which division every true 

 American must set his face without variableness or the 

 faintest shadow of turning. Remember the wise words 

 of President Garfield: ^ "It would be dangerous to our 

 institutions to apply any portion of the revenue of the 

 nation or the state to the support of sectarian schools ; " 

 and those of General Grant, ^ "Encourage free schools, 

 and resolve that not one dollar appropriated to them 

 shall be applied to the support of any sectarian school. " 



The second theory touching religion and the public 

 schools which demands our attention is that of the secu- 

 larists, among whom are counted many Christian men 

 as well as all Jews and agnostics. 



According to this theory the province of the State is 

 wholly secular ; its true attitude is that of absolute neu- 

 trality toward all forms of religious belief and unbelief; 

 to teach religion in any form is to do violence to the 

 rights of certain classes of citizens. 



The Jewish Exponent ^ quotes Rabbi Calisch as say- 

 ing: " The public schools are an outgrowth of our broad 

 American republicanism, which, in the interest of free- 

 dom, forbids any union or partnership of Church and 

 State. Hence, in the name of the Jewish brotherhood 

 all over this country, and in the name of persons of dif- 

 fering views on religious matters everywhere, I wish to 

 protest against the manner in which our public schools 

 are conducted. It is a favorite claim of the churches," 

 he continues, ' ' that this is a Christian country, and this, 



1 Letter of Acceptance, July 12, 1880. 



2 To the Army of the Tennessee, Des Moines, 1876. 

 ? August 16, 1889. 



