Untitled article by W. H. M.

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · June 2, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 22

A False Appeal to Principle.

By W. H. M.

The associated press reports of the proceedings of the Methodist Conference at Omaha, on May 9, say that—

Dr. J. M. King, of New York, a leading candidate for the episcopacy, offered a resolution for a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States. It relates to the protection of the public schools in the United States, against religious encroachments, and to define the attitude of the churches with relation to the schools. The resolution was adopted and applauded. Dr. King offered another resolution declaring that the appropriation of money by the national Government for ecclesiastical education was not in accord with the principles of the Constitution, and the churches should refuse to receive money from the Government for the education of the Indians. Dr. King spoke earnestly upon the subject, stating that all the churches had been getting assistance from the Government in their Indian work. He believed it was a wrong principle. The Catholic Church, he said, had received over $2,000,000. He wanted the whole contract system between the Government and the Church wiped out. The resolution was carried unanimously.

When Rev. Mr. King and Wm. Allen Butler championed this amendment and resolution before the House Committee on the judiciary some time ago, in reply to a question as to the breadth of application of this amendment, Mr. King said that it was “specialized upon the financial question,” therefore, of course, being of that restricted application, it could apply only to money transactions between the Government and individual churches or denominations. According to that interpretation this proposed amendment would be no bar to the use of money by the general Government for the advancement of the great religious trust from which is to be dispensed that dilute popular religion common and acceptable to the ruling majority, the attainment of which is one of the purposes of the religious Congress to be held at the World’s Fair.

If these gentlemen of the National League for the Preservation of American Institutions have given the slightest thought to the use and applicability of their measure, beyond the present purpose of locking the treasury doors against the Roman Catholic Church, this is just the view they have taken of it,—that the States and the general Government being debarred from showing financial favor to different or individual denominations, the way would be paved towards the furtherance and establishment of that modified form of religion which they fondly hope will be developed and rule in this country as the Christian religion. These men who are moving for the adoption of this constitutional amendment, and those who heard it with such acclamation, are all working and petitioning in almost a frenzy for the passage by Congress of any measure, however vicious the legislation may be, which shall close the gates of the Chicago Exposition on Sunday; Mr. King and Wm. Allen Butler, and the rest of the gentlemen of the National League, are stanch supporters of the enforced reading of the Bible in the public schools, that is, the King James or the Revised Version, though they would be ready to apply to Congress for a constitutional amendment, no doubt, if necessary, to shut out the Douay Version; many of the members of this League are members of, and sympathizers with, the National Reform Association and the American Sabbath Union.

The appeal to “principle” in the advocacy of this proposed constitutional amendment, is a specious plea. The application of the general principle is the very last thing to which they would submit. They would even prefer that the Roman Catholic Church should continue to receive the lion’s share of the public funds.

W. H. M.