THE SECTARIAN SCHOOL QUESTION.
The following resolutions were adopted by the Baptist Pastors’ Conference held at Louisville, Ky., on the twentieth day of January last, and have been indorsed by the Baptist ministers of New York City and vicinity, and by the Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Richmond and Manchester, Va.:— “WHEREAS, The United States Government during the last eleven years has paid out of the public treasury the sum of $3,430,157 to the Roman Catholics, to aid them in carrying on their missionary work among the Indians; and, “WHEREAS, For the year ending June 30, 1896, while less than $6,000 are set aside for other churches, the sum of $308,471 is given to the Roman Catholics; and, “WHEREAS, It is the declared policy of the government to discontinue Indian contract schools as early as practicable; and, “WHEREAS, It is entirely feasible to make provision in government schools for all Indian children now enrolled in contract schools before the beginning of the school year of 1896-97; therefore, “RESOLVED, That we earnestly urge upon Congress the importance of discontinuing at once the contract school system, and we hereby protest against the appropriation of further sums from the public treasury in the aid of contract schools. We do this for the following reasons:— “First. The appropriation of public money to any church or religious denomination is plainly in violation of the spirit of the Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of any form of religion. “Second. It is contrary to public policy, causing as it does religious jealousies, and injecting into our politics the animus of sectarian controversy. “Third. The giving of so large a sum to one sect, while others doing the same kind of work among the Indians receive nothing from the public treasury, is unwarranted favoritism on the part of the United States Government, which is in duty bound to treat all its people alike. “Fourth. It is a serious menace to the integrity of the public-school system, since the same reason urged in behalf of this action of the government may be urged with equal potency in behalf of the division of the public-school fund of the several states. “Fifth. It is detrimental to the cause of Indian education. It is better for the Indians in preparation for American citizenship to be trained in public schools, where all the influences tend to foster patriotism and to prepare them for a speedy absorption into national life.” In forwarding the resolutions to Congressman W. S. Linton, the editor of the Western Recorder wrote as follows:— “MY DEAR SIR: I inclose copy of preambles and resolutions as below, adopted by the Baptist Pastors’ Conference of this city (Louisville). I assure you that these are the sentiments of the 230,000 Baptists in Kentucky, as well as nearly all the 4,000,000 throughout the entire country. I can assure you also that these are the sentiments of five-sixths of the American people. I earnestly hope that this stain upon our government may be speedily removed.” The Baptist Ministers’ Conference of Atlanta, Ga., also sent a protest, accompanied by the following sentiment:— “In entering this protest we are guided by a regard for the sacred principle of separation of church and state, so prominently characteristic of our constitutional system, and wholly uninfluenced by disproportionate favor shown to any church.”