St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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THE MIRROR 19 ple have no affiliation whatever with any religious creed. What the world needs to-day is a return to the old, fundamental principles. It has set up purely human Leagues of Nations and Peace Conferences, and they have fallen with a resounding crash. It has sought morality Without religion and found it to be a sham. The State has tried education without religion, and found that the most highly educated are sometimes its most unworthy citizens. The world needs to have the rising generation rightly trained by their parents, with less regulation by the State in matters that do not belong to it. There must be a realization on the part of the people that there is a danger which threatens, not only their liberty of conscience, not only their rights as parents, but the wel- fare and the very life of our country. If all American cit- izens were vigilant of their prerogatives gif any encroachment on their natural and constitutional rights were strenuously resisted 5 then there would be no fear of the opponents of religious liberty, of the enlargement of the power of civil society, or of the autocracy of the State. x The Mirror N eil McCaZli0n, Law, '25 Too oft we see our neighbor 's life Reflected in a glass That' makes of e'en the fairest form A shapeless, twisted mass.

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18 THE IGNATIAN receive an education that will tit them for useful and honor- able careers. In all schools, whether established by the Church, the State, or a group of families, the State should see that the laws of public health and order are observed, and if in any school doctrines are taught which are against the public peace, or otherwise opposed to the interests of the community, the State may intervene. Moreover, if the par- ents neglect their duty, or delegate to the State the power of educating their children, it may establish such schools as are necessary. It is also plain that the State may, and should have cer- tain standards of education to which all must conform. This is justified by considerations of public good. But if these requirements are satisfied by any parent or group of parents who desire a system of education in which, besides the neces- sary branches of secular knowledge, sound morals and reli- gion are inculcated, the State has no right to interfere. What is objected to is a State monopoly of education, on the principle that the child belongs to the State, and that the State's interest in children is superior to the natural interest which the parents have in their offspring. It is thus apparent that the theory of absolute State control of education is groundless, and to see that in practice it is productive of the most disastrous results, We have but to look about us. Godless education in France, where Vol- taire boasted that he would blot out the Star of Bethlehem and drive the name of God from the schools, the pursuit of sceptical and materialistic science in Germany, and similar conditions all over the globe have brought the world to the condition in which it is, where brother seeks to kill brother for monetary gain, and where nations fly at each others' throats for rich oil districts or coal mines. ' Even in our own country it is the same. Americans were once a religious people. Now, after seventy years of education without God in the public schools, almost two-thirds of the American peo-

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The Derelict Eustace Cullman, Jr., '25 I. HE shipping master climbed over the port rail of the good ship '4Lady Louise , his broad, leathery face aglow with honest satisfaction. Here they be, Captain Bellnay, and as fine a crew as ever l've shipped , he called out enthusiastically, addressing his remarks to a short, intelli- gent-looking man who was leaning against the opposite rail in company with a huge giant of a mate. After the master came the crew, as fine as he had ever shipped. It was the typical complement of an outgoing American deep water vessel-the motley gang of nut-browned, tar-stained foreigners, in their canvas sea jackets, smirched with the accumulated grime of many and distant voyages. Each, as he climbed onto the deck, tossed with a sailorly heave, his clothes-bag upon the dunnage pile, and then joined his shipmates by the capstan as they stood waiting patiently to be counted. Captain Bellnay and the mate looked the crew over with evident disgust. Where did he round up that nest of wharf-rats? exclaimed the captain, irritably. There's not a Iirst class sailor in the bunch, if lim a judge ! The mate slowly turned the quid of tobacco over and over in his mouth before replying. A r0tte11 deal' ', he said, a gang 0' lubbers sure. But time, an' patience, an, a be- layin' pin can round lem out. Already the shipping master was approaching with the lists and his receipts. Tally 'em off, will you, Cap ,Il Bell- nay? Here 's the names. The captain took the list dubi- ously, and with lowered brow approached the crew. An- swer your names as they are called , he said roughly, and then form along the rail. I