Manitoba School Question

Serious differences exist between the Dominion government and the province of Manitoba concerning the restoration of separate schools for protestants and catholics in that province. The English system of education prevails in a number of the provinces of the Dominion, and separate schools are maintained. These schools are maintained by local taxation and by government grants. Unlike our public school system, state education is not confined to secular study, but includes religious instruction as well. Henee the trouble. In 1890 Manitoba abolished separate schools, and the agrieved party took an appeal to the Crown, and a decisión was obtained to the effect that the act of abolishment was inequitable because it deprived a portion of the people of rights guaranteed before the territory was organized, Thereupon the Dominion government directed the province of Manitoba to abrógate the offending legislation. The government of the province has within the past few days made answer to this deraand, declining to restore the separate schools. That Manitoba is clearly in the wrong in the position assumed, in view of the principies and the practice which prevail in the educational matters of the Dominion, few will question. Since if it is right for her, because the majority of her people are protestants, to deprive the catholics of their separate schools, it is also right in the province of Quebec, where the majority is the other way, for the catholics to deprive the protestants of their separate schools. The dilemma in which the Dominion government finds itself is a peculiarly delicate one, requiring wise leadership and much patience Some satisfactory solution short of coerción will be sought and found, no doubt. But this difference may be the beginning of a movement which will ultimately place the schools of the Dominion in line with the prevailing thought of western civilization, viz., that state education shall deal with the secular alone, and that religious instruction may be provided independently and shall in no case be subjected to the despotism of the majority. Such a final solution would in all probability, judging from the experience on this side of the line, secure the best preparation for citizenship in the rising generation, which is the ultímate aim of state education. The following facts from one of the recent speeches of Secretary Carlisle should be read and pondered by every voter. Let him who believes in the use of both gold and silver as money, and who desires a larger per capita circulation and better nav for the laboring man, consider what has taken place elsewhere when free silver has been adopted. The future of this matter can only be judged by the past. The history of the workings of free silver, according to Mr. Carlisle, is as follows: " i. There is not a free-coinage country in the world today that is not on a silver basis. "2. There is not a gold-standard country in the world today that does not use silver money along with gold. " 3. There is not a silver-standard country in the world today that uses any gold along with silver. "4. There is not a silver-standard country in the world today that has more than one-third of the circulation per capita that the United States has. "5. There is ndt a silver-standard country in the world today where the laboring man receives fair pay for his day's work. " Reports from Spanish sources continue to represent the insurrection in Cuba as on the verge of collapse, but at the same time she continúes to hurry forward reinforcements for her army there. Although it is but a brief time since 10,000 additional troops were dispatched to Cuba to assist those already there, yesterday's news dispatches announce that 25,000 more are to follow immediately. All this indicates that the rebellion is much more formidable than the Spanish government is willing to admit. There is much sympathy throughout the length and breadth of this nation for the struggling Cuban patriots, but the struggle has not yet reached a stage entitling it to recognition by the United States government. ín the meantime our government is taking every precaution to prevent the giving of aid by sympathizers here which will lay this country Hable when the trouble finally termina t e s . ______ The first degree ever taken by a woman in the imperial university of Gottingen was conferred upon Miss Grace Chisholm, an American girl. The express permission of the Prussian minister of education had to be first secured. She was made a doctor of philosophy. Senator Brice is once more having his washing done in Ohio, and this is taken to mean that he will again be a candidate for United States senator in the Buckeye state.