l observation and by coming into personal contact with both
Catholic and Protestant nations. However, we are not going to be
satisfied with this alone, as we do not want the reader to rely
implicitly upon our individual statements, but we propose to bring
facts to bear upon your mind which cannot be over-thrown, as
statistics are stubborn and unyielding facts, which none but fools
dispute.

We propose to take statistics from the _Peabody Reporter_, which you
can corroborate with the official report of the United States
Commissioner of Education. The statistics that we above refer to
follow:

"To every ten thousand inhabitants under the Roman Catholic school
system, there are 1,400 illiterates, 410 paupers and 160 criminals,
while in the public school system we only find to every ten thousand
inhabitants 350 illiterates, making a difference of 1,050 to every
ten thousand." Thus you see that what we have said in previous
chapters of this book in regard to Romanism being founded upon the
mountains of ignorance is true.

Education in its literal meaning, means an infusion of intelligence
that lifts up the minds of man, and it is generally so accepted by
the world at large, but education, as far as Catholicism goes, means
only a rehearsal of abominations, which have been practiced upon the
followers of this creed for centuries in the past, and does not in the
least bear upon the principles of true education.

The public school system is established on the principle that the
intelligence and virtue of the people constitutes the foundation of
free government.

Our public schools therefore form one of the chief cornerstones of
our American republic; they are the sheet anchor of our hopes. The
growth and prosperity which have characterized the first century of
our schools fulfills their mission.

Education is the watchword of the hour among Protestants, but never
among Catholics. We must educate if we would elevate, and unless we
elevate the minds of men we will have humanity running riot with vice
and immorality, and this is why the Catholic nations of the earth are
found with their morals trailing in the slime of degeneracy.

Our public schools are to-day the great assimilating power in this
country. We find in them children of all nationalities, and whether
they be English, Irish, Scotch, Danish, Norwegians, French, Italians,
or some other nationality, when they enter these institutions they
pass out of the school h