8
THE WESTERN AMERICAN
APRIL, 1923
erly have lived in peace and tranquillity, has caused protest against these legislative movements, basing
other elements of our citizens to organize themselves their discussion upon the recently adopted and now
for the purpose of coming out in the open with their very much advertised “Oregon Law” which will, if
opposition to these attacks upon their principles and enforcible, in an immediate future prevent parents
the spiritual institutions they have built in America in this state from sending their children to private or
and are ready to defend with their very lives.
parochial schools. The news item in brief conveys
So far the organization throughout the country, the following information:
from its lines of shrouded secrecy, has refrained from
The meeting voiced the protest that it was an abridgement
making a general attack, fearing the possibilities of a of personal liberty to take from parents the right to send i
boomerang. The present form of operation has been their children to schools of their choice.
Similar meetings of protest will be held by all the Luther- I
limited to some drastic legislative proposals dis­
an churches in the Missouri synod, the largest body of I
guised in the cloak of would-be straight laced pa­ Lutheran churchmen in the United States.
triotism, dressed in language conveying the point that
Catholics in all the dioceses of the United States, it was I
the country was going to perdition unless such “reme­ said, have been called upon to raise $2,000,000 with which to I
fight
the law in the supreme court of the United States upon I
dial” legislation was adopted, besides getting
“members” appointed and elected to office, from the the ground that the measure adopted by popular vote in Ore- I
policeman on the beat to the senator in congress. In gon is abridgement of the constitution.
There is no doubt that the development of this in- I
some states the organization has been very successful
in both respects. Oregon, a state generally held to be tolerance movement in America, sponsored by a cer- I
fertile soil for almost any kind of phobia or mental tain secret fraternity, calling itself an Invisible Em- I
bacteria has been thoroughly seeded with “Invisible pire, is shortly going to furnish the people of this I
Empirites” and some splendid returns have already country a very disagreeable problem along entirely I
new lines, something different and far more difficult I
been harvested by the promoters.
While none but native Americans of certain species, to deal with than anything we have experienced in I
according to the inner gospel of the organization, can form of domestic controversies in politics and industry. I
The American public school is in no danger with I
claim legitimate title to anything tangible or in­
tangible within Uncle Sam’s domain, some efforts the public sentiment of America overwhelmingly for I
here and there have been made to gather a volunteer it and for its perfection. The private and parochial I
auxiliary of the ‘motley crew of foreigners” of Pro­ schools of this country have gradually given way and I
testant origin. While they can not share in the “equal become superfluous, from an education standpoint, in I
rights” of the inner circle, the sop of “standing in for proportion to the community attention given to the I
protection purposes” has been thrown to the foreign importance of making the public school fill the edu- I
born with no small measure of success. Again the old cational requirements. Without patronage no private I
adage is true that some Americans consider “any­ school of any kind can exist. As the educational re- I
thing good enough for the foreigner.” Maybe he quirements have been met in the public schools sus-II
ought not to ask much, but if he measures up, surely, tained by* taxation, the private schools are gradually I
if we have not annulled our accepted code of Ameri­ going out of business, because few people who can I
can principles, he ought not to be made “the goat” obtain for their children the attention in the public I
for anybody’s selfish purposes, political or otherwise. school they are required to pay for, in form of tuition I
While many citizens previous to the elections in to the private school, are willing to carry this excess I
Oregon last year were very much opposed to some load of the high cost of living.
Checking up on the progress of the public school in I
parochial schools in Oregon the ultimatum against all
private and parochial schools to put them out of busi­ America it is nothing short of phenomenal. In fact I
ness, is generally said to have come directly from this the progress has been so rapid that few people are I
new secret organization whose members, except the really able to keep pace with the developments unless I
officials, with few exceptions, most vigorously deny they take the time to keep in close touch with this I
being affiliated and may to prove their denial even en­ truly American institution.
But inasmuch as this is true, where is the real I
gage in mild criticism of the organization. As an
“underground” system, this American Invisible Em­ son for taking up the cudgel today against the fewl
pire has got the most perfected spy system of recent remaining private schools for children in America!
While this domestic innovation is engaging thl
war days backed off the map. This is not knocking
attention of some of our best people, among politic]
them for it. It is giving them credit for it.
The legislative idea no doubt has gained momentum ians, business men, professional men, tradesmen and]
throughout the country since the prohibitive legis­ laborers, who either have been misled or perforce of
lation against private schools was enacted last Novem­ circumstances are giving this movement their whois
ber through the Oregon initiative. On the other hand attention on one side or another, the revolutionär]
it has given rise to suspicion that the friends and propagandist is having things pretty rpuch his own
members of the Invisible Empire are not going to way, working himself in, under cover, getting the ear
have things their own way but that there is going to of the discontented citizen and in the vernacular is
be some strenuous and well organized opposition com­ “making hay while the sun is shining;”
People say of Oregon that it never rains but !
ing partly from some very unexpected sources.
A news item of April 15th from La Porte, Indiana, pours. Indications are that we are presently duefo
states that thousands of Lutherans of the Missouri a literal interpretation of this saying and there I
synod attended on that date a meeting to voice their apparently no mistake about that either. Our