Our public school is the mill that is to grind out this standard of morality, knowledge and patriotism common to all.  Hence we must have the Bible in it as the standard of morality, and primary principles of literature, science and art, the standard of knowledge, and the American flag and its essential principles as the standard of patriotism.  Our American school system is like a great paper mill, into which are cast rags of all kinds and colors, but which lose their special identity and come out white paper, having a common identity.  So we want the children of the state, of whatever nationality, color or religion, to pass through this great moral, intellectual and patriotic mill, or transforming process, and thus lose their foreign peculiarities and come out not as Germans, Irish, English, Huns or Poles, but as Americans, having the common identity of morality, knowledge and patriotism that is essential to true American citizenship and good government stamped upon their minds, and when they pass through this mill of purification they then begin to lose confidence in the heathenish doctrines of Catholicism.

In a government where the people are the rulers, intelligence and education are necessary to maintain the nation’s stability.  Under this belief, the public school system of the United States was founded.

Following are expressions of prominent Americans on the general subject of popular education: 

President Hays:  “I am firmly convinced that the subject of popular education deserves the earnest attention of the people of the whole country, with a view to wise and comprehensive action by the government of the United States.  The means at the command of the local and state authorities are in many cases wholly inadequate to deal with the question.  The magnitude of the evil to be eradicated is not, I apprehend, generally and fully understood.”

President Garfield:  “Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained.  Its interests are intrusted to the state and to the voluntary action of the people.  Whatever help the nation can justly afford should be generously given to aid the states in supporting common schools, but it would be unjust to our people and dangerous to our institutions to apply any portion of the revenue of the nation of the states to the support of sectarian schools.  The separation of the church and the state in everything relating to taxation should be absolute.”

Dr. Strong:  “Free schools are one of the cornerstones of our government.”

Washington’s Farewell Address:  “Promote them as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge.  In proportion as the structure of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that public opinions should be enlightened.”

Calhoun:  “In proportion as a people are ignorant, stupid, debased, corrupt, exposed to violence within and danger without, the power necessary for a government to possess in order to preserve society against anarchy and destruction becomes greater and greater, and individual liberty, less and less, until the lowest condition is reached, when absolute and despotic power becomes necessary on the part of the government and individual liberty extinct.”