A Monster A.P.A. Rally for the Public Schools

The gathering of the A.P.A. sympathizers at Ranke's hall yesterday afternoon recalled the Armory meeting of a few weeks ago, both in numbers and enthusiasm. Every foot of space was packed, even to the aisles, with a throng of well-disposed citizens, who cheered every patriotic utterance to the echo. The peaceful attitude of the people was commented upon by the chairman, Lindley M. Presnall, who drew out in his preliminary remarks a strong contrast between the spirit of toleration shown in Seattle with that of intolerance in Savannah. The musical programme was made up of patriotic selections, and each number was so vigorously applauded that the participants were obliged to respond with encores. Mrs. Rockwell's bright-faced juveniles, Manna Talquist, Constance Frear, Lillie Heinig and Mabel Glass, gave three A.P.A. songs. G. R. Bowman sang 'The Sword of Bunker Hill'; F. A. Elleven played on the piano a potpourri of patriotic airs, including 'The Star-Spangled Banner' and 'Dixie,' and responded with 'Washington's March.' The last song was 'Stand by the Home and School,' a quartette rendered by Mrs. Roe, Mr. Gilchrist and Mr. and Mrs. Guernsey. The sentiment of the song was directly in keeping with the address of the afternoon by Rev. W. T. Fleenor, who entitled his discourse 'The Public Schools the Palladium of American Liberty.' Mr. Fleenor appeared neither to passion nor prejudice, but built up his argument on the broad foundation of good sense, discussing the question of the best interests of the United States. He threw great life into what he said, both by an energetic delivery and by now and then touching off a bombshell of patriotic utterance. Mr. Fleenor did not wish to be understood, he said, as wishing to antagonize any institution, save as it held ideas at variance with the civil, moral and political ideas of the nation. 'Had I my way,' he exclaimed, 'I would go over this country and turn every man's conscience inside out, so that he would know whether he was an Andre, an Arnold or a Washington.' The speaker referred to the public schools as having been born in the early colonization of America, a bright-eyed handsome child, at last endowed by the nation with a munificence unparalleled in the history of the world. In these schools there were now many children, who were being brought up to realize the duties of American citizenship. He denied that the schools were ungodly, saying that there had never been a baser fabric woven this side of perdition than that statement. The schools stood open to all, and American citizens were not yet ready to see them Romanized, paganized or agnosticized. The speaker asserted the divine right of the state in the public schools, but said that right should be kept distinct from the church or any of the churches, for while Christianity had many things too sacred for the state, the state had many things too secular for the church. 'There may come a time,' he said, 'when American education will be made the test of American citizenship, but between church and state the schools stand with an injunction of perpetual divorcement. It is well for the sun and moon to cast admiring glances at each other, but let them each remain in their respective orbits.' Mr. Fleenor brought down the house by dipping into legendary lore, stating that Rome got her first milk from a wolf. 'Let Romulus follow his dark mother, with Remus, through the brush,' he said, 'but let the American youth ascend to the skies on the wings of an eagle.' He then explored the history of medieval and modern times, declaring that nothing hurt Romanism so much as light, and that the hierarchy of Rome had opposed general education, reserving that for the few, while the lesson for the masses was for them to learn to obey. He named over Christopher Columbus, imprisoned three years for the discovery of the new world, Copernicus, excommunicated and his book burned, Campanella and Harvey, persecuted, and Galileo, a prisoner, for their contributions to knowledge. 'And yet,' he said, 'you talk about Rome favoring education. I call it the enemy of the public school.' He continued: 'Take the nations that have lived under Rome for centuries. You find one mighty cloud of darkness, one gregarious mass of human ignorance. She has brought Ireland down to grease and potatoes, Spain to black bread and onions, Italy to monkeys and rags, and yet hers are the people who come to free-born American enterprise and say: Give us your children. Never! Suffice it, you may humbug a part of the people a part of the time, and all the people a part of the time, but you can't humbug all the people all the time.' Mr. Fleenor here took up the subject of text books, and followed the lead set by Joseph Cook. America, he said, wanted no religious text books, least of all those of Rome. He asked: 'Has the time come for us to have Catholic histories, Episcopal grammars, Methodist readers and Presbyterian arithmetics? Never. And it never will come.' As the above words were uttered, accompanied by a significant gesture and an emphatic stamping of the foot, the audience shouted 'No, no,' from all parts of the hall. Referring then to the recasting and misrepresentation of history, even of America, by Rome, the speaker said: 'Let me tell you that treason of this sort in this country ought to be stopped. I stand in amazement that the Americans permit it. What shall we do? you ask. I say, Rip Van Winkle, wake up! Get out of our way. I have very little patience with the American who is not willing to take an oath of eternal vigilance.' At the close of the address calls were heard for Rev. W. W. Mather, who was sitting on the stage, but that gentleman excused himself, saying he had an appointment. Rev. John H. [surname illegible] was called and delivered a rousing five-minute address, in which he urged patience and forbearance. The meeting ended shortly after 5 o'clock, after an announcement for another meeting next Sunday.