Page:The "Trial" of Ferrer - A Clerical Judicial Murder (IA 2916970.0001.001.umich.edu).pdf/14

 stances. From this it is to be elearly deducted that if the child has been educated with true and positive notions on all things, and if he be taught that to avoid error he must aceept nothing on faith, but accept only what science can prove, the child will grow, sharpening his powers of obser- vation, and with aptitudes for all sorte of studies. To educate the children, free from all prejudice, and to publish the works necessary to such an aim is the object of the Modern School. The whole valuc of education hinges on the respect given to the physical, in. tellectual and moral wil! of the child. The true teacher will be the one who abstains from imposing on the child his own will, his own ideas, and appeals, in growing mea- sure, to the energies of the child himself." In 1906, Ferrer was accused of complicity in the throw- ing of a bomb at the King and Queen of Spain by the Anarchist Morral. This man was a friend of Ferrer and håd been librarian in the School. That was all the par- ticipation of Ferrer in the outrage. Nevertheless, he was arrested and indicted. His school was closed and he was such kept in jail for a year. The reactionary forces did all they could to have him tried before a military tribunal1e but failed. Ferrer was judged by a civil tribunial and acquit- ted, it being clearly impossible to establish any proof of his guilt. Ferrer was set free, but not being allowed, how- ever, to reopen his school, he set up a new institution; it was a publishing concern which put out books on education at a small price and disseminated literature through Cata- lonia. Ferrer intended ually, and with time, into a "popular university;" he started in connection with it a new publication. called "LEcole Renovee."17 As we see, Ferrer was bent upon transform this institution grad- 20 The importance of this step witi be seen later on, when study-
 * Ing the trial Itaelt.

11 The first aumber of "L'Ecole Renovee" (The Renovated School) appeared on April 15, 1808.