The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-08
THE BIBLE CONTROVERSY.

The BIBLE CONTROVERSY.
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The Board OF Education versus tho Ward
1 Trustoes-No Bible, MO Tin--Pay Day Of
tho Tcachers-Tho Anti-Biblc Exanca-
pals Denied Their Money, SO.
By the by laws of the Board Of Education the second
Saturday In every month appointed pay day Tor The va
rous teachers and other employees IN the several SCHOOLS
But for reason unknown TO the rest Of tne
body Of under whose control and direction our much
vauntcd educational system administered have changed
the nay day from Saturday to the first second Friday
Of each MONTH thus enabling the tutors of youth to
pocket their dimes little than by law they ought
Wen, yesterday happened TO be one Of those welcome
occasions on which the tong instructors Of young Anne
RIGA are accustomed to visit tho well known brown stone
building the Of Elm and Grand Streets TO receive
their regular monthly stipend To tho majority Of tho
teachers there nothing extraordinary in the day. they
went there smiling and returned with faces still more ra
ant and indicative Of satisfaction But others, IT OBJ
served approached the desk Of the finance clerk with ev
dent symptoms of uneasness, and after having few
words with the latter OFFICIAL made their exit exhibiting
physognomies Enthusiastically and rather eon-
gated than originally Intended by Mother Nature. II ID
scarcely necessary inform the reader that the former
class those who received their pay and the gorous
minority were those who went away, sorrowing and
As most Of our readers are well aware there has been
great hnbbub lately about tho Bible In the schools
s e 81 ns aS@s
ent has been accustomed by the controversy between
those on the one baud who oppose the reading Of the
Bible aud those the other hand who contend that by
the exclusion Of the Holy Book from the schools the laws
Of the State Is 1agranty violated. In two or three
opening the public schools by the reading Of portion Of
the Holy Scriptures dispensed with by order Of tho
Board Of Trustees and this action led to strong debate
at several meetings OF the Board OF Education. Aer
various attempts saye on al action the subject the
Board at session held the 18th Of June last amended
article s. section 38 OF the laws, by striking out subd
vision II and adding as follows
IL All the public schools Of this city under the jurisdiction Of
the Board Education shall be opened by the reading Of po
be s &c s principal q he
d asa % es s
BYLAW which report shall be ANNEXED 70 The pay roll
ss
% s, ss Pss 4 Snss %
the Board Of and e this Boar, I'd; ~ VIC
Of which the teacher may cognan and each Of aD
to pay roll shall contain an alienation that
teacher included In the roll Of the rules and regulations Of
ID No paymen. shall be made 70 teacher 10 whose case
have no. been compiled . with ~
as M a s @ nS ssps Il and Is Of
The Board Of Education hoped by this arbitrary egs
aton to put end to the controversy and to settle tho
matter according to their way Of thinking. But the
ward trustees Of the rebcous schools made up their
minds not to sucumb this dictaton and accordingly
ordered the various teachers under their jurisdiction to
conduct their schools usual without the reading OF the
Scriptures either the opening at any other time.
Thus the poor teachers placed In very unpleasant
dilemma To the trustees they owed their appointment,
and by them they could be removed nstanter for dis
obedience on the other hand the Board Of Education
had charge OF the funds appropriated for the support of
the public schools and threatened TO withhold payment
from all such teachers as should fail to comply with the
provisions of section IL article g. published above What
was to be done therefore, under these
The teachers seeing themselves thus nccesaed to steer
hotxy md kc m
left-scarce,v knew what course to pursue. At frst
they thought was choosing between the frying pan
the would be sure TO be burned anyway; but
after dcberaipc over. the matter for some time they at
last came to tho conclusion that II would be
safest to obey the trustees. They naturally
argued that If they ced those who had appointed them,
they would be dismissed Immediately and then certainly
dsobcying the Board of Education there would be some
chance OF recovering for their services
Accordingly on the opening Of the schools on the LIST OF
September after the summer vacation the reading Of the
Bible omitted in the schools OF the Fourth and sixth
wards in all but two Of those IN the Fourteenth ward
Yesterday being day was therefore looked Forward
to with little anxiety by the teachers or
the rebeous trustees and tho sequel proves that their
uncasiness was well founded They knew that the all
important question as TO whether they would receive their
pay usual would be settled one way or tue other ana
all tho teachers in the three wards expected to be sent
20 nat M =. C,@rAe, ulc fM1ncc ol1l ~ wy pl,oPas
mates would receive their payments as usual The law
directs that the Finance clerk shall give checks to
the male principals OF the grammar departments Of
the various ward schools for the wages oa all
The male principals Of the grammar departments, il is
t.a - f1Asa