The Nevada journal., 1859-04-22
Communication.

MS ne mas perIect riSnt 10 40, ano
it would require no comment from me
but for the sneering tone he has seen fiji
to adopt, in respect to myself and the
public school under my charge 1t
would be serious misfortune to the
people of Nevada to have the public
school ruined for the season, though it
might be for Mr.. Stratton's private gain.
His complaint about the examination
and his clamor about the "expulsion of
the Bible from school," may perhaps
have quite as much reference to gain
as to goodness. There has been no sex
pulsion of the Bible from school," as
Mr.. Stratton would have known from an
article in the Democrat of last week, if
it had suited his purposes to know it,
Though | have received directions not
to put the Bible forward as text book,
| have been also directed to have re-
gard to the conscientious scruples of
parents who insist on having their chill
dren read it in school.
AS my own position in this matter has
been misrepresented to my injury | will
state the whole affair so far as 1 know
it. Some days before the meeting of
the Trustees, March 31st, 1 had con-
versation with DR.. Overton on the sub
ject of the Bible in schools in which l
told him l had always used it to some
extent. never had known evil to re-
suit from it in school except when devo-
tional exercises were made tedious
Then they may produce habits of irrev-
erence. Children seldom take secta-
rian view of the Bible till after their
public school days are over. 1 heard
no more about it till the meeting of the
trustees. 1t is not true, as Mr.. Stratton
states, that no questions were asked me
at that meeting as to text books, &c.
The same questions were put to me as
TO him and l answered them. At this
point the questions were interrupted by
the entrance of ladies. Mr.. Stratton
says it was all cheating around the
bush" to get at the Bible question. l
confess my faculties were not acute
enough to perceive it. The Bible ques
| tion was afterwards introduced and Mr..
Stratton at once pitted himself in dis
cussion against Messrs. Anderson and
Ov ertor. Almost at the first of it he de.
clared that he would not teach school
unless he could have the Bible among
its books. This was entirely voluntary
OH his part and not called for in answer
to any questions put to him.
At the close of the discussion, some
one asked the question: "Do you say
you would not teach school unless YOU
could have the Bible in lit :" Mr.. STRAIT
toms answer was "Yes. some portions of
1.-THE Gospels" TO those who blame
me for taking no part in the discussion,
l would say that DR.. Overton was in
consultation with the Trustees, and l
had previously expressed my opinions
fully to him. The meeting was called
for another purpose, and the discussion
was entirely out of place. Mr.. STRAIT
toms eager and impetuous eloquence,
though no doubt admirable in itself, was
calculated to raise strong suspicion of
sectarian bias on his part, and thus to
iniure the cause he seemed to advocate.
Enough and too much had already been
said upon the subject, and 1 would not
add a single word. On leaving the
meeting l told a friend that if there
were any trouble about it, should con-
slider it in great degree due to Mr..
Stratton's i'll timed and over jealous
discussion of the question.
heard no more on the subject till
after the descision of the Trustees was
announced. No pledge was ever asked
of me to "banish the Bible from school,"
and none ever given by me. Mr.. STRAIT
ton also modestly assures the public
that he was the only one who stood the
test of scholarship imposed by the Trus'
tees. The only difference between my
photography and his, was in the pretcrit
tense of the verb eat and in the word
rareHing; the former l wrote eat and
he wrote it ate The latter | wrote with
two Is and he with but one. In each
case there are high authorities for both
ways of spelling the words, so that
neither can be justly called wrong. l
did not hear the Trustees decide that
Nh. S. alone wrote correctly, and they
say there was no such decision. OF
this confess I am ashamed to speak
| ochamed that n faacher who oupht RI