Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-02-07
THE SCHOOLS AND THE BIBLE.

which various ahenumehts were proposed. IL
now remains for the senate to accept the house
bill, insist on its own, or propose something
different from either.
The senate bill leaving the general statutes
as they now stand, and adds this provision:
mo scholar or teacher, who shall declare
that he has conscientious scrupies against
reading The Bible in the common EnSlis ver-
sion, shall be required 10 do so, nor shall any
scholar be required 10 read the-elrOm, whose
parent or guardian shall declare that he has
conscientious scruples against allowing him
10 do So"
The house bill repeats the twenty -seventh
section of the thirty eighth chapter of the gen.
eTal statutes, and proposes the following
''The school committee shall require the dai-
ly reading OF some portion OF the Bible without
note or comment in the public school; but
shall never diTeGt any school books calculated
to favor tie tenets Of any particular sect of
christians to be purchased or used in any of
the town schools"
Il seems to US that the house bill would &C.
casion trouble rather than remove it. II is too
indefinite. Too much room is left for disa-
greement and controversy, in regard to its
meaning. With fair minded committees, pa
rents, and teachers, there is no trouble under
the present enactment. Those whose views
and feelings incline them to get up conflicts
between religious preJudices can find as much
opportunity 10 do so in the measure proposed
by the house, in the law as it now stands.
Probably it would increase trouble, rather
than remove it. By adopting it, the Legislature
would leave out OF the statutes the words
Common version" and leave school COM
mittees to prescribe for use in The schools
whatever translation of the Bible might
seem to them most expedlent. 1t is not
impossible that some very hypercritcal
person might contend that no translation
is really The Bible, and that by striking
out of the statutes common version the
legislature intended that only the original
Greek and Hebrew should De read in schools.
Where there is a ready disposition to dispute
and contend some person may insist that
translation to which he objects is ''the
Bible" Trouble viii not be removed, and
the attempt 10 improve the statute will prove
failure.
II there is to be change of the existing
law, it should be made in language so clear and
unequivocal as to leave no room for disagree
ment or doubt, in regard 10 what it means. In
this respect the senate bill is much preferable
to that adopted by the house. 1t makes no
change in the law by which the common yer.
sion of the Bible is prescribed for use in
schools, but provides that Catholics may be
excused from reading it when they profess con.
Ii.
senate bill might be improved; and it is posi-.
bic that some other more satisfactory measure
might be adopted But, whatever is done,
should be done with very "livey remem-
brance" that this legislation is not for the
most reasonable, candid, and tolerant people in
the commonwealth, on either side OF the ques-
ton, and that to be of any avail, it must be
expressed in terms that leave nothing equivo.
cal or uncertain.
AS we understand the case, the Catholics do
not ask to have the common version OF the
Bible excluded from the schools, but that they
and theirs may moi be compelled TO read it.
One of the senators, Mr.. Tucker of Boston, is
a Catholic. When the matter was under dis.
cusson in tie senate he stated the position of
the Catholics in brief speech that was report
ed as follows =
"Mr Tucker of Suffolk said the Catholics
were not understood in their position They
did not wish TO exclude the Bible from the
schools, nor the reading of the Protestant YER
sion Of it, if Protestants wished to have it
read they simply ask that if King James
version should be read, the children of Catho-
lies should not be required to take part in the
ptta % ,,Ii mr. asL hot in
state where the Bible was SO revered as in
Massachusetts, it should be excluded from the
schools but they did ask that ii their children
had conscientious scrupes about reading it,
and refused to do SO, they should not be turned
out OF school"
1t is for the legislature 10 say whether
this request shall be granted. The Catholics
demand liberation for their conscientious
scruples," whether this profession of conscien-
tious scruples is reasonable or unreasonable,
wise or foolish, is not now in question. The
only question to be considered in legislatng
on the subject is,-shall they have the toera.
ton that is asked To deny it would not be
in accordance with the policy long since estab-
lished in our legislation. To be consistent the
legislature should either grant it or repeal all
scruples For instance, one Of our laws makes
provision Tor the conscientious scruples of
Jews and others in regard to the Sabbath
Why not do likewise by the Catholic profess
sion OF seruples against reading what they call
the Protestant version Of the Bible?
federation choerGully accorded will do
great deal more for those who ask Tor it than
they themselves expect 1t not only trains
Catholics and others to understand and appre.
ciate what is meant by liberation, but also be-
comes very important influence in the ed
ucation of their children. Nothing good is
likely to come of a perpetual war of religious
antipathies, but our Catholic fellow citizens
can not demand and receive good tempered
federation for their scruples aud prejudices
without acquiring views and learning prin.
ciples that will do all concerned more pood
than the most desperate bigot ever dreamed
of securing by means of intolerance.
The SPANIARDs DEFEATED IN MEXICO
According to news received by way of Aca.
pulCo the Spanards do not succeed well in