The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1868-11-25
The PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
RELIGION AND POLITICS.
The SEVENTEENTH RULE.
DISCUSSION THEREON.

On August 9th, 1868, at a meeting
of the School board, all the members
of the Board of Education of the Can
ton Union School being present, on
motion, ''Louis Schaeter, heretofore
to draw up new rules or
revise the old rulds governing the
school, was instructed to complete
the same and report to the next meet
ing of this Board"
On the 3lst of August, 1868, Mr.
SchSefer reported code of new rules
to the Board, which was on that day
adopted, among which
Rule 18th on Religion and Politics."
reads as follows:
SEVENTEENTH RULE.
The parents and the guardians of
the scholars, and also the scholars of
our Public Schools being composed of
many different sects, denominations
and creeds, conflicting with each 9TH
er in opinion on these tender and i'm
portaut subjects !; and as the spirit and
Intention of our school laws are ad-
verse to the introduction, either di-
rectly or Indirectly, of any religious
or political dogmas or views, the
same are, therefore, left, as they sho'd
be, outside of the School Room, and
are not allowed by the Board, Such
exercise, therefore, in whatever form,
or under whatever pretences the same
may be introduced or attempted to be
introduced in any or either depart
ment of said sch5ol, shall subject the
party so attempting to introduce the
same, to immediate removal. Each
Teacher, however, is required, at the
opening of the school Ia the fore and
afternoon of each school day, in a
short lecture, not exceeding three
minutes in its delivery, to urge upon
the pupils the necessity and impor-
tance of obedielce to Teachers, aPpli-
cation to study, respectful conduct to
citizens, with such other suitable re-
marks not in conflict with the forego-
Ing, calculated to impress upon their
minds such moral precepts and prin-
ciples requisite to constitute a person
a worthy member of society, and the
just and impartial precept of permit
ting each pupil to worship his or her
God according to the dictates of his or
her own conscience" shall be preserv-
ed and maintained inviolate in all the
departments of our Public School.
THE PASTORS ADDRESS.
On September 29th, 1868, Rev. E.
Buckingham and Rev. S. German
appeared before the Board and pre-
sented the following two resolutions /:
"ResOLUed, That we deem the recent
action of the School Board, by which
all religious services are excluded, as
unwise and damaging to our school
interests, anu that we respectfully yet
earnestly ask that its action be rescin-
ded and its operations arrested.
"ReSOLUed, That the Revs. E. Buck
ingham, II. Sinsabaugh and S.Gorman
be Committee to present the above
resolution to the Board Of the Schools
of Canton. E. BUCKINGHAM, Chm.
G. SCHULZE, Secretary"
CANTON, Sept. %, 1868
The proceedings of the Board at
the same meeting were such that on
motion of Mr.. Louis Schaefer the fol-
lowing resolution was unanimously
adopted on the subject:
"ReSOEUed, That we most respectful
| Iy solicit the Committee of the Pro-
testant clergy of this city, Revs. E.
Buckingham, S. German and H.
Sins6baugh, to set forth in written
address, the reasons why we, as the
| Board of Education of the Canton
| Union School District, should rescind
the rule in question and that our ac
ton in that respect be reconside-eC
and its operation arrested"
On October 18th, 1868, the Chairman
of the Committee of the Protestant
pastors of the city presented to DR.. @
J. Geiger, President of the Board o
Education, the address of said Com
mittee on the subject of the 18th rule
of which the following is a copy:
To the Board Of Education Of
the Canton U3liO1l School.
| GENTLEMEN We have felt con
strained by a sense of our obligation!
to our Master and to this community
| and by a desire that our public
schools should be conducted in such {
manner as to accomplish the mos
good-to dissent from the recent ac
tion of your body by which ali relig
ious services are excluded from the
schools under your supervision, W,
would most respectfully but earnestly
request you to reconsider that actor
and rescind the 18th rule of the schools
Our reasons for this request are In
following:
1st. Some of the members of tn
Board voted for the rule without un
derstanding its true import and bear
ing. They did not, when their assen
was given, understand that all in
struction from the Bible was to b
prohibited in the schools Mr.. Schae
fer, the originator and framer of tn
rule, says that it was designed to, ant
it does, prohibit all instruction from
the Bible in the schools.
I'd. Such rule was uncalled for. S
far as we have been able to learn, tn
parents of the children who atten
the schools were satisfied with tn
manner in which they have been con
Quoted. One OF your own member
has informed us, that no one aske,
the Board to make such a rule. TIL
Superintendent and teachers of tn
schools neither demanded nor desire
such a rule.
Sd. We have reason to know that
large proportion of the parents VIII
send their children to the school
} would prefer that they should b
opened each naorning with the repeti
tion Of the Lords Prayer and tn
reading of the New Testament.
4th. The rule is in RntRgonism
the spirit of our christian civilization
1t is essentially Anti-christian,
5th. The repetition Of of the Lord
Prayer and the reading of aportion c
the New Testament at the opening {
the schools each morning, can reSul
. in no injury to either teachers c
scholars; on the contrary the infuenC
! viii be most salutary upon BOTH
Such religious exercises will tend [
prepare the mind of the teacher fC
his responsible work. They wi
quicken his sense of responsibility
In any department Of life, in an
avocation, the more distinctly an
fully a man can keep before his min
a sense of the presence of God and b.
accountability to Him, the more ear
nest and faithful will he be in disoha
ging the duties of that station, Th
avOcation of teacher Is not an el
ception. On the contrary, Of an
calling in life the aida which ma
. come from religious exercises, frol
. bringing the mind and heart int
Communion with God, and in conta
with the Verities of His word b
: prayer and the reading Of the Bibl
are needed, the teachers move upo
the scholars, and the influence of SUE
religious exercises will be most sail
tary. They will tend to make the
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