Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-06-12
The RihIe in the Schools.

doubt left by former article. as to whether
it objected to the Bible, in the schools, or to
a particular version Of the Bible, or to the
g erc7usrc reading of any version. 1t
takes squarely the position that the Bible is
in eGacta seotorian Book"-and should be
wholly excluded from the schools 1t says
fatty
But we would exclude the reading Of either
version. for the reason that in its practical effect
the Bible read in public schools Of mixed faiths
is a sectarian book, the Protestant and Catholic
differing not only in their versions, but the
Catholic is taught by his religious teachers to
look upon the reading Of the Scriptures Of eth
err version saving by the lips Of his priestly al
ysers and expounders as something that ms
Church would not countenance.
This Is definite enough and ends discus
sion on that point. The position that the
Bible Is a sectarian book seems to US so alb
.urI that We cannot argue upon it. We
should as soon think Of arguing that the
sunshine is not sectarian, and better not be
excluded from the schools.
But is it true as rule that the Catholic
clergy countcnance no reading Of the Scrip
lures save by the lips Of the priest 1t Is
not SO in Boston, where no separate Catho-
lie schools are maintained, where children of
Catholic parents compose a large share of the
scholars. and where the Bible is read daily
in the schools without objection from the
Catholic Bishop, who was himself once a
schoolbov in the public schools, or from the
clergy. 1t is not 50 in the great city Of
New York nor in Chicago; nor in Phila-
delphia nor in Troy nor in any other
city whose school report We have seen, and
We have seen a good many.
The Tunes says further
On this point the Free Press is not intelligent.
The reading of our Bible Is so offensive TO the
children in one Of our schools that it was placed
in a stove by some OF the scholars, and other acts
of disorder committed. You may call this dis
content Of Catholic parents and children 'ignor-
ant if YOU will. but calling it hard names will
not extinguish it, and our free schools are doom
ell 10 a deplorable curtailmcnt Of their widest IN
fiuences for good if We stop short Of total exelu-
sion of the Bible from the public schools.
We shall certainly not 20 to the Times for
intelligence m this matter if we are lacking.
The facts of the case it alludes to. We're. that
some rude boys got into one Of the school
houses the other day, ont Of school hours, up
set some inkstands, put a testament into the
(c5ld) stove, and did some other acts Of petty
mischief of DO horrible or unheari Of kind.
We believe that it is not clear that any
scholar in that school had any hand in the
affair, and the Superintendent informs US that
there Is no evidence that religious prejudice
or ~discontcnt" had anything to DO with it
IA great matter this, assuredly on which to
base demand for the exclusion Of the Bible
from the schools We have called DO
" hard names. Indeed we verify believe
that in this business the TINS run, before it
is sent. The Catholics have certainly made
no demand or request as yet. that the reading
Of the Bible be dispensed with in our schools.
S3ne Of them we know Do not Object to it.
We believe that as d class they have too much
respect for the Bible to make any such de-
mand, and that lift is made. twill be because
such of them as are disposed to make trouble
are put up to it by the Times.
As 10 .-deplorable curtailment there neod
be no more of it in Burlington than in B3s-
ton. Why should there be? In any case.
would it not be well for the Times to consid-
er whether this '.curtailment' is likely TO be
all on one side? Are the effects not worth
considering which would follow tn withdraw
al from the schools Of the support of the
large class in our community who believe the
simple reading Of "A passage Of the Bible and
recital Of the Lo-d's prayer by the teacher, in
the morning, to be no more than the decent
respect to religion which BELTS a christian
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