Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-01-20
The County Ingtitute.-K. o,Branigan.


ed US for publication -ED. JOURNAL
To EDITOR OF REPUBLICAN. I had hop
ed L would not again be necessitated to ap
pear upon the public stage; or. if so, il
would be because of fair and honest retuta
OF my hrst appearance. Neither did make
my debut Tor the purpose of immortalizing
myself, nor that | knew myself ready
and rapid writer, ian unjust compliment,
but for truths sake.
After a second reading Il would recon-
mend Blair Rhetoric to the Rev. K. OBJ. J
OF the gentleman article my first monition
was, silence. willing that he should again
enjoy. what he 50 vauntingly, and in real pu-
gliistle style, mot surpassed even by Heenan
and Heyerl assures us he, on other occasions,
! enjoyed, viz: Taking the belt Since,
however, he reminds us if he does not take
1t IN this case it will be the first time, and he
can still be happy in feeling himself master
OF the rlng-the verdict of peaceable and
intelligent people to the contrary notwlth-
I staudlng-for what Is that to one so skilled
| IN blowing his own trumpet. But my sec
ond monltlOn said: just one more tender
! stroke, HeenaH, that Heyer may know that
! you were not utterly demolished, t0td{iy an
/ initiated. Ii | have erred in yielding 10
/ this impulse, | ask the pubiic's pardon.
And now, reader, give this champion s
article an impartial perusal. Pardon and
| forget his boastlngs and attempts at much
/ learnlng-dlyest it of historical GOVERN Is
and meaningless quotations and fiourishas-
! prune II OF all irrelevant and useless material,
and find, If you can, a single raid argument
| to the point at issue. Is it not covering
| and Shining over Of plain, naked facts--for-
| saking and disowning his first, real, true
born, aud calling it bastard? What then is
lao,
1t thus: is 1t according to United States
law to pray or read Bible III common schools
or institutes?' Now, [ declare this not to
be the question: See his article of Novem-
Der Goth, 1868. In 1t he asserts that the
Constitutions of the United States and of
Pennsylvania, and the school laws lCere dts-
o5fyea by opening COUNTY INSTITUTES
with devotional exercises. Not a word
is said about Bible or common schools; and
as prayer was the only devotional exercise
at the Institute IN question, 1t could have no
reference to the Bible! The reader will
notice, that upon this new phase given to
the original question he rests his entire ar
gument, if such may be called. | appeal
to those familiar with the rules governing
debates, and ask, is this honorable propose
i question, invite debate, and then depart
from or add to that proposition as originally
offered?
To the original question | confne him
Were the Constitutions OF the United
States and of Pennsylvania, and the School
laws, disobeyed ny opening the County In
Stttlte with devotional exercises, q E., with
prayer? And now, reader, put your finger
upon one single sentence, in his last article,
from any of these laws, proving the above
statement. He promised you he would prove
it. How did he do it? After good deal
of fuss and feathers" he says: Free will
is Gods Magma Chdrta to man" That's
true. Then, after houndering about in deep
waters for while, he re-appears, well nigh
drowned, holding in his hands, exultingly, |
that part of the school {1l1 governing the |
school master as to the different branches to |
be taught in the common schools. 1t was |
not proposed at the Institute that prayer
should be taught there ii was only an open
ing e.cerciSe; and as neither of the Consti- |
tutions, or the school laws. forbid the use of |
prayer at the opening of County Institutes, |
hence its use, simply, cannot be either lille |
gal or unconstitutional. But, reader, what |
has the school-master and the branches to be |
taught in the school (such as geography, |
arithmetic, etc, to do with the question, !
is it disobedience to the laws to open your
County Institute with prayer?" Then in |
the same, or may be In the very next breath, /
he confesses, Ia confession L cannot account |
for unless, feeling the truth must come, it |
was 1oruRg from his lips, in what he may
have taken as his last breath, ~ con find |
nothing said about Gay kind Of soorship, |
prayer, or Bible reading al tie school or IN
Stitute This is a most wonderful process
of reasoning Is he a convert, and docs be |
propose in this ''Drush with this school man
to drive him from the field by taking the
negative himself? Has he not himself set
tied the question But he, no doubt intends
LIGHT by what follows: TO the law and |
testimony have summoned you; they de.
eide in my favor, that the public school, or
institute, is NEUTRAL GROUND. Surely, |
this Is a happy turn, he no doubt fancies !
and since it is the only approximation to an
argument, we will notice it.
Discovering his mistake, that there is
nothing in the letter of the law forbidding
prayer in County Institute, and having
closed after him every door to get back, he
pleads for the law, neutrality. But let us
see, whether, after all, this helps his cause.
Webster, defines neutral as being In
different; having no bias in favor Of either
side or party; rot engaged on either side;
not taking an active part with either con
tending parties IT, then, he can find
in the letter Of the law, and If the
law is Indifferent, taking 10 part in the ques-
tion in dispute or with the parties in con
tcntIOn, by what right or tat1 does X. . b.
bring into this discussion that neutral, iadJ-
fcrent inStrument-the law? But this he
did when he objected to prayer in the Coun-
ty Institute, and then appealed to the lar
to sustain his objection. What is there to
prevent me, since the law is neutral, from
appealing to the SAME law in support of my
position? Do you not see the fallacy Of the
argument? IT, however, he makes the law
refer only to place, then, my reader, L am
prepared to prove to you that all place is
neutral, as well as ideas, laws, and subjects
Such bypercrticism makes ererything neu-
tIal on the one hand, and nothing neutral on
the other. Does his appeal then, to the
law neutrality help him out of his diem
ma 1t being Indifferent, taking no part"
is, Of course, entirely excluded.
And now, shall we pursue him any fur
ther, since what follows is only recapituia-
ton with few additons) of former state
ments still improved? No; | shall not No
rules OF debate require me to follow him in
his wanderings 10 the end OF the earth. In
deed, am not at all surprised that, in bis
brush with the school men, be was left
master Of the field, If such was his mode Of
warfare. | am almost inquisitive enough to
ask. who the school men were?