Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-04-01
THE THESCHOOES
SHALT the public school be continued?

There are anumberof people who
think the support of the Bible in The
public schools is mere sectarianism
This is especially the case swith
many OF the immigrants from Europ.
Honestl y in favor Of a systim of
public schools, they think to take
lihe Bible out of the schools will be
a means of strengthening instead of
weakning them. They do not un,
derstand that, the American mind
does, not believe in any system bot
education without morals Or relig
ion, and that when an American
Christian finds a school is negative
ly, if not positively, infidel, he will
cease to support it. One has only
to look into the early Constitutions
and statutes Of the States to find
that it was both the belief the
practice of the Fathers OF the Re-
public to associate religion and NOR
ality with education. This idea is
Embedded in tie American mind, and
although it is admitted by all that
no sectarianism should be allowed,
vet no one heretofore has claimed
that the Bible was sectarian. 1t is
the symbolical book of Christianity.
The Romanists acknowledge it as
their authority, but translate some
words differently and deny it to the
common people. The Universalist
quotes it as his authority. The Bap-
tist quotes it for his mode of baptiz-
ing. The Episcopalians quote it for
the bishops; the Presbyterians for
the presby terry, and the Unitarian
for his opinions. All tacitly ac
knowledge that the Bidle is not sec
tartan, and therefore the support of
it can not be sectarlan. On the
contrary, to eXpel it from schools
at the demand of one sect is sectar
ianism, iE its worst form, and so far
as we know, the first attempt made
in this country to set up sectarian
ism in public matters. This must,
of course, array, all other sects but
those demanding the expulsion
against schools. The. result must
be the. destruction of. the publ,
schools. That inevitable, because
the founders, advocates the chic
supporters of the schools are those
who are insulted by this movement
and will driven away from their sup
port The immigrants to our coun-
4 try, who have been accustomed tc
FIGHT Church and State, very natural
ly think that insisting upon the. Bi
ble has something to, d. with tha
old idea but there never was I;
greater mistake. Tim men ewht
want the Bible in schools are .th'
: greatest enemies of State, churcl
and ecclesiastical despotism tler
!. are on earth. They want the Bible
in the schools because it is the true
basis of Christian liberty. 1t Is tn
! charter of heaven for human freedom
3 1t is the constitution of civil societ
+ founded on religious obligation. fo
: even skeptics admit that, though the
don't believe, the great majority of me
r do; and society must be held togethe
S by their sense of obligation. lfthis b
o SO, the great body o: those who no'
: support them when emasculated of cr
> cry moral Obligation, when they cor
! tain nota solitary element which teaci
9 cs private obligation, Wlicn they con
4 tain not d solitary element which, teaci
: es private obligation, public virtue, {
> social preservation, The candid inauil
q er will see, therefore, that this IS noti
d ing more nor less than the simple que
:. tion, '.Whether the, public schools sha
3 be continued or destrqyed-2' .-s,, T.,
= In order to.put the Question in sin
II PIE and concentrated form, l presel
the following propositions: sis
5. ;, /. The introduction and continuan'
= of this question serves. and can serv
= no purpose but to nivide the public
= the support of the schools and weake
At their influence.
A. 2. That the expulsion of the Bible
. a sectarian movement, i'll the, intere
:, of sectarians, and, if it succeeds, Is Il
W triumph of a sect over othep scots al
te the established usages OF the, countr
IN 3. That this nation is q Christie
as nation, and that if any one sect srl
III ceeds, for its own interests aud
NJ <>,r,1 rp, hitiOp in oxsHnlI;uff N,riu