Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-06-08
SECTARIAEISM IN OUR PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

No public question at this time
seems 70 attract more attention than
that Of Schools, aud yet it is so sell
dom that VIC sec anything sensible
bearing upon the subject, that VIC
have allowed the agitation TO pass
unnoticed until the present.
a Constitutional Convention is
now in session in Illinois, il which
the School question has been ably
handled, and which the extract below
taken from tho speech Of Mr. Hayes, of
Chicago, will show. We ask every
reader of the REPUBLIcAN to pcrusc
aud reflect over this matter, because
the next, if not the present genera
tion, must settle the question whether
the State or the Church, or either
shall control the education Of the chill.
drcn in this country. The question
involves a great deal, and if fanatics
and bigots arc allowed to agitate and
control it this country viii pass
through a worse ordeal than the "rc.
bcl.ion' But if sensible, rejecting
men take hold Of and control il, they
will settle the question with less than
ball the trouble, time and debate il
has taken to reconstruct Georgia
The principle laid down in Mr.. Hayes
spcach being correct in the main, we
therefore lay his remarks before our
readers:
Mn. HAYrs-Mr. President: Since
this subiect has been. thrust upon the
convention, will express my views
as briefly as possible, The amend
mcnl of tho gentleman from Carroll,
(Mrl Wagner is that the Bible shall
not be excluded from the public
sch iols What Bible is meanty Is
it Id Christian Bible, the Mohammc.
dan Bible. or the Mormon Bible p
Gentlemen say tho Christian Bible.
Then why not express il in your
amcpdmenti Will the supporters OF
lbi, measure say further whether or
not they mean any particular version
Of he Bibleg II they are sincere,
thet will say that they mean the
English version Of James the First,
which they call tho Protestant Bible
Then, why do you not express that
in the amcndmeutY Is not the amend
ment deceptive for want Of particu
larityl
Again, what is meant hy saying the
Biblcshall not be excluded from the
schools Does not the statement
PROCEED on the false assumption that
The Bible is now used IN tho public
schoolsY Is il q fact that the Bible
Is used as a school book in oven q ma.
hlily Of The public schools But il
nay be said TO mean that, whether
iscd or not now, no order shall be is.
ned by those 10 charge Of the schools
b prevent its being brought into or
iscd in the schools. supposed that
he books used in the public schools
Scrc cnioinod 10y the school directors.
/ d that be so, this amendment con.
,nins another false assumption, name
I y; That there is right somewhere
outside OF the school directory and
awful governors TO prescribe the
/ text books. rs in the teachers, for oX.
tmplc, and that the function Of the
directors is simply TO exclude from
use those which they find objection
able.
/ DO gentlemen mean 10 overthrow
subordination and discipline in the
,ehoolsg Do they mean TO provide
in the constitution that IL u teacher
chooses, without authority, 60 make
the Bible a text book, there shall bo
no power in tho directors to control
him But suppose this teacher con.
strung the constitution for himself,
has introduced the Catholic version,
would the directors have right TO
exclude that Bible, once introduced
Is ii certain the courts would hold
that the word "Bble' is so restricted
in It's meaning as gentlemen contend.
The teacher has introduced his Douay
Bible, the directors attempt TO exclude
It, and issue an order to that effect
The teacher refuses to obey, and as
serts that he is using a Bible, and that
the constitution forbds its exclusion
Upon an appeal 10 the courts, whal
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