The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-02-04

| ded. That nothing contained in this
4 IscIion or preceding section Of this
| act shaIl be so construed as to pro-
| bibit the teaching of the mythology
| Of the ancients, or the reading for
exercise in reading OF eloentioA Of
such extracts from any Of the books
1 herein prohibited as may or shall be
e61tained in any of the books used
Tor such exercise.
"SEcTIoN 3, That it shall be un-
lawful for any teacher in the COM
mon schools, of whatever grade, to
offer public prayer, or perform any
other act of worship, in the discharge
Of his duties as teacher, or compel
any of the children under his control
to join ii prayer or the singing Of
psalms OF hymns; and it is hereby
declared to be the intent and mean
ing of this act to leave the common
schools open to all children of the
citizens or residents of this State, Of
whatever religious faith, without en-
Joining or enforcing any act of wor-
ship which may be repugnant TO the
conscience Of any person.
"SBcTIoN i. That if any member
of any Board of Education in this
State, OF teacher employed in any Of
the common schools of this State,
shall violate any Of the provisions Of
this act such person so offending,
upon conviction thereof before any
court Of competent jurisdiction, shall
be fined in any sum not less than
lne hundred, nor more than one
thousand dollars, at the discretion
ef the court.
"SEcuoN 8. This act shall take
effect and be in force from and after
its passage" !"
The iniquity Of this Bill is not
simply in its enjoining the reading
ofthe scriptures, and providing pun
ishment for teaching books upon
which any religious dogmas are foun-
ded, but extends to the prohibition
Of prayer in the schools, and the
singing Of religious hymns, while it
permits the teaching of heather my
thology, or the doctrines off infdelity,
with impunity. 1t would also intro
duce anarchy into our schools,by de-
claring it unlawful for School Boards
to determine the studies to be pur-
sued in the schools under their
charge, and naming no one whose
business it shall be to determine the
matter. Hence, allowing every teach
er to teach what he or she pleases,
and omit what he or she desires
This, in itself is a vital objection to
the Bill. But, viewed in a moral or
Christian light, what a commentary
it presents upon the demands of
Catholicity. All Christians worship
the same God and venerate the same
Christ, and the Presbyterian and the
Baptist, and the Methodist and the
Lutheran, the Episcopal and the
Congregationalist, and all other
Church organizations, save Catholic
can meet together, and abjuring
forms, unite in a common worship
Of the Father and the Son. OF ali
these different forms of worship, no
one raises an objection to the Com
mon School system. Not even the
Jew, who, while wOrshipping the same
God, refuses to recognize the Son of
the Christians, raises any objection
to our common schools, or would in
terdiet the reading of the Bible, or
the. exaltation of the voice in prayer,
or the singing of songs of praise to
the Great Jehovah. The Catholic
only demands this concession. Not
that he does not acknowledge the.
same GOd-not that he disaYoYs the
Christ of the Christians, but because
the Bible which is read is not the
Douav, and because the forms OBJ
served are not those of the Catholic;
and lac readily admits that, when he
admits that he would not Danish his
own Bible from his own schools, be-
cause he believes not in Goddess
Schools"
But what good would such legis-
lation accomplish ? Would it over
come the Catholics objection to our
School System ? Not at all. That
objection lies deeper, is against the
system itself, which it would disrupt,
in order that it might not be taxed
to support it, while reaping none of
its advantages, although as open to
it as to any other denomination.
Should the bill become a law to NOR
row, it would not remove the Catho-
lies hostility, although it might sub
serve his purpose by rendering tie
system inefficient and Objectionable,
and so pave the way to its ultimate
overthrow No; such Legislation can
do no good, nor win the Catholics
to the support of the system, for the
objection remains che same, and
when plainly interpreted reads, at
does not recognize the Catholic as
the only true Church, and hence can
not receive the support Of the
Church" True, it does not, and
therein lies its great beauty and its
adaptability to our national con.
dition. Itreeognizes no creed. teach
es no doctrine of religious faith, |
proscribes no form of belief, but ac-
mowledging the Father as the source
of all good, and the mission of the |
Son as extending It's bepi6cence to
all, IT adopts the same uniYeFsality |
of application, and gathers under
its enlightening influence, believers
in all creeds and doctrines. 1t edE-