The New York herald., 1872-09-30
THE BIBLE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The Commissioners Of Education OF Long
Island City Override the Decision Of
the State Superintendent and Read tho
Bible I'm the SchoOls-Opposition Of
Catholics, PrOtestn nts and Teachers to
the Measure.
''The Bible In the Public Schools" which at this
time last year was the alabsorbing topic, has now,
near its birthday anniversary, assumed new
form, which, although handsome to the theoretical
eye, IL ugJ and impracticable when viewed through
the medium Of common sense The "Bible war;
which began on the Goth OF last September-by Mr..
Fiesel First ward trustee, entering q protest In
the school register against the reading OF the
Bible-soon became 30 bitter that the State Su-
perlntendent found 1t necessary to step in
and qucll what gave promise OF becoming violent,
ifnot bloody, controversy by removing the cause
He ordered that g Bible shonld not be read In the
school during school hours, which virtually meant
that the Bible should not be read at all. But, not
withstandng this decision of the State Superinten-
dent, the Commissioners OF Education Of Long
Island City had taken upon themselves to almost
reject the decision by calling school at forty-n We
minutes past eight O'Clock for the pur.
pose OF reading the Bible. They say
that none but those who wish need at
tend to this reading OF the Bible, for school is not
formally opened antil nine O'Clock. This law was
passed at the last meeting Of the Board which was
held on the hrst Friday OF tbe present month,
when article l., section is, OF the Bylaws, which
previously read
Al the schools Of the sity shall be opened at nine
npa ten and s sye m and dinner e Ssy
opening exercises shall consist the reading of portion
othe Holy Scriptures without note or comment and the
not occupy more than fifteen minutes
was amended so as to read thus:-
All the schools IN the city shall be opened at quarter
u O'Clock accommodation
to hear until fd%s rss e short % sn
ten and eleven an dinner recess % I from twelve to cme
occupy more than titecn minutes II should be under.
stood that the opening hour is not changed et all but that
eGS the reading Hse hc HS BSie p' WHO '''"
This amendment was drawn up and read to the
lawyer ana at the same time-strange as II may
seem--an ardent lover OF the Bible, saw that
there was a loophole in the decision %, stc q the
technical wedge into. AS the superintendent
| would not have the Bible read during the school
| hOurs--from nine to three--he thought he would
extend the hours from quarter TO nine to three,
and have the Bible read during his additional
quarter hour, and thus-although attendance was
not compulsory--have the reading of the Bible part
OF the exercises The Board consists OF aye I've mem
quct proposed this measure. 1t received just
enough votes to save it-three-iftls OF the Board.
| The two opposing members the teachers and cit
zens of long island city, both Catholics and
Protestants. are unanimous In their condemnation
OF the measure. which they stigmatze as not only
| illegal, but highly Improper and unjust.
Nh. Iceberg, the principal of Sixth street school,
with whom the HERALD representative had con-
versat0n recently, stated that the measure Is
one which lie strenuously opposed al through. He
says he said to the commissioners, "Read the Bible
| to all or not at ALL"
| The HERALD reporter asked Mr.. Iceberg how the
measure worked thus far, and he answered -
ut don't work at all only inasmuch as 1t de-
stroys the discipline OF the school, creates much
trouble for me and the teachers and Is productive
OF INSTRUMENTATION among the pupils. The cOnae-
quence OF the measure is that have to convene
school twice instead OF once. and at neither OF
these times can do it to my satisfaction, rs the
time between the two openings is so short"
at has done something tOremove the bitter fee-
ings engendered by compelling Catholic children To
listen to the King James version OF the Bible, has it
not -
mo, 1t has not; 1t has only served to draw moro
distinctly the line between the creedS; and as a
consequence we hear that the children, instead OF
acting towards one another as they had done be-
fore, have become clannisli-CathOlic ana Catholic
and Protestant and Protestant"
| "DO many OF the children attend the reading or
the BiblcYo
"Well | have an average attendance OF 600
pupils out of these about thirty or forty attend the
reading OF the Bible More than half OF these don T.
know speller from the Bible, so You can see that
both Protestants and Catholics are unIavorable to
the experiment"
! Mr.. Iceberg further stated that he thought the
measure would soon fail through as the school
could not be kept ~ order OF discipline as long as
| IL Is in operation.