Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-04-29
AlPENA WEEKLY ARGUS.
AIpena Literary Society.

Alpena Literary Society.
The first public Of our Literary
Society came off at the Congrega
tional Church, on "Wednesday last
The following programme was pre-
sented to q very large and appreci'
alive audience:
Music-Happy are We.
Defamation by J. ID. Turnbull
Music-There's Music in the
Heart.
Debate - Question. Resolced
That the reading Of the Bible in
our public schools, as a devotional
exercise, should be prohibited.
Observation-Disclosures V. c.
Burnham and J. III. Stevens. Neg
alive J. ID. Holmes and K. J. Kel-
ley.
Music-Fairy Moonlight.
Poem, by Prof. F. S. Dewey.
Music-Good Night.
The exercises were opened by
music, which was rendered in a
very happy style, by Messrs Nc
Sween, Benton, Sage and Golling,
and Miss Shepardson. This was
followed by a recitation entitled
Socrates Snooks,' by J. ID. Turn
bull. The mastery manner in
which this piece was presented, did
great honor to the gentleman, and
also to the Society. We have con-
versed with large number Of the
audience, and all compliment the
rendering Of Socrates Shocks"
Then came the music.
Next in order came the discus
sion Of the question. The first
speaker upon the affirmative was
V. c. Burnham, who opened his re-
marks by saying that he was on the
unpopular side, but he believed he
was on the right side, and that it
was 'crong to read the Bible in
the schools where children whose
parents were of all faiths, sects, de-
nominations, etc, were promiscu-
ously assembled that as devo-
tional exercise, the reading of the
Bible became sectarian, because
some parts of the Bible can never
be read by the teacher, but certain
portions or passages are selected,
those which he thought contain
ed the most important truths, and
these were generally selected in ac-
cordance with the teachers church
belief. The speaker claimed fur
Their that the reading of the Bible TO
children is a protestant institu-
ton, and that large class Of
the supporters of our public schools
believe this to be wrong that the
Catholics believe that certain ones
are called by God to explain and
interpret the Scriptures, and that
it is sacrcligious to read this holy
Book to children unless properly
by Gods chosen instru-
ments. That the mode now prac-
ticed by teachers Of reading the
Bible in open school, with prayer
and singing, constitute devotion
al exercise, and all the school whcth-
er Saints or Sinners, Jews or Gen
tiles, Protestant or Catholics, were
to bow their heads in
reverence TO the reading Of
A Bible that some believe to be the
teachings Of superstition,-others
TO be a counterfeit, and others TO
be the history Of pretender; and
that the school house is thus made
a place Of worship. That the tax
gatherer does not stop to ask
mans religious belief, but assesses
his property to support and erect
school houses, and to pay and sup
port teachers. That the constitu-
ton Of the State guaranteed to its
citizens the right TO worship God
according to the dictates Of their
own consciences, and says that no
person shall be compelled to at
tend, erect or support any place Of
worship" nor he compelled to pay
tithes, taxes or rates for the sup
port of any teacher of religion"
That the teacher, by reading the
Bible and having devotional exer-
cises in the school, became "teach-
err of religion" and made the school
ga place Of worship" That the
law Of 1871 compelled children to
attend school, and thus, when in
those schools the Bible is read, the
constitution is violated, and per-
sons are compelled to erect and at
tend a place Of worship, and pay
for the support Of teacher of re-