The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-07-21
The True Position ON the School
Question,


II the United States was not land OF
Churches and Sunday schools, and II it
had not in itmillions Of people who teach
their children both religion and morals
al the family freside, then there might
be some point in insisting, as many people
do that the Bible should be read every
morning at the opening Of the public
schools, But, as matter Of fact, every
body know. who has ever attended these
schools that the reading Of chapter III
the Bible amounts to just nothing at all ~
a religious exercise. The teacher or some
scholar reads a chapter and the book IS
closed, and that is all there is ol it, No
explanation is offered nor comment made,
II the scholars are Of proper age and o'
sufficient intelligence to understand what
i. read, lhey may probably receive some
impres,ions more or less lasting NJ to
their duties in life, hut as a rule all such
impressions are received under other cir
cum,Ianres. Children are not sent to
school to receive religious instruction
The public schools were never intended
to become religious nurseries. They
were projected upon the broad basis Ol
universal adaptation, and not upon any
sectarianism Or parIisaniSm whatever
The original intention was to support
them by tax upon the whole body OF
the people, and to make them acceptable
and unexcepliOnable to the whole body oil
the people, No plan less broad and I'M
assailable than this would answer for
system 80 intimately identified with the
destiny Of the nation as the public school
system. Necessarily Il had to stand dis
connected with everything save instrnc'
tion in the elementary branches Of secular
education. It could not hope to occupy
any other sphere than this aud lie an i'm
partial servant to those who paid the
money to keep il in existence.
This il the ground that is taken to-day
by the truest and strongest friends Of the
public school system, Upon this ground
they are impregnable. Upon any other
ground they are not safe. As long as
there are thousands Of people in the
country whopay taxes, as for INSTANCE the
Jews, and yet have their religious prejn.
diccs continually offended by the reading
Of the New Testament, the school system
is not safe. As long rs version Of the
Bible is used that one portion Of the COM
munity repudiales, the system is not safe,
Long ago John lIamplen said that no
government was safe that conntenanced
the illegal exaCiion Of one shilling from
any class Of its citizens. II he was cor.
rect his statement applies with still
greater force to any institution that dis.
crimlnutes in its privileges between those
who are equally taxed for its support,
The strength Of the friends Of the great
public school system Of this country
(which more than anything else Is It's
crown Of glory against the attacks Of the
Catholic hierarchy, is in freeing II at the
earliest day from the only objection that
can be urged against II, which is (Bo far
as they are concerned) the reading Of the
Protestant version Of the Bible. So far
as the Jews are concerned, any version Of
the Bible that includes the New Testn.
ment is an ofIensc, and to that extent the
compulsory reading Of It's liscriminn-
tiOn against them rs tax payers. This ia
thesubstance Of a complaint recently made
by DR.. schlesinger, Jewish Rabbi, at
Albany, New York. The subject matter
Of his complaint was taken up for inves-
tigation, and II was ionnd that the Sn.
perlniendent oflnstructiOn in that State
had made the following decision concern.
ing religious exercises In public schools I;
"a teacher hasno right to consume any
portion Oithe regular school hours In con-
duCting religious exercises, especially
where objection Is raised The principle
ia this; Common schools are supported
and established for the purpose Of i'm.
parting instruction in the common Eng
lish branches. Religious instruction
forms no part Of the course.
''The proper places In which 10 receive
such instruction are churches and Sun.
lny-schools, Of which there are usually a
sufficient number in every district. The
money 10 support schools comes iron, the
people at large, Irrespective Of sect or
denomination. Consequently instruction
OF a sCClnriNn OF religious denomination.
al character must be avoided, and teach
ers must COnIine themselves during school
hours to their legitimate duties.
"Deci'ions ol similar character have
been given by the different State Superin.
tendent' in all leases where objection has
been raised to religious exercises during
school hours II Is the opinion oi.your
Committee that the teachers Of our pub.
lie schools have acted In this matter en-.
lirelly ON their own judgment, and with
the heat intentions, but without authority,
and dconttary to the spirit Of the laws reg.
nlaling public instruction In this State"
lhe Chicago Tribune In calling atien-
ZION to this decision Of the Superintend.
entoI Instruction in New York, expresses
an opinionin which We heartily concur,
via that "it il the proper construction Of
the functions Of the public school with
reference to religious c1ercises.o In fact
there is no other tenablc ground to take.
The TribnH, also points out the essential
difference between the position taken by
the Jews and that assumed by the Cnllo.
lie hierarchy, which is this, that whereas
the former only demand that there shall
be no denominalional or dogmalical in.
'ttnctions in the public schools Of any
description, and are satisfied there.
with, the Roman Catholics first exact
that there sbalt Lo ~, u.a,.....,