The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-08
THE Bible at North Clarendon.


THE Bible at North Clarendon"
Editor Rutlund Globe Under the above
caption the Rutland Herald contains COM
munication dated April 10, signed 81. c.
b. and the Wallngford Standard, l am
told, has published a lengthy article on the
same subject, from which it appears that
certain individuals are very much exercised
in their minds about the regulation of our
internal affairs. | have only seen the CON-
munication of the learned and logical
81. G. b." and TO quiet the fears of this
''christian gentleman and enighton his
obtuse understanding ask little space in
your columns.
~. &. B. )" assure you that this 'small
village" does not expect "to abolish the
common law of Vermont" neither does it
desire to "overturn the constitution of the
state" On the contrary the resolution
that troubles you so much is in strict har-
mony with the constitution as / shall pres
emily show. But you ought to know that
North Clarendon has been the feld OF very
vigorous missionary labor" for the past
six years, and behold the result At our
last annual school meeting / introduced
the following resolution which, after some
discussion, was accepted and adopted by
vote of to 2, and not, as you erroneously
state, sin meeting of five voters by one
majority" Other voters were present but
did not vote. OF the six votes cast two
we're unquestionably illegal, one for and
one against. No objection was made to
either. Casting out these two votes, the
vote would then stand three to one. The
resolution l would recommend to your care
full study as model of compactness and
directness. There is no circumlocution
about it and no installing its meaning.
ainHd re every form OF rengous worship tcacn-
ing be excluded from this date and that IL
shall be the duty OF the prudential committee
10 engage no teacher who Will not agree to
conform to the letter and spirit or this reselu
tion."
You say ''the North Clarendon vote and
the fundamental law OF the state are in d.
rect conflict, and one or the other must go
down in the contest" The contest" is
not with the fundamental law, but with you
and those "who sympathze with you"
And let me inform you, by way of correc-
ton of your misstatements, that there is
no "clause of article /, of part the first
OIL the lClCiiSd W tudt eNch
hints at this subject. But in article III,
of the "Declaraton Of the rights of the in
habitants Of the state of Vermont the fol-
lowing language may be found.
"No man ought to, or of right can, be
compelled to attend any religious worship,
or erect or support any place of worship, or
maintain any minister, contrary to the dc
tates of his conscience, nor can any man
be Justly deprived or abridged of any civil
right, as a citizen, on account of his relig-
ous sentiments, or secular mode of relig-
ious worship; and that no authority can, or
ought to be vested in, or assumed by, any
power whatever, that shall in any case in
terfere with, or in any manner control, the
rights of conscience, in the free exercise Of
religious worship"
Now tell US, where is the "conflictT AS
this is the only article in the Vermont con-
stituton that makes any alluson TO this
subject, sit would appear that the North
Clarendon vote and fundamental law of the
state are in direct" harmony, and that 81.
c. b." stands convicted of Ignorance or per-
version of fact and it seems incredible that
he should be ignorant of the reading Of the
constitution.
The observance OF any form of religious
worship in oar public shoots, during school
hours, is in violation of the dictates of my
conscience and an infringement OF my guar
anteed rights, because it compells me TO
support religious worship by a tax on my
| grand list. In this opinion and in our ac-
| ton sin school meeting assembled we are
sustained by men quite as eminent for learn
| ing and ability as our dietatorial assailants
and traducers.
j. S. Adams, who so long and SO ably
| filed the Office of secretary of the state
board of education says, in giving his opin-
| ion in case that occurred at Island Pond,
in which the teacher expelled the child of
| Catholic parents for refusing to read in the
| Protestant Bible; "Now compulsory par
| ticipation, on the part of scholars in the
district schools in the reading Of the testa-
ment, is either an act of "worship," or an
| exercise in "reading.' II an exercise in
| 'reading," it is enforcing, contrary to law,
the use of the text book, not selected by
| the board If it be an exercise of "wer-
| ship" it is violation of the bill of rights,
in "compeling" children to attend religious
| worship" contrary to the dictates of their
consciences; !" for as to what the dictates OF
their cOnsciences are, their own assertions
must be conclusive evidence from the very
nature of the question
have before me the decisions of three
state superintendents of schools for the state
OF New FORK, Dix, Spencer and Randall.
Dix says;
"The teacher OF a school may open 1t
with prayer, provided he does not encroach
on the hours allotted for instruction, and
provided the attendance of the scholars is
not exacted MS a matter of school dsci-
pine"
Spencer holds this very emphatic Ian
guage.
"Prayers can not form any part of the
school discipline"
Randall says 'In view of the above
facts the position was early, distinctly, and
almost universally taken by our statesmen,
Legislators, and prominent friends of edu-
cation-men Of the warmest religious zeal
and belonging to every sect-ihat religious
education must be bsnished from the COM
mon schools, and consigned to the family
and the church"
or course, according to ~. @. B.
neither of the persons expressing the above
opinions, "nor any sympathizer with them,
is qualified to teach summer schoorlll
M hat. al