Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-04-28
Ehe Bible In The Public Schools.

n
Correspondence Of tie Alexsndris Gaze!!o.
Pursuan. to call Of B. +. Streve, school
trusteeF, tho patrons Of the public school, Of
Falls Chur,h assembled to The number of one
huudred or more, itcludiog maby ladies, 10 tho
school rooms at that place On Monday night
April 26, to discuss tbs question of reading The
Bible i1 tie opening txHcs:s Of tie school, it
having been done size, tho c>nmei Gem nt Of
the school here BY the teachers ~ orllr Ct the
Board Of Trutecs in tho rules framed for tho
government If lho school,
Recently oil c:iou has been made by J. g. d..
Putron to the county superintendent of schools,
Who, 10 letter to the teachers, dated April Is.
forbade Tie cotd1otirg OF religious exercises in
| tho school under psnely ct revocation OF
| their license as teachers.
Rv B. w. Pond was tleott chairman and
j. w. Thorn secretary.
Oa motion of w. A. Dutcau, seven sd3i i'm
ell secretaries aud twenty six vic presidents were
| el(ced, comprising the ministers of tho various
| denominations, aad tho prominent man OF the
| pltco
Mr.. &. +. Shreve, school trustee, stated the OBJ
| lec: OF the meeting aud the duties OF The trus.
| y.
said that MIR. Il ID. FckleD, The county super
ntcodeut, had failed to c>usu,t tue trustees 10
relation to tho obiec;ion raised as no should
have done, tu! had cntrtly ignored them. He
bad j1lned with MIR. Gordoo, another trustee,
10 an invitation to Mr.. F.cilen to be prose mt at
this meeting and al cirtain the will ct tho pen
ple 10 this matter, but he had To- eccapted.
| lie maintained that The county sIperintendcn
| had transcribed his authority 10 his threat to
revoke the lic,nso Of tho tel c .cts. lie caro-
es,ly and warmly defcuded the reaiiug of tho
Bible, aud said that if it is to be shut out Of the
pubic schools ho was DO niger a froe ,clool
mar. Loud applause.
| BY direction the 81 ctetaIy read the rules
Rov4rnlog the schools, tn, letter of lhs county
superintendent to the teschers and two l,ttcrs
from j. q. DePutron-ore addressed to B. f.
Shreve and the o:her to the tesciers-which
rtclted that he had bsen inf rned hy Superu.
tcndent Ficken that ho hsd issued 40 orte.
that religious exercises should 10 futars be
suspended in the pull schools. &c that he,
DePutrop, Of :cted to the reading of The Bible,
the singing of hymns. to the eyercis, Of prayer
10 aoy form, extempore, read CT recited. and
CDR cluded with the words. II d,mand a c)m.
plete Suspension Of all religious exercises or
sectsrlan teaching in sal school for the future. "
| Hisses
GA motion Of judge Gray spec cles were
limited to five minutes.
"a motion of W. w. Kiusley o c,um:.tc, oil
five was appointed 90 resolutions:
The chair Appointed Mrsirs. w. w. KRIS
Icy, =. A. Coe, w. A. Dar can, |. S. Abbott
and q. A. q Jrdou.
10 r soouso from calls IRON tho AL iierc \,
spee ches were made by w. A. Dltcau, JuGpe
Cray. Rev. i Is. Platte. J. NJ. rhorns, Dr. j.
}. Moran aud Rev. b. w. Pond.
The speeches all showed that tho people of
Falls ChuEch had been touched 90 a tender
pllnt, the readIcg Il tho Bible in tho schools
warmly deleaded, and the actions OF j. &. De-
Puttou. the only ol ctor, aud the clur.e per-
susd by the c'rn:y superintendent OF schools
Sharply Criticised.
| T"e conmiltee on rcsolutioIs rrlsehcl tho
| tollnWirg:
Whereas Miss Cynthia II ciwel and Mis-,
| Mary T. Parker, tel oh RS OF The public schools
| OF this dlstrci. havo been su! lee, 10 various
sunnllug and threatening l3tteIs from the conn
ty Superintendent of school, aud QUO O! the
patrons tt tho choUl on account OF their ,bry-
log one of the III es of tna .caool. VIII c., Nv
qu!rss them 10 open eaoh mortiug Session nv
readl1c porlcn If tbs Scriptures of The O d
AID NeR !es'aDcn; aud. where's tho Said
tCtcl Notwithstanding thes, thIcl.s and
d$lnaudl, have regularly performed il Guf;es
OF reacltg the Sacred ScTlpUres each morning ::
therefore Tor The nobc stand they have taken
ter light aud truth, AID the s'ea4fas, z a, win
Hhch they have oariisd ous this particular rule
OF tho school, they arc dcserSirg tho sinsere
thanks anil gratitude of this clmmurity,
| " hercaS there has not az yct, been made tn
! the proper authorities Of the pubic schocls Ct
Fail5 Church By anv of the patrons CT p.jd
school |ho arc taxed fur liza msiatepsroc; srv
COMPLIANT sSalaat the long existing clston OF
opening the daily EXERCISES OF said suhocl BIZ
reading frcm the B.b'c,oo the ground thai such
person does not object seriously and upon
pI'1c pies to bis c'dreu bcirg made acqr.u,-
cd with the teachings II said book; suj,
~htr.as It Is cur firm c,uv,c ion hat saia read.
les dlrec y tends to elevate tho tone of ncrs!s
among the scholars, ws deere hereby t, TX
tr'sl publicly TO the school tupcrinteudcns
CUT approval Of the said clstom, cur lharks 10
thcu Tor their ac.iOu in this matter, and 10
u'go l;s a)utnuancc. AID. whereas tho ooun.
| ty superintendent has attempted to protiti;
| tbs reaGinc Ct tho Bible il cur sehotl1 ge. the
| people Ct Falls Church, would reso,c ful.y a.
pea, to the State Superintendent fur redress,
| Wh:ca. alter heipg dcysstd By Nlessrs, J
| N. lhorrburg. Judge Gray, s. A Che, &. A,
Il MeTrhelj, b. L. Shreva and W. Ii. Hobtc-
len, were adopted by a vote of-ayts So
nnis ID. q. D:Putron. j. NJ. THoRNE.
Secretary.