Telegram-herald., 1890-03-21
OFFICIAL PAPER or THE CITi.
GRAND EAPIDs. FRIDAY. MARCH n.
TnE eInLE IN scaooIs.

sAa As-.t-- - ~ -tts~tty A-A- ACA ~ 0-Ai t-AC
pubic schools Of Wisconsin, under the
provision Of the state Constitution pro-
hibiting ssctarian instruction in the
schools The case arose out OF the fact
that some Of the teachers II the Edger-
ton public schools were IN the habit OF
reading the Bible 70 their pupils and 10
this some Catholic parents objected,
particularly because the Bible used was
the KING James edition, portions of
which are repugnans 20 the Roman
Church. The Circuit Court of Rock
County overruled the demurrer of the
Catholics 10 the answer of the school
hoard. thereby sustaining the reading Of
the Bible, bus the supreme Court has
just reversed the decision OF the Circuit
Court and the Bible must stay out of
the pubic schools, az least until the
State constitution shall have been
changed.
THIS action of the Supreme Court
should not be regarded from a scctarian,
but from a Legal standpoint. Under
the law al religious sects stand alike.
II may be q revelation TO many to learn
that the Bible, read without note or
comment, i5 a sectarian book. Many
persons have come 10 regard the very
words Of the English translation as IN
spired. while it IS well known to
scholars that, II many places. they
come very FAR from expressing the
exact meaning OF the original. Perhaps
the Bible N the original tongues
Hebrew and Greek-might be conAd-
cred non-sectaran. but the reading Of
the originals - inpracticab,e. No trans
ation, however, can De made that Is
GOt more or less tinctured with the
secular scctariaa IDEAS of the
translators. Some protestant sects
are not fully satisfied With the
rendering Of certain terms. Some
would ike 70 have those parts relating
10 baptism so rendered as to preclude
the sanction OK any form but total i'm
morx0n. O.herS dsny the divinity OF
Christ. ami still others deny the doc
triue of eternal punishment. The
Catholics uss a very different transla-
ton from the authorized version, nor
IRE they any better satisfied with the
wvissd version, for that Is essentially
protestant
The court arrived at its conclusion
that Bible reading is sectagian instruc-
ton. by this process Of reasoning: IN
the first place the court considered the
Bibie As whole, because the whole
Bible without exception was designated
asa text book for use IN the Edgerton
schools, snd the claim OF the school
bosrd was that the whole contents
tbereof might lawfully be 50 read.
such being .le case, is seemed quite
immaterial II the portions thereof set
out in the return "a the only portions
thus Ear read were not ssctarian yet
the court observed that some Of the
portions 20 read seem 20 inculcate TIE
doctrine Of the divinity Of Jesus Christ,
and the punisam snt the wicked after
death. which doctrines are not accepted
by some religious sects.
Tho court further held thst reading
from she Bible ia the schools, although
without comment on the part Of the
teachers. - Instruction, aud that The
Bible contains many docuinai passages,
and that the general reading Of It i
sacfarisn instruction. It sIss held tha'
uch textbooks ss are founded on the
Fundamental teachings Of tns Bible. or
which may contain extracts therefrOm,
nav not be- used IN tac schools. SAID
tae cCure
ascne ~ che most v7iushle insfruc-
Zen person can receive may ee de-
rivad from read ug Alone. without any
crrsIuert Or exposition CT tbe question
tte-afcrs the Question seems 20 narrow
DOVES to -bs Es the read,ng Of the
Estis m the schools uot merely of
selected passages tner7fror1. 0ut TIE
vhcIe Of s.. sectarisn instruction ot tAe
raD.s. B view CT tie taets alreaav
mentioned. tnae the Binte contains
numerous 1Ccirrrs pssss Tes urcu scus
cf wn.rh 1fa Ufeui ar creed ot eialcst
ererv ~ zfolrs sect s based. and tcat
srft razaEes usV rczsCraciT ee DE-
aer.tcoi 81 incrcats the doctrines pre-
dsefet rucr tler
uAn aHruatve answer 20 tns CUES
tion seems unerofd able Aay pupil ot
ord inagy intel. igsncs vho listens q the