The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-05-24
The Esibie In The Public Schools.

Under the above caption we find in
The Epworth League Journal for May,
the following article on this important
subject The Journal is published at
Chippewa Fall by Rev. T. IL. Wright,
late of this city, and as on some other
occasions, we do not quite agree with
him--IIe is too easily satisfied and does
not, we think, give to the decision the
correct Interpretation, or if he does,
the decision is but political farce.
But we only started out to give the ar
ticla, not to discuss the question:
Here it is, and it is worth reading:
The opinions respecting the use of
the Bible in the public schools are SO
diverse among all cllsSes of citizens
that the very diversity puzzles the
most ardent student of public econo-
my That moral leverage is neces-
sary in the training of our youth is a
fact none will glinsay, but what that
moral leverage shall be is the open
question We have always insisted
that religion should be taught in our
public schools, or there should be no
that sectarianiSm should he taught.
and those who know the etymology of
! the two words religion and scctdriGnisha
will understand our diStlr elton.
Asa nation we must have something
| to hind us togethe, morally, or there will
| be disintegratiOn, and that would be
as disastrous to our national morals as
dlsunon would have been to the per
petuity of the nation. SectarlanlSm Is
the Calhoun doctrine applied to rellg
ion-the right to sepHmte, to secede.
and such applied to the public school
would be nothing short OF calamity
The Roman church in America IS
therefore right when it says that re-
ligion should not be divorced from the
state; but it is woefully wrong when it
calls that religion Romanism and Rom
ansm the only religion.
To sum up, we believe there should
be moral restraint in our public
schools, and judging from the success
that has attended the diffusion OF the
scriptures. and the moral effect 1t has
produced upon the intilectual Circas-
sian and the depraved barbarian, we
are decidedly in favor Of restraining
the use of the Bible in the public
school.
We are not i'm favor of any eXposi-
ton of its teachings ,-!ndeed, we have
repeatedly emphasized that. as a sim
pie book of history, it should be stud
led, to say nothing of its religious
character.
AS we read Herodotus for Greek his
| tory. or a Tacitus for Roman history
or Macaulay for English history, or
a GuiZot for French history, so ought
we to read a Moses for Jewish history,
or Luke for Christian history, and
despite the recent decision of the Wis
consin Supreme court, prohibiting the
use of the Bible in the public school,
we are pleased to note that in answer
to questions submitted to one OF the
Supreme Judges by President Albee Of
the Oshkosh State Normal School, the
judge says the the decision prohibit
ing the reading of the Bible Ill the
schools merely forbids its use as spec
ial book for specifically religious pur-
pose In other words, the Bible may
be used in the school like a history, OF
any other book, and, as such, may be
read before the entire school" Simply
stated. the instruction from the Su-
piemc Court to the public school teach
ers is, Read the Bible if you wish. !"
We need hardly say that we are per
fectly contented with the decision
The Bible still lives in the United
States public school system.
IF we read the decision correctly,
brother Right, You can no more take
the Bible into the public schools of this
State than you could go INTO the same
schools and teach the eXistance of a
! literal Hell yawning to swallow the
Supreme Court of the State of Niscon-
| sin, without greasing.l To resume:
I'VE are pleased to note that the
decision settles the yeNed question OF
grants to parochial schools. Our RO-
man Catholic friends have pushed the
! Edgerton case to the bitter end, and
they now have the pleasure of chewing
| their own cud, if we may be allowed
| this smile. In other words the SUI
! preme Court decision forever debars
| parochiaI schools from receiving grants
| from the public school fund, on the
| ground that they Ghe parochial schools,
are sectarian. Again, we say we are
! content.