Morning journal and courier., 1890-01-16
COMMUNICATIONS.
Tho Puhllc Sch00laA


To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
Permit me to express my high apprecia.
tion Of your brief editorial in to-dsy's issue
upon religion in the schools.
It ia a matter for congratulation that SO
large . constituency outside of all church Or
CARNATIONS appreciate the public school sys-
tenn Of this country. It Is also matter for
congratu1ation that 80 large a proportion of
the ministry and laity Of onr churches can
and do see that the State cannot, under a
free government, undertake to teach religion
without doing violence to the convictions of
q considerable portion of her citizenship.
It is q matter which calls for serious in
quiry that there should be any church or
churches, ministers or priests, who demand
that the State shall invade the sphere of re-.
ligious activity and authoritatively teach re-
ligion of any kind.
The marvel is that men who urge religious
education in our public schools cannot see
that it is in violation of those Blessings of
Liberty" for the security of which the con-
stitution of the United States was ordained
The first amendment of the constitution is
still more specific:
Congress shall make no law respecting
the establishment OF religion or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof"
II follows, therefore, that no State can
enact laws forcing any religious teachin gs
into our public schools without violating the
organic law Of the nation.
In q country made up of q conglomerate
citizenship leo far as religion is concerne d)
one of the great unifying forces now at work
10 the school system which places side by
side the children Of all faiths, and by social
and intellectual contact teaches them to live
together In peace and mutual respect.
But interject any religious creed into the
Grammar school curriculum and then aside
from the constitutional obstacles referred to,
an element of unending discord Is introduced
which must ultimately lead to . full 6edged
State religion or the overthrow of our entire
school system. The family and the church
have access to ths children from infancy and
If family religion, with all the help of the
church can furnish, proves q failure, ought
the State to be held responsible for that fail
urea
That our public school system is capable of
further improvement, its most ardent friends
will concede; but when the attempt ia made
to overthrow the system itself, or to trans
form ii into an ecclesiastical adjunct, we
shall do well to inquire who those persons
are who are most anxious to destroy the
identity of this American institution, and to
inquire whence they came.
We have only to look across the Atlantic
to see the effects of State religion and State
institutions for the PRONUNCIATION thereof to
bear witness concerning the final results, not
only upon religion, but upon the State. The
importation Of ideas belonging to tottering
absoluteism-ideas made current here by
clothing them in new and religious dress,
is something worthy of consideration, only
we as free Americans may be on our guard.
Shall the time come when certificate, as
school teacher shall require an examination
sn OF hall
stitute the committee Of examination?
Such departure might require consider
able outlay Of public funds to build an eccle.
siastical laboratory where the furniture oi
religious ceremonies could be preserved fol
kindergarten instruction.
| Such q departure would at once involve Z
| problem of confused mathematics.
One teacher would insist that there wert
but two sacraments, another more supersti
tious in mathematics would insist that there
are at least seven, with q good deal Of unex
plored territory Qike Africa to hear from.
l A university under State control aftel
/ that fashion would supercede the necessity
for the great exposition of '92. We shoult
| have an ecclesiastico. political educationa
widely diffused exhibition of all sacred uten
4 sils of Jews and Gentiles. We should nee6
! the planchette table and cabinet Of the mod
ern necromancer, the sacridoial stone Of th'
sun worshipper and q cheap outfit of Bud
hist temple for the Boston and Chicago
schools, and Joss house curriculum for th,
Pacific coast. In such case the Ingersol
High school might lack sacred appliances
even If it did not lack pupils; while th'
Felix Adler north wing Of the State univer
sity might find the walls and tables ant
writing desks too naked to be attractive
while ethical culture was being taught.
Ours ID nature Of importers as well q
producers. We import the yellow fever from
Tho West Indies, the cholera from Asia, tn
influenza from Russia, anarchy and pantheisn
from Germany, land confscation theorie
from Great Britain via the George and Mo
Glynn line and parochial school thsor.
from q country where not Ave per cent. Q
people few years ago could read and write
and where the State was compelled to tax
control of the matter Of secular education.
The early history of New England ha'
enough Of State control Of religious teaching
Shall we have new chapter of retrogres
sive civilization in this countrya
S. MCCHEsNEY.
NEW HAVEN, January 10, 1890.
T ~ - II