The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-30
RELIGION AND the SCHOOLS.


The committee on education of the con-
stitutiona1 convention at Albany has de-
oided to report iavorably to that body the
following amendment to the constitution:
Neither the state nor any subdivision
thereof shall use its property or credit, or
any public money. or authorize or permit
either to be used. directly or indirectly. IN
aid ormaiptenance Of any school or other
institution of learning wholly or partly
under the direction or control Of any re-
Iigious denomination in which any de-
nonlinational tenet or doctrine is taught"
This amendment excludes from state
bounty sectarian or UNCONVENTIONAL
schools OF all kinds, whether Protestant
or Roman Catholic or Jewish, and is
therefore impartial in its application. If
this amendment is adopted by the conven-
tion and ratified by ths people Of the En-
pire State. all attempts of religious or pa
rochial schools 10 participate in the dis
tribution of the public school fund will be
permanently prevented by the positive
prohibition Of the fundamental law. This
amendment would exclude from the pub
lie schools of New York state every trace
OF religious education, prayer, reading of
the Bible or any formal recognition of
supernatural religion. for in whatever
shape sach instruction IS introduced 1t
must take on the character OF "denomin-
ational tenet or doctrine"
In Great Britain different policy pre-
walls or the 1892 school boards in En-
gland and Wales. only ninety-one have
excluded religious instruction altogether,
and these are wholly in small villages. In
all the rest the Bible is read and careful
provision Is made for intoxicating religion.
Birmingham Is almost alone among them
IN going even SO far as TO require that the
Bible shalt he read without note or COM
ment. Ia London the school board has
always provided for tire reading Of the
Bible and such explanations and such
Instructions thereirom i'm the prin-
eiples OF morality and religion as
are suited TO the capacities OF chill
dren." but last April IL went further
and laid down a scheme Of dogmatic relig-
ious teaching justly described by writer
] in the last number of the Niaetesn,A Crn-
fury magazine as "a creed of its own, de-
signed 80 serve rs a new safeguard Of the
faith. and 20 render all Unitarian and
other heterodox interpretations Of the
| Bible impossible" This scheme has been
bluntlY denounced by Lord Salisbury. Who
| declares that mo state necessity ought 10
allow you 20 sweep away" parents ain
| alienabie right to determine the teaching
/ which his child should receive upon the
/ hottest and most momentoas OF all sub
/ jeetS." That right cannot ne guarded ex-
cept by excluding al religious distraction
from schools provided aud controlled BY
/ the state.
| The proposed amendment TO the consti.
/ tuition Of New York state will completely
4 secularire her schools. All schools which
/ give religious instruction would be de-
/ barred from state aid By its prohibition.
| The FAribault plan would be unconstlta-
tional in New York. The public money
would be expended for purely secular
| education exclusively.
This very important amendment Is sup
/ ported by the leading newspapers OF bosh
| parties. ineuains the New York TTsses.
/ Eseniag Posi-. S4a and Trits4e. and il is
certain 70 Ia adopted by the convention
ana rssided BY the people,