Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-06-12
CORRESPONDENCE
Pedagogue Again.

MIR. EDITOR: Semphronlcus can
say nothing too high in praise of
the Bible that we are not willing
to endorse and defend. We do not
object to but only one thing in his
communication, and that is he
does not seem to be able to dis
criminate between public and pri-
vate schools and their use of the
Bible. We accept his logical de-
duction with regard 10 the work
ings of sectarIanism, and for that
reason, we contend that it should
be excluded from our public
schools. When | go to the differ
ent churches / feel that | am un-
der their peculiar sectnrian inHu-
ence. If send my children TO
the Sunday school | expect for the
tenets of that particular church
to he instilleI into them. If [ send
then. to Wotford College | expect
them to he held safely anchored to
the doctrines of Melhodism. If |
should send to Furman Universe
ty, l would expect them to be
changed 10 Baptist, and to Newber-
ry college I would expect them to
return home Lutheraus. l appeal
to any sane man if these things
are not true. So far as private in
stitu,ions are concerned [ accord
to them the highest degree of lib
erty. They erected those institu-
tions to build up their respective
churches, and they would fail in
their designs if sectarian influences
did not prevail. The same result
occurs III families. A Baptist read
and explains it in the interest of
bis church. and so will members of
all denominations. That is the
religious freedom which | prize so
highly. But when 1t comes to pub
lie schools an entirely new con-
dition confronts us.
Semphronicus is entirely mis-
taken as to the design of the pub
lie schools. If only the children
of those who pay more taxes than
they receive back by way of tut
ton our schools would he slimly
If he will only make
some inquiries wnnld. he enr
prised to find that two-thids of the
people receive more tuition than
the amount of this school tax.
Rich corporations pay large per
cent of the taxes IN proportion to
members. Poor people have q
house full of children, and the
rich are generally barren on that
line. We are all Oil the bounty of
government to certain extent.
But that question has nothing to
do with sectarianism in the public
schools. 1t is admitted that the
construction we put upon passages
in the Bible at home and at church
produces sectarianism, it is eX-
pected to do it, for there is no
other way to build up the different
churches, and its use in our public
schools will produce the same eff
feet and end in the ruin of the
school system. AS a Methodist |
would read those passages bearing
upon Armenianism, as a Baptist
1 would emphasize that part where
he went down into the water and
came straight up out of it. AS a
Presbyterian l would read Sth ch.
Romans and all the facts bearing
upon predestination, and as
Catholic I would impress those
parts bearing upon the mission
given to Peter. If the use of the
Bible in school does not produce
sectarianism, why do the Catholics
proclaim that if we give them
our children until they are twelve
years old Me may have them the
remainder of life?
The public schools belong equal
ly to all The children, which in
cludes all the different denomina-
tions. Now under the special
school district system, we can have
but one, and all the children must
90 to that school or none. So far
as the formation of mora! charac-
ter is concerned the moral law is
embodied in our text books and
Moral Philosophy leads us to that
grand principle that teaches us to
distinguish between me"m and