The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-08
Much Ado About Nothing.

We are of the opinion that greater
fuss is being made concerning the Smith
anti-religious-garb bill than the merits
of the issue warrant. Considered alb
stractly, and without bias either tow
ard or against any of the elements
which use this measure as a pretext
for rancorous conflict, the bill proposes
nothing more than an enactment, into
law, of the intent of portions of the
constitution of Pennsylvania. Section
third of Art. 1 of that oft-neglected
shall ever be given, by law, to any
religious establishments or modes OF
worship" Again, section second Of
Art. y declares that mo money
raised for the support of the public
schools of the commonwealth shall be
appropriated to, or used for, the sup
port of any sectarian school," The
plain intent of these two provisions, It
hardly needs to be said, is to keep the
public schools free and open, upon
equal terms, to children of parents Of
any religious faith or of no faith what
soever. There ought, then, not only
to be no discrimination, but also no
encouragement to discrimination for or
against any religious tenet among the
teachers employed by the common
wealth to instruct it's young.
The decision of the Pennsylvania su-
preme court in the now celebrated Gal
lltzin school case laid down the prn-
ciple that local board OF school direc-
tors could under present laws, when so
minded, employ as teachers in the pub
lie schools persons wearing the dis
tinctive garb of particular religious
sect or denomination. 1t Is a fact, we
believe. that there have been only
few instances Of the exercise of this
discretion by local boards of control
and that in small communities where
the denominations thus favored num-
~ "ihchb tiitil ldTBt
majority Of the entire population 1t
would seem that these few instances
ought not to be sufficient to set the
whole commonwealth topsy turvy; and
that the proposal of a bill like tina.
now In question ought not to be con-
strued by any reasonable citizen as an
attack upon this or that religious body.
The mere fact that these consequences
have developed from so small a start
ing-point to our mind adds emphasis to
the need of the more vigorous mani
festation. among all denominations, of
liberal spirit.
But while 1t Is obviously for the pub
lie interest that there should be nothing
in the work OF the public schools calcu-
lated to influence impressionable chill
dren in their choice of religious alli-
ances. and nothing having the appear
ance OF giving preference to any
religious establishments or modes of
worship" 1t appears clear to us, from
our reading of section seven of Art.
III Of the constitution of Pennsylva-
MIA that the Smith anti-garb bill falls
outside the pale of this commemorative
organic law. 1t would be an attempt
to regulate the management of public
Schools" a function of which the leg
islature is expressly deprived. The
whole subject, therefore, might well
be left to the adjudication of public
opinion, which is quite certain to in
sist that the public schools shall not
be used for the purposes Of religious
proselyting, by either Jew or Christian,
infidel or agnostic.
The University Of Pennsylvania Of
fers O travelling scholarship worth
$1,000 and another worth $500 to the
Pennsylvania architect under 80 years
AH ~.,f.z l.