New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-29

TION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Professor Felix Adler lecturod yesterday norm,
at Carnegie Music Hall to a large audience. q
subject was THE Need of Substitute for 4
Ilgious Teaching in Public Schools" He saN
part:
II Is a remarkable fact that We have no rel!s.e,
teaching In public schools considering that I'll
are religious believers. In England denomina,lo,i|
instruction is deeply rooted. In Germany. esq
cially in the cities, perhaps. the great ajory II
the parents are religiously Indifferent If not hs
tile. but the Government compels religious instis
S to be receive it, in Here Ter Pq1s tie f B
read In many of our public schools without CO.
formality and even such as II Is Is strenuous
objected to by many religious persons.
But by what criterion snail be discovered and
what means shall we persuade thu majority Of ..
fellow citizens that what we consider the true o.
trlne Is indeed the true one? There are Cathohs
who believe that the doctrine or the RomsI
church Is the only one effcacious TO save. TIED
are Protestants divided into more than one b.,
arse ess Of S anime truth but asreng 1es
the verdict Of the prophst nor I'm IN me in T
thinkers. agnostics and others. Amid these a
crepancies Of opinion is 1t possible to arrive u
Two methods OF compromise have been sugss
ed. The one is compromise OF agreement "a
ether compromise OF aicFnaIqn me - ars -
which a great majority OF the citizens OF Z;
country can agree such Greed Is 10 ce
Which ,S great majority yin object-belief III g
Immortality and belief in the moral lay. nI
ali only majority will agree. There viii b
decided minority that will not consent even 70 "a
II is not the majority that rule. The consc.suI
OF a single individual has as much right 10 De ri
pected as the Conscience Tl o m tSSr can
action. The rule of the majority does not appJJ
in TIE matter oi conscience ,,,,,,,, oro., v,r,
satisfy nobody No orthodox Christian who css|
to have religion taught at all would care ior
unless IT included all he believed from the dlyIy1
of Christ 10 the scheme OF a,onement The MI
Of religion is precisely in that in when dIs :'i.
they differ, should have an emas ,uated cred
without light, blood or vitality SATISFYING noood
The second. the compromise Of aliernation has \
shall send clergynen into the public schools ni
give sectaran Instruction 10 members OF their own
Thai seems fair enough. and the conscience Of 20.
bodV is oflended. But il is not all that those vho
wish 10 religion taught in the schools expect
They want religion to be the chief branch Mey1
want II to permeate the entire system OF ns,rsc-
ton. A single drop OF religion Is 70 eolG ersYI
There is a flavor OF religion TO be. added 10 eysT
lesson that is given in the schools Rellglon u
the public schools means no6 oh hn or TWO ns5 nUs
means anything. religion in possession Oh usI
Why this great desire to get into the publ.
schools? 1t is because more is intended, TEL
common-sense of the American people mas thus "a
safety OF the Nation depends on keeping religion
out Of their schools They wish the schools 70 be
that the moment you introduce religious instruction
into the public schools you create divisions ana ana
sumberng. 1t is plain that we cannot have re-
ligious teaching In our public schools Inc re re-
they are not only Goddess, but are ;he mere trunk
of an educational system without neart, INA, We
,oais hnt do NOT point out way 10 use thero
What do you expect the school 10 DO? Inc pes
life 1t must broaden the intelligence Of the chi.
and light the candle that is 10 burn In the ors'
and cast its illumination INFO the recesses OF 'a'
thinking shop. ..,
You may have noticed that in the charter ~
Greater New-York there Is contaned prGg SI,
the reading of the Bible without comment in -
schools. and this provision has been severely c,,S
the ground that Church and State are and sn ns
be separate. and that even the reading q me by
ought to have no place in our public schools
you agree with It's policy? ! don't see now
can hesitate for moment i can 's as.
that the effect would be most sautary on W
minds Of the young. But. then, what Is the
The mind of the child is not barn in WIZ
is TO be stored the intellectual harvests It
so that L may yield year after year crop OF i
own. The more a man can think the more OF 4
schools TO teach its pupils 10 think truly swiftly
around. into and through a subject Inc secoi-'
object is to widen the interest OF the pupil IN II
best literature. art, science political ana lnuus
trial questions. and In all the issues whcn 81:
mankind. But the highest, the principal onlessI
should be the formation OF the character OF ~,
pupils The formation of character - an lnui
pensable condition TO success. by character ~
not necessarily good character. hie~'
strong character. o,
| do not count that lie a success wnich wahtJ
in interest toward its close | ma that men
great wealth those stirred by political anOiuoat
lose their interest the years pass by Inc ei y
selected have not been the right ones. II your w
sovereign purpose. That end must be broad ana
must be remote enough that we may only nope u
approximate IL. and nothing corresponds 70 'nes
requirements but disnterested ana llsSr,isa -
Wherein do our public schools iaii dn ' End u" ..
life What is the OF educating the Young IL
our schools and in our colleges and universities
too and then sending them out into the VOL
Knowing every thing but not knowing what 70 Nv
for? Religion did that while II was an aS.Ve a,
living force Religious tefhing had set up a por
pose II gave the pupils An answer 10 the ques'
ton ITO what use shah we use all this know!.Ss
we have attained? II gave an answer 20 ina:
question. IL said: THE fuhment OF the law o,
the Author OF the Universe, infinite felicity 10,
Yourself depending upon infinite obelehSe an.
holiness" Religion produces strength OF cHaF'
acter among those who take II seriously.
we seek 10 introduce the idea OF social service.
ANY one who makes social service his end. even
II he contributes but little 10 the improvement OK
the value OF the thing done does not depend upon
the magnitude OF IT, but upon the spirit IN wien 81,
n Is done The end is sovereign broad ana re-
mote The perfection OF society Is so far on 'has
we NAV never hope to attain 70 H.