Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-02-13

Of the principle enunciated and practiced
by the trainers of the federal constitution;
and that conservative policy Of freedom
in religious belief. and the impartial pro-
lection of all sects and creedS so necessary
to a people where freedom of conscience
is recognized as one of the essential vir-
tues, is manifested in the above sections
Of our bill OF rights IN ,d mist nb
tions were enacted for the purpose of al
lowing the utmost freedom Of conscience
on. religious matters and protecting the
citizens in the full enjoyment thereof, but
for the protection and perpetuity Of the
state in its sovereign capacity as well:
Recognizing the principle that religion
Is more wholesome and pure, and more
effective upon the life and character Of
man when freed from the mandate of an
arbitrary civil rule and that the forced
observance thereof would dwarf the moral
sensibilitieS and culminate in superstition
and despotism, social abuse and political
ruin, they deemed it wise and proper to
guarantee to every subject that perfect
freedom of religious belief and worship SO
and state. By adopting this policy by
which all religions are tmpartially pro-
tected and the arm of the state stayed from
any interference with religious belief or
worship a mutually of church interests
is encouraged, besides the continuance Of
the detrimental strife for church control
of state affairs is satisfactorily and effect
lively avoided. and that fearless and un-
scrupulous religious warfare which has
placed it's footprints upon the darkest pages
Of the worlds history is stilled to inactivity
by the peaceful soicitude of free and un-
molested mind and conscience upon matters
affecting the soul of man and its destiny.
THE matter of reading or teaching the
Bible in the public or common schools has
been held to rest exclusively within the
province and pleasure of the several states,
and the right so to do must be found to
be authorized by the constitution and laws
thereof. or by the failure of such constitu-
ton or laws to deny the same by direct
or implied inhibition.
Question in Other States.
"In Maine it was held that the require
ments OF the experimenting committee
that the Protestant version Of the Bible
should be read in the schools by the schol-
ars was in violation Of no constitutional
provision, and therefore binding upon all
members of the school. though comprised
of divers religious sects.
In this case the question involved was
only incidentally mentioned, the contro-
versy being based upon an action by the
parent for damages against the teacher
| for expelling the pupil from the school on
account of failure to read the Scripture as
| prescribed by one of the rules Of the
! school.
I'm Massachusetts, 1t was held that the
| committee having the schools in charge
might require the school to be opened each
morning by reading Of the Bible and with
prayer, provided that no pupil should be
required to participate when objection
thereto was made by the parent.
."The same principles sAsm to have been
voiced by the supreme court Of Illinois
in the case Of Mccormick VS.. Burt
I'm Ohio it was held that the constitu-
| ton of the state did not require religious
| instruction or the reading of religious
books in the public schools, and that the
legislature, having placed the management
and control Of the schools exclusively in
| the hands of the board of directors, the
courts would not enjoin them from enforc-
ing a resolution discontinuing the reading
| OF the Bible during school exercises. This
court, however, did not undertake to pass
upon the constitutionality of their rule
requiring such exercises.
''Ir the state of Iowa statute pro-
vid!ng that the Bible should not be ex-
cluded from any school or institution in
the state was held to be constitutional.
| For the reasons hereinafter mentioned