The evening times., 1899-02-16
QUESTIONING BIBLE ADVICE.
Protests Against an Education Bill
at Albany.

New York, Feb. 16.-Nelson P Green
Roosevelt last night calling attention to
the attitude assumed by the legislative
committee in hearing objections TO the pro-
posed education law. Mr.. Green went to
Albany last week 10 appear before the COM
mittee on behalf of the Catholic Club and
the Catholic interests of this city. He had
timed his visit presumably TO suit the con-
yenience of the committee, having previ-
ously had date set for the hearing. He
discovered al the last moment that under a
rule that had been adopted only fifteen
minutes would be allowed to any speaker
He could not obtain the time he wished
but he received permission to submit a
brief
He protested in his letter 10 the govern
or yesterday against having a measure so
radical in its results as the education law
enacted without giving those most interest
ed full hearing. He enclosed a copy OF the
printed book he had prepared for the leg
islature.
The amendments TO the proposed law
suggested on behalf of the Catholic inter-
ests include the rejection OF the proposed
changes for the instruction OF the blind
and deaf mutes, the retention of the pres
ent law and the rejection of the Bible read
ing clause. On this clause Mr.. Green
says:
The Bible, without note OF comment IS no
safe guide to good morals even in the hands Of
the average man. TO say nothing of children
Morals cannot be taught without i'm
preston OF the teachers sectaTianiSm, be this
instruction with or without the use OF the Bible
He says of the bill in general:
The provisions of the education bill are under
stood and appreciated by but small proportion
OF the citizens of the State interested in the
topic OF education, while the great mass OF the
people have information upon it whatever
As a matter of fact. this bill has embodied in
IL OF serious danger 10 the rights of the
citizens at large than any single measure that
has been before the legislature for many years
According to Mr. Green, it is a sound
Catholic doctrine that three agencies must
be reckoned with in practical education.
The first may be called the original juris-
diction of the parent over the training and
appearing of his offspring. This right is
claimed as inalienable. but he may be de-
prived of 1t by his consent or by such ne
glect as will act as forfeiture. The sec
ond agency is the church. which is the sola
repository of authority to teach in mat
ters of religion and morals, and which OBJ
tains its rights to educate from the par
ent The third agency, that of the state,
has neither the natural right of the father
nor the delegated right of the church; but,
through a duty inherent in its own sover-
eighty, is bound to provide its citizens with
a method of educating their children at
the public expense.
Mr. Green lays special stress on the point
that, prior to 1894 the common school
system of this State was dependent entire
ly upon legislative enactment. The State
gave schools and was empowered to make
conditions binding upon the citizens who
received them. Under the new constitu-
ton the State is bound to provide these
schools, and the lawyer remarks:
Now there is invested in the citizen right
absolute and inalienable. There is taken from
the legislative authority of the State both the
necessity and the authority to provide system
OF public schools as gift favor to the citi-
zens. and the power OF the legislature to impose
conditions upon the public school system also
vanishes with the adoption OF this provision.
That which was right and authorized under the
old order of things becomes unconstitutional and
impossible under the new order OF things. What
is good Catholic doctrine is also, under the pres
ent constitutional provisions of the State OF
New York, the constitutional law of this State.
The plea is made that the enforcement
of the reading Of the Bible in the public
schools or the teaching of morals or good
behavior is violation of constitutional
rights Religious liberty, or liberty OF
conscience, under the United States Con-
stitution has double aspect, in that an
Individual shall neither be compelled to
worship nor prevented from worshiping.
If the reading of the Bible be sectarian
instruction, Mr.. Green holds that 1t is un
lawful. He quotes the opinion of West
ern court holding the reading of the Bible
to be sectarian instruction. and, conse-
Quently, improper in district schools.
He regards the establishment of State
truant schools and the additional powers
conferred upon the school authorities as a
retrograde movement in violation of pa
ternal rights.