The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-27

to ire City Council COMMITTEES for eos-
alteration.
Mr.. E. A. Gray was then eiectsd cen
1 sns tAksr ter the schools Mt . saIary Of
5000.
The boz I'd now spent soEe time In
discussing whether boy who had been
expsiisd shouid DC allowed TO return
% school. They finally DECIDED net to al.
low him to return at the present time.
but hsfofs they arrived at this oonclu.
slon thsy had quite lively argument In
regard to IL in which all hands took part.
This was but the hsginnlng Of the lively
Fart Of the session. There being NJ
farther business which the members oil
the board desired to bring up, MIR. Lord,
the superintendent OF schools, said thai
Mr.. y. ID. Cummings was present and
wished an opportunity TO speak TO the
board. IL was put to a vote and the board
voted to allow Mr.. Cummings 20 speak.
Il will be remembered that ID was MIR.
". ID. Cummings who had presented In
the city council ct q recent meeting a
resolution regarding the teaching Of re
iision in the public schools whish was
tabled after some lively debate.
MIR. Cummings spoke yesterday after
noon at some length and In o very force
ful and earnest maner about this sub
ject. He said, In beginning, that he was
not present to instruct the members OF
the school board or to give theta any
points about law, rs there were many
1 eka HAa rA
said he wished TO speak to them about
religious instructions In the public
schools. First, said he, let us consider
what 10 being taught. he then gave q
personal experience Of his with'a kinder
gartsn In Ward /, He said that one OF
his little boys had ocms home from
school and he had heard him repeating
a formula of . sort Of grace before his
meals. he asked him where he learned
this formula, and was told that 10 was
taught him In school. al thought that
was strange idea," said Mr.. Cum
minge, land wasn't aware that there
was any authority for this or that any
teacher had a right to teach these things
In public Schools He said he went over
TO the kindergarten school to make some
inquiries about this matter and had seen
the young woman who taught there.
"Ladiss and gentlemen" said Mr..
Cummings. al will ask you to pay espec-
ial attention to the question asked her
and the reply she gave to 1t. l asked her
what religious instruction was given
there. The young woman said that the
school was opened with prayer and some
hymns were sung. Do you say grace be-
fore luncht asked. Yes, she said. Why
do you want to knowt' told her l had
no doubt she thought she was doing
right. but that objected to my children
being taught this grace. ! thought the
young woman became somewhat pert at
this and gave me rather pert reply.
She said she shouldn't take her orders
from me as to what she should do. /
told her didn't want her to, but that
should go to head luartsrs. So called
on MIR. Lord and said to him: MIR. Lord.
have come In to inquire what religious
instruction is given in the public schools.
When / asked this thought that
shadow crc ssed Mr.. Lords face like q
cloud dnrkening the sun. he replied
that they read the Bible without note or
comment, repeated she Lords Prayer
and sang some hymns. He said they did
this all over the city. / asked him II he
knew they taught the children to say
grace, and he said he was not aware of
this being done. told him it was being
done and he said he would make Inquiry
and ascertain the facts ana inform me "a
HIT lie later rs to what he should do.
MIR. Lord did inquire and some time
aftsrward / called and he told me that
the conclusion he had arrived at was
that the things objscted to were harm
less.
1Harmlsssq Where Is the warrant for
religious instruction in the public
schools In the Law of the landg Is 1t In
the Constitution of the State or Of the
United Stat ST II 1t violates the Con.
stitution of this State and Of the United
States 1t is not sound law. II we are to
have religious instruction In the public
schools, what kind shall we haveS How
shall We decide the question: Shall 1t
be the Hebrew religion? II it we're put
to vote in Portland the Jews would
not vote to have it done. Shall 1t he
the Roman Catholic reIigionf If it were
put to vote the larger part OF the Ca
tholics would vote against 1t. Show me
q Protestant W no says 1t shall BIS Roman
Catholicism which shall be taught IL
tomorrow morning In the great cities oil
this country We should begin teaching
Roman Catholicism in As hours there
would tie rioting In the streets. And yet
some rights exis! for each Of these relig-
ions.
"Shall we teach Protestantisms Loan
bring many laymen and clergymen, tco,
am glad to say who viii say no to that
and great many others who feel the
blush of shame mounting their cheeks
when they say yes, feeling deep in their
hearts that It Ia not right. Do you lind
more authority In this country for teach
inc tina Protestant religion than you do