The independent., 1903-07-09
Bible Reading

Editor Independent: Last January
sent you two letters-one criticising
the actions of the petitioners for a
rehearing OF the Bible reading in the
public schools case and the other one
doing the same thing for the supreme
court on account OF it's decision in the
rehearing. OF course did not much
expect to see these letters in print,
but | thought at least to see few
quotations and your comment in one
Of the issues of The Independent so
that | could know whether In your
opinion was right or wrong l have
also been waiting patiently for some
more extended report of the courts
decision in this case than the short
paragraphs of yourself and Mr.. Har-
dy which | asked you and him to ex-
plain, but it seems that have waited
il vain. While The Independent is
true to its name when politics are in
question 1t seems to cringe consider
ably when 1t comes to Bible decisions
and religious matters.
Why did you not give the report of
the courts decision In full? Then
Your readers could have judged for
themselves. Is that not what you say
ali populists (the majority of your
readers) insist on doing? Why then
do you give only short garbled para
graph, and the same from Mr. Hardy,
on this important case? Do you not
know that the courts decision Is cer-
tain to cause quarrels in many school
districts throughout the state when
part of the board wants the Bible
read and the other part not? II the
school boards insist on having the
Bible read in the schools what are
those parents going to do who do not
want their children to hear the read
Ing?
You may garble reports of such
cases as much as you please; you may
extol the grand literature of the BIZ
bic to your hearts content; you may
try to sweete1 the atrocities recorded
in that book from now until dooms-
day, and all your efforts will not make
1t fit to be placed in the hands of
children! You know that there Is
rot one clergyman in the state OF Ne
braska who dares to read each and
every chapter of the Bible publicly
IN his church, and why then will you
Insist that it is right and just that
II be read In the public schools? In
conclusion allow me to ask you which
version of the Bible Is non-sectarian?
! presume you will show again that
you actually believe In equal rights
to al and special privileges to none"
by throwing this into the waste
BASKET GEO. s. PETERS.
Peters Neb.
(The editor has constantly on hand
from one hundred to five hundred let
tiers from subscribers commenting
more or less at length upon great
variety of subjects. In the nature of
things these cannot all be printed. The
Independent did not give the courts
decision Gin full' for the same reason
that it does not print every communi-
cation received-simply because 1t
cannot print ell the things which may
be of interest. Write the West Pub
fishing Co., st. Paul, Mimi, for a copy
of the Northwestern Reporter advance
sheets containing the latest decision
in full.
Doubtless people may quarrel over
reading the Bible, just as they may
quarrel over the tariff or the money
question or whether potatoes should
be planted in the dark or the light Of
the moon. The Independent does not
pretend to map out a course of action
10 be followed by parents who do not
want the Bible read in the public
school where their children attend.
They might help elect a school board
that would not Insist upon the read
iEg; they might do as Dan Freeman
did-go to law over 1t (for the case
decided was upon the record made in
that case alone); they might keep
their children out of school and defy |
the compulsory education law and
thus get into court from another route |
or half a dozen other things. The
best plan would be to consult good |
lawyer and take his advice.--Ed Ind.) |