Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-10-10

lem would be by the use Of the Bible.
This is the strongest moral lever in
the hands of men, and, il people do
not wish to return to the parochiai
method of education this should be
embraced in the pubNc-school system.
Old-testament literature is the history
of the most influential nation the
world has had the gospel is as well
authenticated as any writing known
to men; and, If other institutions fall
TO make use of them, the public
schools would do well to take advant-
age of them, and, while the teaching
OF sectarian views ought to be for
hidden, their moral and philosophical
bearing on the world might be made
plain That would at least be a good
place to begin.
Nor is there aught to prevent this.
The foregone conclusion in some
minds to the effect that the law OF
the states Is against the adoption OF
such plan is mistaken opinion.
This falls TO the ground when put to
the test. In proof of this, notice
comes from Nebraska where a teacher
| was In the habit of reading passages
of scripture, and singing hymn and
offering a prayer in which the pupils
had to join every morning. 1t is said
| that a patron of the district applied
for a writ of mandamus to stop the
practice, and this was granted, but,
in delivering the writ, the court said:
The commissioners have found the
exercises in the qestion conducted so
| as to inculcate sectarian views, and,
| while this decision is to stop this, il
| is not meant to exclude from the pub
| iic schools the Bible; and-what is
more germane-its exclusion does not
represent the sentiment of the ma
| tion. Two thirds OF the people in
| The land have their names on some
church roll, and. if those who hang
| to the parochial schools would aban-
| don them and support the public,
| he popular vote of the people would
put into the public schools the Bible
So too, some of the fault is to be
| found at the door of the teachers
| The spirit of the age has gotten into
hem as well as the patrons of the
lives Laxity is Characteristic oil
| The mas well as the patrons of the
schools and their walk tends to make
The scholars loose in their ways.
| may illustrate this as follows
Several times last spring teacher
was here on the tents courts back OF
| he church on Sunday. The children
gathering for sabbath-school saw her,
and some parents had hard work to
keep thier children from worse des'
| ecration of the day because OF her
presence there; so, though tents on the
| first day. of the week. may do the in
| dividual no harm, the custom contrib
ltes to the immoral accumulations of
| he town. and weakens the influence
| of the teacher Sunday is a historic
| rest-day, and was so made by con
gress. and must be so set before pup
| lis for one to be true to the history
| of the nation. and, If a teacher turns
| its hours into a secular holiday, she
disqualifies herself to that extent for
| her position. She is lawless.
Nor is this all that might be said
here. Both teachers and pupils lay
themselves open to several other just
| criticisms: and some of them might
also be brought against the Alumni.
| There are condescensions with pup
lis on the part of teachers to be de
cried and though some of those who
decry these things do not thing there
is any evil in them at certain times
| and in the proper places, all of them
believe them to be out of place at
any time in the public schools. These
should be straight-laced Children
| are already light-headed enough, ard,
| instead of encouraging their craving
for frivolity, teachers should try BY
both precept and example to suppress
| their waywardness.
So teachers should be careful of
their conduct. Life is much more ef.
fectual than dead dogmas. That
which schools need is the spirit oi
respect for the institutions of men,
reverence and self-control. Children
may learn catechism, or the dei.
ntions in moral philosophy, and their
spiritual sensibilities may still be
numb, but. If those who instruct them
have in themselves the spirit of the
catechism and definitions in moral
philosophy. the pupils are bound 10
imbibe more or less of it. This is
that which first leads the little ones
to me fear of God.
And we should give the truth its
full sweep in conclusion. Lawless.
ness is characteristic of our modern
life and since the most of its causes
are to be found elsewhere than in
the public schools so also is its rem.
edy. Then let us keep our public
schools intact and. while we seek 10
improve them also seek to improve
all of the means of morality at cor
command We need better home
training: we need more spiritual
ministry in the church; we need an
eNacter enforcement of the civil laws:
and we should be up and doing in
every direction. Our children are go
ing to the bad, and, If we would save
them, we must curb this lawlessness
Closing Prayer.
Lord. we now pray that Thy
blessing may rest upon the words
spoken this morning. Constrain this