The sun., 1904-12-19
NAY STATE TEACH RRLIGIONY
YES, SAYS BOURKE COCHRAN; NO,
SAYS PRESIDENT SCHURMAN.
Debate In the Peoples Forum in New
Rocheiie-Audienee Listens and Gives
About Equal Applause to the Speakers
Are Public schools Anti.C .Christian7

About Equal Applause to the Speakers
Are Public schools Auti'Chridian7
Before an audience that filled every
available inch OF space In tho house, the
question Should Religious Instruction
Be Given in the Public Schoolsf" was de-
bated In the theatre at New Rochelle yes
terday afternoon by Congressman Bourke
Cochran and President sohurman OF Cor
nell University. Mr.. Cochran, who Is
Roman Catholic, took the Affirmative.
1t could not be said that the question was
any nearer a solution at the end OF the de-
bate than at the beginning andit was evident
that the audience was about evenly divided
In its sentiment II one could judge by the
applause that was given to the speakers.
The audience appeared to be eager to hear
both, and for nearly three hours scarcely
person left tbe hall. The contest was
under direction of the Peoples Forum Of
New Rochelle.
Congressman Cochran held that civiliSa-
ton was essentially Christian and that
religion was at the basis OF the moral law.
Therefore, the teaching Of religion in schools
should be encouraged instead Of penalized
as it is now by compelling the parents
who insist on such instruction for their
children to pay double taxes for school
purposes He admitted that the State
itself could not teach religion. for that
would necessitate the establishment OF
State religion, and he himself would be
among the first to protest against any
partnership Of Church and State. He
declared that all schools, public, private
and denominational, should be put under
the inspection Of the State and al long as
they conformed to the standard set up
they should be paid for the work they
did along the lines of secular education
without regard to whether they gave re-
ligious instruction or not. In his view
the public schools we're ant-Christian
and agnostic, which was an anomaly In
country the majority OF whose people
were Christians. He said that in demoo-
racy the great object was to maintain the
liberty OF all the people and that the ques-
ton. therefore. was how should education
be administered SO as to promote the best
interests OF the people.
-The gem OF democracy" said the speaker,
" is not an American discovery. We do not
find it first in the Constitution. 1t was not
first promulgated in the Declaration Of In
1t was proclaimed first on the
shores OF Galilee when the Saviour declared
all men equal in the sight Of God. The
essence of democracy is the belief in human
virtue. do not undertake to assert the
divine origin Of the Scriptures, but whatever
we may think Of the source no one can d ny
the character Of the message they convey
TO mankind. Christ's example can be fol-
lowed by all men no matter whether they
believe in His divinity or not The security
of democracy must spring from that law on
x.-b; ;rl roll ioin ia fn1pAal the moral la w
that was preached on the side of the Mount.
How, then, can instruction in the moral
law possibly initiate against the safety OF
the State? How can it do otherwise than
strengthen the foundations upon which 1t
rests? Take my own church. for instance.
What single branch of the doctrine she
breaches can he considered hostile to the
we'll being of the State? You may laugh at
the doctrine of penance, but do we all know
what it really isF
the fact remains that before the words Of
absolution are pronounced the penitent
must place himself in absolute harmony
with the moral law. He must make resti-
his neighbours goods or his neighbor's wife
he must purge his soul Of that foul desire.
How. then, can the moral law be harmed
by the teaching Of this doctrine? How
can the Gospel initiate against the safety
OF the state which rests on the moral Law?
law you can't make them obey it by force.
democracy can't exercise force against
the majority because the majority Is the
government. Security can only De had
by developing morality among the citizens.
Education by itself Ia not sufficient to main
tain that loyalty to the law which is neces
sary for orderly, sane and enlightened
government.
-Agnostioism does not deny God; 1t ig-
nores him. That Ia precisely the object
Of the present system Of education in this
State. There never was a term more mis-
used than non-sectarianism. True nom
sectarianism means the equal treatment Of
everybody, gentle and Jew. Christian and
agnostic. and that Is the treatment they
should get in the matter OF schools.
sOur public schools are being discredited
on all sides. Every man with any preten-
sion to consequence sends his children to
private schools. Our public schools are
becoming what are known in other lands as
the poor schools
President Schurman said that he did not
believe that the public schools were anti
Christian. nor did he believe that they had
come to be the reservation Of any particu-
lar class OF the people. For my part,
said he, Il have four children In the pub
lic schools and more to 60. would not
have them in private or denominational
school because I want them to get the
democratic training which only the Ameri-
can public schools can give.
Il agree with the eloquent speaker that
piety and virtue are the highest things In
the world. Great is education, but greater
still Is reverence and morality. But the
State In Its proper capacity has nothing
to do with them. II confines itself to secu-