Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-10-08
AS TO The PUBLIC SCHOOLS,

AS TO The PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The mter-Mountain Catholic Of this
date has q strong editorial on Sec
tananism IN the Public Schools" After
showing up the nlsehood and failure
OF the now defunct A. r. A, In lts at
iacks ON the Catholic church for it5
alleged invasion OF the public schools,
that paper takes up the A. 7. U. charge
that the Mormon Church Is after
state school control, and says
IT was even broadly limited that al
ready the number of Mormon teachers
IN excess Of Gentle teachers ndicat-
ed the purpose Of the Mormon Church
and justified alarm Some diligenl re-
porter, however, knocked this partisan
argument into a cooked hat by simply
producing farts and figures showing
exactly the reverse There are more,
and good many more, Gentiles than
Mormons teaching IN our public schools.
Suppose, however that there was an
excess OF Mormon teachers that fact
NOtt IlNi fthiNll0N nfilNN INlAHNk W WI
out religion, the school ~ secular not
sectaran. The rule Of three would be
still the rule Of three 40 spite OF reve-
laton, Geography taught by COM
peient Mormon Is no less complete and
thorough than It could Doe through the
teaching Of competent Gentle. The
religious affiliations OF our public school
teachers should be mo bar to employ
inent, ID Is competency, and that alone,
which we expect, and for which we are
tnxed. u that Is not secured, we do
not get the value Of our money"
The hue and cry raised here By the
enemies Of the "Mormons' who are
aleo the enemies OF the state is for
outside effect, Every well Informed
resident Of Utah knows thatlthe charge
is utterly untrue. ana that religion il
barred by law from the public schools
and IS really excluded, except for the
kind OF tactics exposed by the Catholic
as follows
III has been learned upon authority
which can be substantlated with proof
that IN one of the public schools OF
Salt Lake, Catholic children are obliged
"a hear their religion debased by "a class
teacher This one teaches history
How many Ike her dhe person Is "a
woman) are among the teachers OF his
tory IN our public schools we can not
stale at present Never mind some day
the number viii be known.
III Il be against American principle
TO teach religion In public schools II
should be against American principle
to attack the religion OF any Christian
or @ewish denomination. II Is inject
ing q species of seciauausm into pub
lic education differing from the abstract
kind only IN this particular mat II pro-
oeeds from malice, and Is born % a
lie"
We understand that It Is equally sus-
cepuble Of proof that covert attacks
are made upon tonelso OF the Mormon"
faith, and children often ask their par
ents as to the correctness OF ideas pre-
scented by "Gentile' teachers. not as
ayowed religious instruction but under
the guise Of other uhje IS, ana which
are intended, without a doubt TO have
similar effect to chat complomed Of by
our Catholic contemporary
We do not believe that any Mormon
teacher in the public schools can be
truthfuly accused of intrudng his or
any other religion into the lawful
courses Of instruction But yhe attempt
10 do so by way of speeious ana cum.
ming attacks on mormon doctrine is
surely made by some Of the imported
teachers whose salaries come out N
the taxes paid by the parents OF tac
children thus Impressed and most OF
that money IS carried away from the
state when the school terms for the
year are finished.
That is a kind OF mlSture of sectarl.
anism and secmar.sm that ought to be
stopped peremptorily We do not b.
lleye the trustees Of school districts or
the boards Of education Ia cities. either
desire. encourage or tolerate that sort
OF thing Every case Of the Kind should
be exposed and every teacher guilty or
the wrong should be expelled The
proof however must be clear, direct and
well established 30 teacher has the
right TO hold up Catholicism, Judaism,
'Mormonsm' on any other religion IN a
false OF ridiculous or improper light IN
ppblic school. any more than to teach
secarian doctrine therein one Is as
unlawful as the other Both should he
bamshed completely from the public
school system. ot every grade.
The necessity Of religious training for
the young IS recognized and as deeply
felt by the Mormon Church as by
the Catholic church II Is for that rea.
son that our Sunday schools, Primary.
associations and Religion classes are
organized and supported as separate
institutions from the public schools en-.
tirely. There is no mngRg Of the