Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-01-13

III
T9GAII United States.
-/ 4 The very first amendment to the
ASASS Constitution declares that Congrass
N-SS&SSo shall make no law respecting an
establishment Of religion, or prohibiting the free ex
ercise thereof.
As the provisions we're made and ratified by the
delegates from all the States it is plain that the
determination that the political, governmental sys
tenn of the Republic they had set mp should be absO
lutely divorced from all church connection and de
nOminatiOnal complications. There was no inten
tOn or desire to discredt dsceuntenance religion
so far as the young Republic concerned, and on
the cOntary, many OF the members OF the convention
that made the Constitution were deeply religious
The entire idea was in the matter of government Il
seperate the caurch from the State.
When the subject of education by the States wal
broached in after years. it stictly provided tina
the State or 5dblic schools should be free from al
seetarian OF church control 50 that only The inlel
lectdal and moral faculties should be cultivates
while all religious training left to private anC
personal agencies. The intention 10 giving fres
mental training to the people was to it them fol
the duties Of citizenship, since intelligence and
considerable degree OF mental instruction are neces
sary to enable free citizens to take proper part il
the public affairs Of the State.
But an idea has grown up in cOnneetian with pub
lie schools that not only should church ereeds and
but that there should not even be any mention Ol
any moral responsibility on the part Of human
beings, and that allusiOn TO supreme being should
be forbidden because some ctezens might not hap
pen to believe in one. Jews, Christians. MOhamme
dams Baddhists and many other religionists believe
in supreme power and existence and they all hold
to certain ideas Of moral responsibility more or es
based upon that belief. But for fear it should in
fuence some child that is being taught in the
schools every such idea must be carefully kept from
them.
Thus It has come about that q notion has grOwr
into vide prevalence that ell virtue and morality
are strictly intellectual qualities to be acquired by
mental training only, and thus We have the doctrine
that book learning s all that is necessary to make
character, to develop honor and truth and raiss
human beings 60 the highest plane Of morals. Thus
the advOcats 0g secular schools believes that good
teaching vii Itself make good citizens. He holds
that large part Of our vice Is the result Of ignO
rance; and that e you remove the ignorance you
will do away with the vice, He thinks that large
part Of errors and our crimes are due to peoples
failure TO recognize the consequence Of their acts
and that if you can inform them Of those conse
quences yOu cen check the tendency to crime il it
beginnings. He believes poverty and shiftlessnesl
to be 80 largely due TO want OF knowledge that yoV
provide the knowledge you will do away with mos
Of the shiftlessness aud the poverty.
This is true 70 8 very limited degree The high
o1b ua5utk - N00 GuWp&ou VIII
the lowest moral depFavity. Most Of the utterly
worthless oaiers that hasn't the street corners anf
are vegetating into careers Of crime have been edu
Gated in the public schools Lawessness is not ths
result Of q mere ignoErnce Of The Law. Neral de-
pravity s perversi0n Of The moral nature which Il
totally distinct from the mental capacity. Some O.
the most distinguished acts Of honesty OF fidelity &
an engagement OF b principle have been the deeds
OF persons who we're wholly unlettered, but whose
moral nature had been developed intellectual ed
ucation often greatly increases ability to commit
crime.
The moral faculties cannot be cultivated except by
placing before the public the history Of honest and
truthful persons whose character and acts were
honorable and admirable in themselves, creating
desire to initiate or emulate them. The idea O
moral responsibility cannot be ignored any mor
than character can be left ont OF the account Mani
relations ia life complicated to those OF othen
that obligations ere created that are morally if no
legally, imperative, and moral right and wrong Cai