The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1905-03-21
For Moral Teaching
In Public Schools

That the plan of introducing religious
and moral training into the public
schools Is not TO be allowed to languish
for the lack OF further active pushing
Is evidenced by the petitions, which are
being circulated by hundreds today, ask
ing the Board of Education for i'm
proved moral teaching in the schools ;"
All along it has been the claim of
the ministers conference. which by it's
committee of fifteen made the original
recommendation for the addition of
some system of moral instruction to the
curriculum, that the proposition was not
new thing, or a complete innovation.
out that 1t was merely an effort to have
done in q systematic manner what is
now required by rule is in the school
law AS stated in the circular letter
accompanying each petition is TO have
each pastor get the signatures of ten
members of his congregation.
1T Is not proposed to attempt long.
but rather a strong. petition of repre-
sentative men," says w. H. Singleton.
chairman Of the committee on petitions.
Text Of the Petition.
The full text of the petition follows:
For improved moral teaching in the
schools
Ihis Is not proposal to do some
thing new, but to do In a more effective
manner what is now required by law.
Teachers of the District Of Columbia
are required by rule rs to inculcate
truIhfulness, self-control. temperance
frugality. industry, obedience to parents
and obedience to the laws of
God and it is also, required that the
Bible shall be read and the Lords
Prayer repeated in the public schools
Those who sign this petition only ask
that this moral teaching shall be care
fully prepared by the Board of Educa-
| ton, Instead Of leaving the details of
selection and explanation to each teach
| er- Napifestly. the new plan diminishes
| the opportunity for any teacher to inject
| his personal views.
ITO the Board of Education:
| I'VE, the subscribers, citizens of the
| District of Columbia. beg leave most
respectfully to petition your honorable
/ body, in the interests of good citizen
| ship, to introduce into the public schools
under your control the following studies,
| to wit:
| THE Ten Commandments.
| Their recognized summary: Thou
I
thy heart and thy neighoor as myself
The systematic study Of ethics, as
/ applied TO conduct approved by the
! Board of Education.
| And we beg further respectfully to
suggest that your board take steps to
! provide A course of readings taken from
/ the Bible, the use of which shall be
optional with the teachers
| These suggestions aIe made with the
nrcyiso that there should be no sec
| tartan religious teaching In the schools,
| md that any parent who may desire to
withdraw child from the instruction
above suggested, should have liberty
! SO TO do.
DR.. McKim's Ideas.
| The Rev Randolph II. McKim, D. D..
pastor of the Church of the Epiphany,
!, in discussing the question today said:
The public ought TO look at the real
issue involved in this whole discussion.
It is simply this:
Shall the children be taught the Ten
! Commandments?
Shall they be taught to love God and
to love their neighpors as themselves?
Shall morality be taught by selected
| te-It-books2
Shall an effort be made to secure
a series of lessons from the Bible which
| Roman Catholics and ProteStants and
! Hebrews could all accept, instead OF
leaving the selection to the individual
teachers?
IAN the religious teaching asked for
may be put into a few lines, to wit.
Thou shalt have none other gods be-
fore Me
Thou shalt net make TO myself any
craven image to adore It.
! Thou shalt not take the name of
the Lord thy God in vain
"-Thou shalt remember the Sabbath
day 10 keep It holy
This is absolutely all that is asked
| in the way of religious instruction I'M
| less the board see fit to adopt a brief