The Washington times., 1906-04-29
EDUCATIONAL BILL
EXCITES ENGLAND
Religious Teachings in the
Schools.
SUBJECT OF CONTROVERSY
Frenchman Tells English Women There
Are No Ladies' Clubs in
His Country.
By LADY HENRY SOMERSET.


LONDON. April 2s-The question of
the educational bill is one which Is
occupying the thoughts of every one
here who thinks at all. and IL is GER
tainly one of the most intricate prob
lens of the day.
The position is full of difficulties, but
the issues are very clear. The Church
OF England and the Roman Catholics
and the Hebrews believe that they have
a right TO demand 10 be allowed 20 teach
their OWE children in the elementary
schools, although those schools are paid
for by the rates
On the other hand there is a vast
mass OF opinion in favor OF teaching
the Bible without any special doctrinaI
instruction. and again there is a third
party who believe that II would be bet
ter to have no religious education in the,
schools at all, but that that education
should be left 10 the different churches
10 which the children belong.
There is no question about il that the
whole position, II It is analysed is very
Illogical There is no such thing as
leacEtng which Is not dOctrinal. II the
doctrine % the incarnation is taught.
as 1t must DC IL Bible teaching is given.
the most profound doctrine which has
ever Influenced the human race is set
forth to start with.
Other Interpretations.
Founded upon that great rock there
are, OF course, all the other fnterpre-
tations Of the Scriptures. but TO talk of
any teaching as being undoctrinaI is.
on the face OF II. absurd. Now. under
the proposed system, there Is no guar
antee whatever that the teachers be-
heve In the great truths that they are
called 10 impart, even in what is called
unsectarian religion, and 1 can conceive
nothing more disastrous than that chill
dren should be taught by those who
make il very evident that # is n per
functory business in which they have
little interest save for she fact that II
is in the curriculum.
Either you must allow those who hon.
estly believe in the doctrines OF their
own church TO impart such knowledge
10 the children, or else you must frank
y admit that the state gives secular
education. but that the religious educa-
Ton must be left in the hands of those
VINO care for the souls Of the children.
The weak point in our religious educa-
uonal system in England has been the
Sunday school. for the teaching there
has been too often given into the hands
OF those who would not be competent
10 impart the very first principles OF
knowledge on any other subject. and
who have 10 capacity for teaching.
Our Sunday Schools.
III America the Sunday schools are
Infinitely ahead Of those in this coun-
try. and until our Sunday schools have
teachers as competent, as alert, and
as intelligent as in the Weekday schools !
our religious educatior must be ex-
tremely faulty.
story IS told Of man who was
travelling in the Yorkshire daIes. who
came across good old Methodist who
hailed from an Out-of-the-way village
among the hills He asked II they
managed TO run a Sunday school.
Aye" said the old man, but it's
uphill work"
But what do you do cor teachers?"
Nay said the old Yorkshireman. |
I'VE Jus. set them as CIR read well TO |
tupper classes, an them as doan't road
mich little 'uns"
But what do you do with those that
can't read at ali?" said my friend.
Aw, man." was the instant repIv. /
we just max EN- superintendents"
Second Inferno.
Dante alone could describe the horrors
of that great eruption which turned the
smiling Bay OF Naples into a modern /
inferno. Incandescent rocks were flung
to appalling heights. streams of molten |
lava forty feet wide and of extraordi- !
nary volume. flowed down the great
mountain sides, crushing houses. vine |
yards. and trees in their relentless |
course. Peasants and fsherfolk fled be- |
fore it, and the beasts and the birds
uttered shriIl cries of terror
Acts of bravery have been recorded |
which Outrival even the devotion of the
Roman soldiery at the time of the de- 4
struction of Pompeii and HercuIaneum. !
and far UP the mountainside the brave |
scientist, Prof. Mattucei, has held his /
post, in order to send the warning mes
sages 10 the terrified population below, |
and 20 record his observations Of the |
great catastrophe.
But among those who have cheered |
the rescuing parties none have been |
more active than the King and Queen. !
They seem TO understand the real 20
sition of the rulers of a people. and
have entered heart and soul into the de-
vastating sorrow which has visited |
Naples, going themselves among the |
ruined houses and the wrecked vine
yards. and endeavoring to console the |
stricken population.
Centuries Ago.
The history of the last few days takes |
US back in thought over the centuries
which divide us from that distant date /
in 63 A D., when in the time Of Titus |
the Emperor the ancient mountain /
claimed it's terrible toll of victims. and /
when on the fateful night of the oath of
August, 70, A D., the reign of ruin be- |
gan, and there was seen to rise in the |
direction of Vesuvius a dense cloud which 4
spread itself over the summit of the /
mountain in the form of a huge pine. |
and which ended before the sun was set
in the destruction of Pompeii and Hercu-
laneum.
In Az another terrible eruption took 4
place. and again in 1896 a monk gives
description of the terrible flames /
which blazed from the mouth of hell. !
which is Mount Vesuvius, insomuch that 1
all could see that this is the fire pre-
pared for them by the devils" and now