The sun., 1907-11-29
BRENTANo's, sth Ave. a s7th Street

the people Of New York good government.
May God bless Gov. Hughes to-day.
Then there is the man In the White House.
II Is the universal conviction of our citizens
that our President IN an honest man and
cannot be sWerved from what he considers
right and just. He ia a man OF set purpose
and iron will. n statesman. a ruler Of men.
the Deacemuker between two great nations.
We do not presume that he claims TO he in
fallible; at least we have never heard OF any
decree Of Presidential infalIibility. We may.
however, truthfully say that the President Of
the United states stands in the irst ranks of
world rulers.
With regard to the Christmas exercises
in the public schools the preacher said:
At the present tine there is an agitation
in our city looking toward the removal OF all
traces Of religion from our public schools.
This Is most unfortunate. The exercises at
Christmas time In most OF our public schools
have not offended many Of our citizens.
Thousands Of school children for years have
looked forward to these exercises with rare
pleasure. Why should these be discontinued ?
IL Is most unfortunate that this agitation
has been raised by some OF our Jewish fellow
citizens. As race the Hebrews have been
welcome to America and have found II safe
asylum the freest country on the globe. IL
Is most unfortunate. IL is deplOrable, that race
pttJuuiCo HHOulu DC NJiTkSu mere III new
York as it han been in Russia. The American
people are tolerant. but they will not permit
interference with established custom. We
feel strongly that a great mistake has been
made and that our Board OF Education has
been too ready to comply with unreasonable
demands.
Rabbi Jacob Goldstein preaching at the
synagogue of the Congregation Ez Chaim
in East NinetV-secOnd street had this to
say on the schools question:
President Roosevelt, the New York school
board and the orthodox rabbis of this city
are apparently regarded as having entered
into an unhOly conspiracy TO overthrow
Christianity and to Introduce a spirit OF un-
belief and irreverence among our children.
All this because. after years of careful
watching and investigation OF facts. the
school board Of our city. composed by an
overwhelming plurality of Christian laymen
Of all denominations. has decided to apply
the unmistakable intention Of the State and
Federal laws in an attempt to restrict and
keep within due bounds the uncomfortable
impulse Of few indiscreet teachers to prose-
lytiae among Jewish children.
The State law HOrbids teaching either favor
able or inimioal 20 any religious creed. Sec
tartan hymns. songs. addresses or exercises
of q specially Christian dogmatic nature
are distinctly "prejudiciRl" to children of
the Jewish faith and are therefore opposed
to the inalenable right OF religious liberty
secured to all by our Constitution. The Jews
OF New York city form nearly One-third of
its population. One-thlrd OF its taxes are
paid by Jews. One-third OF the pupils in It's
schools are Jewish. Their legal rights must
be safeguarded. II a Christian teacher ad-
dressing Jewish children may be permitted
to force Christian doRmas on their notice.
why may not Jewish teachers addressing
Christian children be permitted TO show the
reasonabeness as they see II. Of the Jewish
attitude toward the founder Of Christian nity2
Why. indeed. may not an agnOstic or aCheis-
tical teacher be permitted TO shOwthe unreasOn-
abeness. as he sees It. OF all kinds and classes
Of religious belief The only safe, sane and
statesmanlike tactics are to remove the whole
subject from the arena Of the schOOroom
aud to forbid its discussion by any OF the
educational employees OF the public school
while in the discharge Of their duty to the
public and while in buildings which are the
property Of the public.