Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1909-05-20
CAUSED SURPRISE
in CHARLESTON WHEN THE NEWS
REACHED THERE.
The Cftiders System as to Church
Attendance Has Always Given Sat
iSfaction-No Discrimination

The News and Courier saws the
reports from Spartanburg of the at
tempt of the Rev. G. ii. Jordan of
Union, member of the Diocesan
council of the Episcopal church. TO
DrlhS about an investigation of re-
llglous conditions at the Citadel. AL
ieglnS that the cadets of the Ennis
copal faith were Disseminated
against and prevented from attend
ing Episcopal churches, were read
with astonishment in Charleston
where curiosity was generally ex-
pressed as to how an impression so
erroneous as that indicated could
have been formed by any one. Col
". >. Bond, the superintendent of
the South Carolina Militay Academy.
mad heard nothing of the matter
when a representative of The News
and Courier visited him at the Cita-
del few evenings ago, and he read
the dispatch with the greatest sur
prise.
1 cant understand the matter at
all, he said with smile. I'VE are
using today the same system as to
church attendance that we have used
for the last twenty years, and this
is the first complaint | have ever
heard in regard to the matter"
Col. Bond did not think that the
situation was such as to render
nee ssary any statement by him, but
he did not object to explaining the
system of church attendance as fol-
lowed at the Citadel The cadets
every Sunday morning are sent out
by companies. he said. a company to
church. There are eleven church
es on the list, which are attended in
rotation. Five of these are Episco-
pal churches st. Michaers, St.
Philips, ST. Paui's, St. Luke's and
Grace Church; three are Presbyte-
rian, the First Presbyterian. Second
Presbyterian and Westminster Pres
byterian churches; two are Methodist
Bethel and Trinity; one Baptist
church is included. the Citadel
Square Baptist church.
There are only six or seven Ro-
man Catholics in the student body. |
These are allowed to attend church
as of their own faith. The students
If the Jewish faith, are not roquir- |
ed to attend services at Christian
churches against their will
Once each month communicates
are allowed individual leave to at
tend church 5 of their own denomi- |
nation for the purpose of taking |
communion.
The cadets are allowed Sunday |
"a off
any church they wish to attend |
The first class has Sunday evenings |
otf, and members of this class may |
go to any church they please on Sun
day evenings.
Col. Bond also added that relig- |
ious services are held in the chapel |
at the Citadel each morning, that !
there is a Bible class every Sunday
morning and that the Citadel y. NJ |
G. A. holds services every WedRes- |
day evening and every Sunday even
ing
There is absolutely no discrim-
ination at the Citadel against stud |
cnts of the Episcopal faith or of any
other faith" continued Col. Bond |
1T is not one OF the entrance quail |
fications that student he an Episco-
palian, but as matter of fact II
happens that more students are mem
hers OF the Episcopal church than of
any other more Episcopal churches
are attended than the churches of
any other ono faith because OF this
fact and because tho Episcopal
churches are most numerous of the
Protestant churches I'm Charleston
and at least four members of the
faculty are Episcopalians. while
1fth attends the Episcopal church
regularly"
Col. Bond is himself vcstryman
of st. Paul's Episcopal church. in
Charleston.