The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-06-30
Supreme Court of illinois Decides
That the Holy Book Does
Not Have to be
There.
COMPULSORY WORSHIP
Religious Exercises Cannot be Held
in the State According to
Opinion Of the Supreme
Court.

Religious exercises, consisting OF the
reading OF the Bible, singing and pray
er, cannot be held in the schools of
illinois during the time pupils are re-
CURED to be in attendance, according
to decision handed down by the SUI
preme court at Springfield yesterday.
The decision was the conclusion of
the case of the Catholic residents OF
Winchester, Scott county, who pro
tested against religious exercises in
the schools of that county in which
their children were compelled to join.
They applied for a writ of mandamus
requiring the board Of education to
discontinue the religious services.
The lower court denied the petit.
ton, but the supreme court upholds
their contention and directs that the
writ issue. In the opinion, written by
Justice Dunn, and from which Justices
Cartwright and Hand dissent, the his
tory OF the separation of church and
state is gone into at length and var
1ous authorities are cited to uphold
the decision Of the court.
The exercises mentioned in the
petition the court says, constitutes
worship. They are the ordinary forms
OF worship usually practiced by Prot
estant christian denominations. Their
compulsory performance would be
violation Of the constitutional guar
anty Of the free exercise and enjoy,
ment of religious profession and wor.
ship. One does not enjoy the free ex-
ercises Of religious worship who is
compelled to join in any form of re-
ligious worship.
If these exercises of reading the
Bible, Joining in prayer and the sing
Ing of hymns were performed in
church there would be no doubt of
their religious character, and that
character is not changed by the place
OF their performance. If the petit
TONERS children are required to join
In the acts of worship, as alleged In
the petition, they are deprived of the
freedom of religious worship guaran-
teed to them by the constitution. The
wrong arises not out of the particular
version of the Bible or form of pray
er used, but out Of the compulsion to
join in any form of worship. The
free enjoyment of religious worship
includes freedom not to Worship
Protestant, Catholic and Jewish min
listers of Chicago upheld the decision
of the supreme court vigorously last
night.
Il think the decision is just and
proper said Rev. Father t. F.
O'Gara, pastor of the Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic church 1--WE all
know the schools have no right to
hold religious services If any objec-
tion is made. All Catholics object to
their children receiving any religious
instruction except at home or In the
church.
The protest was fair and the de-
cision Is right said Rev Jenkin
Lloyd Jones, pastor of All Souls
church, protestant. So long as any
one has scruples against certain re-
ligious forms and so long as all are
taxed for the support of the schools no
child should be compelled to partici-
pate in any religious service in
school,
II am of the opinion that the decis-
ion is just and correct" said Rabbi
julius Newman, pastor of Moses Mon,
tefiore Temple, Jewish. "The schools
are not for that purpose, and for lie
sake of peace and harmony among
the children should not teach religion.
The child should get its religious
training in the church and the Sab
bath School,