Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-11-16

tainHncc of u school In which directly
or indirectly, the Protestant creed In
taught? IN II legally or morally right
90 compel my children or his child
rem to attend school when the con-
stitutiOn and the ConscienCcs of the
American people are utterly orpusci
to every compulsory form of religion?
lly what right can the public school
ne turned into u Sunday school? And
1t IL not only the saying of scCtarlnn
prayers, or the singing of sectarian
hymns that has no place there but
also the reading Of the Bible. For.
unless Bible reading In scctarinn, II
Is nothing, Every version Of the Bible
ls UNCONVENTIONAL. The King James
version, ar tx revised version may be
acccptuDl Ia the Protestant. but II In
| unauthorized ana unacceptable to tho
| catholic, who Is allowed to read the
scriptures only In the Donnz version,
whilo Lccscrs Bible In preferable to
the Jew, Shcldcns exposition tn the
| Ethical Culturist, ana no bible In Snt-
/ lsfactury To the HgnOstiC or the nthe-
list" Are We to say that all these who
arc compelled To pay taxes and send
their children 90 school must silently
and submissively see their rights
tram pied upon? II In right for any
! denomination to propagate its creed
at the expense OF others? II those
who attempt To smugglc In religion
! into the public school were merely
| eager that their own children should
be- taught their own form Of religion,
| they would do what our Catholic
! friends are doing, ana support par
| uChlHl schools ct their own. That
alone would be- honorable, That ulOno
would be lcgpI and moral.
The effort To Introduce religion into
! the public school Is really q sad re-
! Election upon thc homes the churches.
and the sunday schools of those who
make that effort \ religion that
must needs resort 10 the agency Of the
state for It's preservation In not worth
preserving Religion In "a concern Of
the individual alone, n matter be-
tween u man and his God. Wacn II
: IN enforced by the state, 1t Is fal
| worse than no religion at all, where
ever this has been done both religion
aud cduchtion have been disgustingly
corrupt And intolcrnnt. Shall We have
1t In thJs great and free country.
And, net no ono repeat that old bosh
Of the minority submitting to the Wish
a. ,ho majority. There can be mo-
question of majority and minority
where right and principle are con-
oelned Inc volco OF tho majority liz
To be- respected only whore policy or
program are concerned and not when
II IL a question OF rignt and principle.
Ihe question OF religion In tho public
school Ii, therefore. not "a question Of
majority and minority. II Ii "a ques-
ton Of whether Of whether right shall
DO determined b. might, Justice 10y
numbers One and God" said Fred
Douglas. make majority" And II
II as respectable today to be In the
right with II few as II was centuries
ago. We never tire Of singing the
praises OF the heroes and martyrs OF
former times. who, In the name OF
right, flung defiance into the face OF
overwhelming maJOrlties. Because
those who oppose religion In tho pub.
lie school are fewer In number does II
follow, then, that they must swallow
Unprotected the wrongs Of the many
Are they TO stand silently by and sec
me greatest OF American institutions
1.-The gchool--destroyed, and the no.
bleSt OF American protest. ons--teaoh'
lnE--dobased? II. as Noah Davli
says, ''The constitution IL a Euaran'
tee TO shield the minority against tho
tyranny OF the majority" II as Wen.
dell Phillips taught: Government ex.
lists to protect the right OF mlnOrities,
would II not DO downright cOwardicC
10 tolerate even one violation OF
right. the creates. OF all rights, tbs
rikht OF conscience7
When Moses saw the burning bush
We are told In the sacred narrative
he drew nigh unto II, but God called
and said: Draw not nigh hither; pu
on they shoes from on thy feet, fol
the place wherein thou Btandest 4
holy ground 80 do We Hay 20 thOB'
who would deseerate the secular sane
tlty OF the school; "Do not approach
tho consrecratod ground with boots o
Ihe blgot nor carry the hre OF the fan
btic. DO not undermine the very bui
work o. American life and the Amer
'ican spirit and American freedom.