The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1913-12-20
Some interesting discussion has

passed Dy the last county teach
ers' institute declaring in favor
of the Bible being used in the
public schools. Some Of the
teachers claim that it was
Slipped over" on them. Others
state that they did not know the
constitution Of the state of Wash
ington forbids the use of this and
other books of religious propa-
ganda. Some of the teachers
earnestly desire to use the Bible
in the school room.
There is no uniformity through
out the country regarding the
use of the Bible in schools. In
nine states and in the District of
Columbia the law is favorable
to the use of the Bible. These
are Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kan
sas, Massachusetts, Mississippi,
New Jersey, North Dakota. In
Mississippi the provision is found
in the state constitution. The
law of North Dakota declares that
THE Bible shall not be deemed a
sectarian book. It shall not be
excluded from any public school. "
In eleven other states either
the courts or the state school
superintendents have decided
that the use of the Bible in the
schoolroom is lawful. In Maine,
Michigan, Kentucky, Texas and
West Virginia favorable decis-
ions have been rendered by the
supreme courts. In Arkansas,
Idaho. Pennsylvania, Rhode Is
land, Utah and Vermont the
state school superintendants have
80 decided.
There are fifteen states where
there are neither laws nor opin-
ions bearing directly upon the
matter. These are Alabama,
Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Maryland, New Hamp-
shire, North Carolina. Ohio, Ore
gon, South Carolina, Tennessee,
Virginia. Wyoming and Okla!
hOma.
In eight states there are opin-
ions rendered against its use
either by the supreme court, the
attorney-general or the state
school superintendent. Illinois
and Wisconsin are the only two
states in which the supreme
court has so decided. There is a
decision by the supreme court of
Nebraska against the sectarian
use of the Bible which has been
regarded by some as adverse to
any use of it. The attorneys
general have declared it's use H.
legal in California, Missouri,
Minnesota, and Washington.
The school superintendent have
given similar opinions in Arizona,
Montana and New York. In the
last-named state opinions are
conflicting, each superintendent
deciding according to his own
wish in the matter.
In two states it would be diff
cult to find a school in which the
Bible is read although there are
no decisions against it. These
are Nevada and New Mexico. It
is quite generally read in the
Protestant sections of Louisiana,
while in the Roman Catholic Sec
tions it is excluded. There are
many large cities in which the
school boards have taken action
against its use.
Common sense would decide
that any book which contains
good literature might profitably
be used in the school work to the
degree in which its general value
entities it. Yet the trouble has
been that over-zealous advocates
of certain religious systems will
invariably misuse instead Of
properly use any work, outside
the prescribed course, which es-
pecially interests them-and the
child mind is presumed to be
guided by reason and fact, not by
belief or prejudice.
Attempts to force the Bible or
onv othor hoOk ,,non tho y,,hlic