The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-04-25
ACNONBy REV. HUGHES
FOUGHT BY THE BOARD
From Fridays Daily.

nat II ndo tHC OpluiOH vi I'll
members of the board of educatio
that the action brought by Rev. ia
Their Robert Hughes to put sto
to the reading of the Bible and tn
singing of hymns in the publ
schools should be fought to fin
ish was quickly evidenced shortl
after the board was called to orde
by President Evan Hughes at fiv'
o'clock yesterday afternoon.
A motion made by w. b. Davies
that a committee of three be ap
pointed to engage an attorney ant
consult him in regard to the matter
and that after the attorney had an
swered the summons to show caus,
why the Injunction should not BIZ
granted. which event has been Sc
for April 20, the committee should
then consult with him on the advis
ability of taking the case into court
and report to the school board at the
next regular meeting which will be
the first Wednesday in May, was
quickly adopted President Evan
Hughes appointed on this committee
George w. Scherer L. 7. Jefferson
and Mrs. Alice Smith, and then a
motion was carried that the board
engage the services of S. b. Wilson
to defend them in this case.
Hobrook Opposed Motion.
DIR. ]. S. Holbrook said that he
thought it was shame to discon-
tinue the reading of the Bible in
the schools, for the general com
plant is that we have a Goddess
school, and that if the Bible is taken
out, the charge win be just. DR..
Beach was in favor of having the Bible
read, but he said that as the same
question had been tried in court
before and lost, he thought that the
issue was almost certain to be lost
here, and therefore he would vote
against motion to fight the case.
President Hughes said that he had
been reading up the opinion of the
court on the last case of this kind
which had been tried, and although
it had been lost, the circumstances
were different, and the Bible had
been used for purely sectarian pur-
poses. The case in question was in
Nebraska, in Judge Sullivan's court,
and the opinion of the Judge on this
matter was that the Bible could not
be kept out of the school il it was
used for certain purposes. President
Hughes thought that as long as no
effort was made to promote any re-
ligious sect by the reading of the
scriptures, that the opinion of Judge
Sullivan's court would uphold the
reading of the Bible, and that II
could not be kept out of the schools
He seemed to think that in this case
that as no effort had been made to
promote any one sect, that the opin.
ion of Judge Sullivan would help to
keep the Bible here, and that on this
account there was some chance of
winning the case.
Fight Case Anyway.
l.. T. Jefferson said that the board
should fight the case anyway, if it
was agreed that their side of the
case was right 1--WE can't gain any
thing by lying down." said he
Things will never be any different
if we never take any action, and II
we do not win the case, we will have
been fighting in good cause, and
blow in the right direction will have
been struck
w, B. Davies was thoroughly aroused
about the matter, and said a condi-
ton that was altogether deplorable
would be brought about. 81 think
that it is shameful" said he, that
anyone should try to stir up strife
between religions in this way Nothing
but strife and contention will result
1t will destroy the neighborly feel
ing that now exists between Catho.
lie and Protestant. do not think
that any one, whether he be the edi,
tor of some so-called Protestant pa.
per like the Menace which tries
to stir up strife with the Catholic
church, or the highest man of an
Evangelical religion, is very good
citizen, and that he has the interests
of his country at heart"
Eoard Has Gone Too Far Now.
George W. Scherer said that the
board had gone too far in the mat
ter TO back out, and that if it did
not fight the case, ii would be Sc
verely criticised. 81 think that we
viii be spending the money for the
case in good cause, for | think that
the Bible is a good moral book, and
that something of this kind should be
read. | don't care what version of
the Bible is read, they might read
even the Koran or the Talmud, but
some book of moral uplift should be
used. | know that we will have no
trouble in getting funds with which !
to fight the case, for there is q
strong sentiment among both Catho-
lies and Professionals, against the
measure of Father Hughes, and ON
the way mp here a man offered to
give $35 if it was needed to fight the
case"
Mrs. Alice Smith also expressed an
opinion in favor of fighting the case,
and voted for the appointment OF the
committee to secure legal advice.
Rana, nnc;rnI - A.e~sk