The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-12

object to these things being read to his chill
dren.
etc, may object to stress being placed upon
the subject of one baptism as taught by the
Baptists, but IL the Bible is to be read in the
public schools. and the teachers is perchanee a
/ Baptist and sees fit to read how Jesus went
down into the water and was baptized, and
that he came up out or the water; also that
John was baptized in Aenon near to Salm be-
cause there was much water there. and that
we are to be buried with Christ by baptism.
These denominations might have to labor quite
earnestly TO persuade their children that these
things not So and thus have them
learn what they had been taught in the public
schools.
Again another might read OF the man Of sin.
the Of perdition. who opposeth and exalteth
himself above all that is called God. or that is
worshiped; so that he as God sitteth in the tenn
pie of God, showing himself that he is God.
lie may read also of the mother of harlets and
denominations of the earth, and how she
drunken with the blood Of the saints; also that
there is God and one mediator between
God and man, all of which might be objection
able to the denomination having the greatest
number of COMMITMENTS in the United States.
Another might read to the children that the
/ law OF God requires the observance of the sew
enth day Of the week and not the first day; that
Christs followers after his death kept the Sab
! bath according to the commandment. and that
Christ did not change the law, that sooner
! heaven and earth pass than one jot title Of
/ the law should fail. There would be directors
! to this and rightly so. Then where shall we
/ stop? 1t seems to me that IT would be the part
Of wisdom to stop before begin reading the
/ Bible in the public schools; and as General Grant
said Leave the matter Of religion to the family
altar the church. and the private schools, sup
ported entirely by private co. tributions Keep
the church and State forever separate"
/ It's question has arisen in different States
/ in the past, and several decisions have been
rendered by the Supreme courts of different
States, showing that the reading of the Bible
! in the public schools is unconstitutional.
! At Cincinnati o.. the Bible being read in
! the public schools to the displeasure OF many
and the board of education passed the following
! recommendation:
Resolved. That religious instruction and the
reading of religious books. including the holy
Bible, prohibited in the common schools of
Cincinnati, it being the true object and intent
of this rule allow the children of the parents
of all sects and opinions in matters of faith and
religion. OF enjoy alike the benefit of the COM
mon school fund"
/ An action was brought against the board to
enjoin 1t from carrying into effect this resolu-
ton and the tried before the Superior
court of Cincinnati. The court decided against
the action Of the board and the case car
ried to the Supreme court of the State and the
I decision reversed. In the decision rem
dered by the Supreme court of the State we
find the following statement regarding teachers
4 who were reading the Bible in public schools:
II Were / such a teacher, while | should in
struct the pupils that the Christian religion
was true, and all other religions false would
tell them that the law was an unchristian Law"
one of my first lessons to the pupils would
show 1t to be unehristian. The lesson would
he: Whatsoever We would that men should do
to you, do We even so to them; for this is the
law and the prophets could not look the
verIest inhdel or heather in the face and say
that such a law was just, and that it fair
specimen of Christian republica nism. / would
feel bound to acknowledge TO him, moreover
that it violates the spirit of our constitutional
Iguarantiea, and is a state. religion in embryo
That if we have no right to tax him to support
worship, we have no right to tax him 70 sup
port religious institutions that to tax man
to put down his religion is of the very
essence of tyranny; that however small the
tax it ia the first step in the direction of an
establ!shment or rehglon. Ana / should add;
that the first step in that direction is the fatal
step. because 1t logically involved the last step"
This same question came before the Supreme
court of Wisconsin, and the court decided in
part follows:
THE first point is the construction of article
X section 3. of the constitution Of the State,
which declares that the legislature shall pro-
vide by law for the establishment of district
schools, which shall be nearly uniform as
practicable and such schools shall be free and
without charge for tuition to all children be-
tween the ages of four and twenty years and
seCtaran instruction shall be allowed there
in The court held that the reading Of King
James version of the Bible in the public schools
of the State during school hours Is 'sectarian in
struction within the meaning of this constitu-
uonal prohibition and hence inconsistent there
with"
The third point decided is that the read
ing of the Bible is an act Of worship, as that
terin is oehhed IN me constitution ana, henee,
the taxpayers OF any district who are compelled
To contribute To the erection and support of
common schools have the right to object to the
reading OF the Bible, under the constitution OF
Wisconsin, article /. section rs, clause 2, de-
tearing thar shall be compelled to
= erect support any place Of wor-
ship This provision is in what is called the
Declaration of Rights" The opinion delivered
by MIR Justice Cassidy on this point is to our
reading in public schools has the form and
Intention Of religious Worship; and this being
the fact, then to compel the people by taxation
to erect and support public schools in which
such reading is a practice. is To compel them
by law to erect and support places Of Worship"
This decision of the Supreme court of Wisconsin
was received with favor by the New York In
dependent and many other leading newspapers
Public schools called common schools
Common schools are not common, being low
in character or grade, but common TO all alike,
to everybody and TO all sects or denominations
| Of religion, but without bringing religion into
them AS the State can have nothing to do
with religion, except to protect every one in
the enjoyment of his own, the common
schools can have nothing to do with religion
in any respect whatsoever They com
pletely secular as any of the other Institutions
Of the State, in which all the people. alike. have
equal rights and privileges The people can
not be taxed for religion in schools, more than
anywhere else
+ For these and many other reasons. I feel that
II would be much better TO omit the reading
of the Bible in public schools.
w j. STONE.