The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-09-17
ST Paul Church Head Writes
William 3. Davies
kA1o SITUATION IS IN POINT
Sanity City Publication Contains Ar
Article Which Handles Subject
From Moral Viewpoint

W. Z. Davies, president of the
board OF education, is in receipt or
the following communication, which
Is self-explanatOry. from Rev. }. A.
Schaad, rector of The Church OF st.
| John the Evangelist, st. Paul.
st. Paul, September IL, l9l5.-To
the President Board OF Education.
| Mankato. Minnesota. My Dear Sir:
| have watched with deep interest
the progress OF events in connection
with the attitude OF the state towards
your schools on account of the reading
OF the Bible. Also as a member OF n
large committee | did what | could to
obtain reinterpretation OF the law
by the attorney general. am sorry
to note the results to date, and | am
amazed that any school i'm this state
| should have been subjected to the
hardship which Mankato schools may
| experience OH account of your evident
conviction and fidelity to principle.
] am sending you this line merely to
give you fraternal greeting and to ex-
press the hope that some way may be
found to enable the Mankato schools
to hold out until this wrong can be
ed copy OF our weekly parish paper
in which sentiments are expressed on
the subject which hope will con-
tribute to the creation of a better
public sentiment. shall continue
using voice and pen along these lines.
| Sincerely yours. J. A. SChaad rector"
AS stated above. the question of
good citizenship involves ethics and
morals: and these are of vital i'm
| portance 10 the state And yet the
state as such does little or nothing
towards producing that quality in its
future citizens. Quite TO the contrary
we have in this state the sorry spec
| tacle of a whole community being
penalized by the state for presuming
| TO attempt ID introduce the moral
! element into its teaching system.
Under recent ruling the Mankato
school board must forfeit it's just
share of taxes for educational pur
| poses because, forsOOth. carefully
selected portions OF the Bible were
read i'm the school room. Here is no
question of teaching sectarian re-
| ligion. The children must study the
myths of obsolete religions, and be-
come familiar with the immoralities
or legendary gods and goddesses: but
they may not even have read to them
n few OF the sublime passages OF that
Book which his produced the highest
civilization in the world or be taught
anything about the earthly life of the
One Supreme Teacher and EXampler
Of human life.-Jesus Christ! Why,
Is IL because of political cowardice In
| the face OF boisterous minority? Other
| states are throwing of the yoke of
| this tyranny by minority. Why
cannot we assert that essential prin
ciple Of a denocracy,-majority rule?
If we did that the moral sentiment of
the now complacently silent majority
| would soon correct this<iefect in our
system OF public education.
Think this over and see if the time
has not come for concerted action TO
| produce this more rational state OF
| affairs. Meanwhile let us hope that
the Mankato school board may con-
| tinue to have the courage of its SPLEEN
did convictions. Mankato can afford
to be a martyr for a time If by it pub
| lie thought becomes sufficiently center
ed upon the principle involved to
arouse such action as will stop the
outrage and correct this defect in
our educational system"
The article referred 10 is as follows.
II is not colored by sectarianism. but
treats OF the subject under the head
ing The State and Morals