The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-02-07

Says the st. Petersburg Independ-
ent: William Jennings Bryan is to
come to st. Petersburg to deliver his
lecture against the Darwinian theory
that is now causing so much discus
sion all over the country, and when
he speaks here he will open the whole
question in this city. AS result of
Mr.. Bryan's address there is now a
movement in Florida to have the leg
islature pass a law regulating the
teaching of evolution, and this pro-
posed law has its vigorous opponents
as we'll as its strong supporters.
In recent issue of the Baptist, one
of the foremost periodicals of that
great religious denomination, the fol-
lowing quotation from the Western
Recorder, of Louisville, is taken as
the text for an earnest appeal to
Baptists to beware of seeking for n
act to suppress opinion in the schools
and colleges:
"On December the Hon. William
Jennings Bryan spoke before the
Florida Baptist convention, meeting
at Miami, on the danger to the world
of theories of Darwinism. Following
the address the convention asked Mr..
Bryan to draw up a program of legis-
lation to be sent to the Florida leg
islature, requesting that body to
pass an act prohibiting the teaching
of anything in the schools and colleges
of the state contrary to the Bible. The
possible action of Florida will elicit
a nationwide interest"
The Baptist takes a position square
ly against action of this kind, and aft
err reviewing, with just pride, the re-
cord of the Baptist church in striving
always for separation of church and
state and for freedom of opinion pre-
scnts this argument:
"That Baptist body has a perfect
right to make such a recommendation
to all schools and colleges conducted
as private institutions by Baptists
will be generally conceded. But when
the request is made concerning the
public schools it is the request that
the power of the state shall be used
in accordance with the desires and
beliefs of a particular religious body,
} and men are approaching perilously
near a union of church and state. If
! it be said that the action is asked
: only in the interest of public morals,
/ then there rests upon the advocates
, of such legislation the task of prov
) ing beyond a reasonable doubt that
this particular doctrine is response
bic for certain moral lapses which
they deplore. If such request were
to be granted, consider the following
: questions: What Bible is to be the
standard-the authorized version or
} the Roman Catholic? Who is to deter
: mine what is contrary to the Bible
: If the supreme court does this you
! have a judicial body determining mat.
tiers of religion and have passed over
a portion of your Christian liberty to
4 a state court. If some religious body
: is to do it, it is more than possible
= that other religious bodies will fee
a aggrieved. Will Protestants anc
e Jews and Roman Catholics came tt
a anything like harmony on this mat
5 ter? If they do not, whose views shall
l prevail? There are many Baptists, in
GLIDING conservatives like DR.. Strong
who hold to some form of evolution
: are their views to be taken into &C
a count as fully as are views of Mr.
t Bryan? A wide field of questioning
C opens up when matters like this arr
Z projected into the civil field. And 81
f far as we have noted, all the at
2 tempts as yet made to show thai
r such legislation would not bring
$ about a practical union of church ant
state, at least to the extent that cour'
j could determine what the Bible doe:
: or does not teach, make distinctions
t about as futile as. that between Twee
v dledum and Tweedledee."
nj There is little likelihood of such 6
: law being passed in Florida, but it il
r possible. One never knows what {:
n legislature will do. Mr.. Bryan il
: making a campaign for it in thi
f state and is powerful advocate. II
e put such law on the books would b,
s a serious mistake