Evening star., 1925-06-30
D. c. SCHOOL LAW
REPEAL IS ASKED
Teachers Federation Hits
Ban on Subjects Affect
: ling Bible.
By . stan Correspondent.

=
CHICAGO. June 30.-Branding as
stupid and reactionary' the Sum-
mers amendment to the District ap-
preparation bill which would prevent
the payment Of salary to ANY school
Official who permits the teaching Of
disre spect to the Holy Bible, partisan
politics or that the American Govern
menl Is inferior, the American Fed.
eratiDn of Teachers, in ninth annual
convention here, adopted resolutions
today demanding its repeal at the next
session of Congress.
The attack on the Summers rider
was led by DR.. Henry A. Linville a
vice president. of the Federation and a
member Of the executive committee OF
the Civil Liberties Union, which ar
ranged to test the validity Of the Ten
nesshe anti-evolution law. DIR. Lin.
ville:s condemnation of the Summers
amendment came as prelude to an
even more vitrolic denunciation of the
famous anti-evolution law.
sIay Bar Evolution Teaching.
As now written into the District ap-
preparation bill. the Summers amend
ment, DR.. Linville believes. may be in
terpreted as applicable to the teaching
Of tie theory Of evolution in the
schools Of the National Capital and
cause undue embarrassment to the
officials as well as discourage the free
thinking Of the teachers.
The American Federation of Teach
ers believes that no charge has ever
been made that lin any school in the
citv Of Washington teacher has ever
given occasion for criticism that
would logically lead to the passing of
legislation Of this character" said the
resolutions. The inference involved
in the adoption of provisions such as
these, in our estimation, amounts to
an insult to the teaching profession
in our National City.
Explain Objection.
I'VE object to legislation that in
hibits freedom of teaching, not be-
cause we desire to retain the oppor-
tunity to challenge the religious or
other convictions of American citizens,
but because such legislation tends to
establish the principle that those in
control of the State may at their
pleasure pass laws to force citizens
to accept the views of those in power
in any field of thought at any time.
So far as we know, no teacher in the
city of Washington desires to teach
disrespect for the Holy Bible. We op-
pose this provision because we be-
lieve it Is used as club to frighten
teachers away, while the law Is estab-
lished to control their thinking in
some other field. --.
1--WE are inclined to look with favor
on the provision that prohibits the
teaching Of partisan politics, provided
the law Is understood to apply to the
prevention of the teaching in the
public schools of partisan views of
every sort, reactionary as well as
radical. But In this, as in the first
provision, we believe that we have
reason to doubt the purposes Of those
who would favor the adoption of such
prohibitive legislation.
"On the third provision, forbidding
the, teaching that ours is an inferior
form Of government, we hold that
Congress would rather emphasize the
preservation Of that freedom of which
the Nation is justly proud, the free
dom which made the establishment Of
our Government in the beginning.
To deny that freedom now is tanta-
mount to denying it as 1t existed at
the time of the adoption Of the Con-
stitution. We marvel that such legis-
lation ever passed Congress.
Ask Repeal of Measure.
For these reasons the American
Federation of Teachers calls upon the
members of the House and Senate at
the coming session to repeal forth
with the anti-American rider that in
suits the intelligence of good citizens
everywhere"
The federation is waging an active
and concerted campaign for academic
freedom and for the protection of the
civil liberties of teachers, and for
these reasons solely fired broadside
at the Summers amendment and the
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