Evening star., 1925-07-14

account for Is the hatred and venom
of some people of very little religious
convictions.
IF there is another indictment In
Tennessee like this one have never
been able to find it."
Rereading the indictment, Darrow
declared the place the crime was COM
mitted was not defined in the bill or
what doctrine he taught that was in
conflict with the divine account.
Ridicules Indictment.
The defense attorney then went into
detail concerning the technical phras-
ing of the document, subjecting it to
ridicule and speaking with scathing
sarcasm.
You might just as we'll indict a
man for being no good,' he said.
This legislation and all similar leg
islation that human malice can con-
coct Is void because of its section 49,
section IL and section 8.
Section IL provides that the State
shall protect science, literature and
learning. l want to say that the con-
structicn the attorney general gave to
that section is correct.
THE State by constitution has per-
mttted the doctrine of education.
presume that when it is committed to
education 1t means the teaching of
the truth. That indicates the policy
of the State of Tennessee.
But we insist that this statute is
absolutely void, because 1t conflicts
with the right to worship freely.
Says Free Minds Differ.
II this section of the constitution
OF Tennessee cannot be sustained in
the spirit II cannot be sustained in the
mi h{,,lz oil
or course, they may be caught in a
trap by the fundamentalists. But if
they are free they may go together
along some lines, but certainly will
conflict along others
Nothing else has caused the diff
ference of opinion, the hatred and
cruelty that religion has caused There
are more sects in the world than man
can numerate. There are more than
500 sects and creeds of the Christian
religion.
Has the Mohammedan the right to
live here and hold his religious creed
Can the Buddhist come here and bring
his creed? Or the Confucianist? !?
Where is the freedom Of religion opin-
lon2 No act should ever be passed to
interfere with company religious lib
erty. Suppose 1 am a pseudo scientist
and l believe in evolution. Can the
Legislature say that you cannot read
a book or take a lesson in evolution
without first ascertaining whether it
conflicts with the Bible?
Declares Intelligent Are Evolutionists.
Here is the State Of Tennessee uv.
ing quietly among the mountains, go
ing along about its own business.
teaching evolution, professors in col
lege, teachers in schools, ministers
ana a great percentage Of the intelli.
gent people of Tennessee are evolu.
tionists
They had not thought it necessary
10 give up their church because they
! believed that things had not been
formed in unit, but that they had
evolved through va<4ous stages until
they had reached their present stage.
| AND then this bill is forced upon
them by the fundamentalists. 1t is a
| traVesty upon language and constitu
| ton to say that any citizen of Tennes
see shall be tied down by this statute
| Your life and mine and the life O.
every American citizen depend upor
the tolerance Of his fellow man. l,
men cannot live and let live no man:
life is safe.
Where is the man wise enough tc
make people go to Heaven If they
don't want to do #?
Hits Class Legislation.
THE Legislature has the right t
say what shall be taught in the pub
lie schools within limits. But the,
certainly cannot say that every on,
must believe in the Bible account O.
creation. How is 1t that the caption O.
a bill can make it a criminal offens,
to teach evolution and the body of tn,
act an offense to teach somethins
else? How does this come under thu
police powers OF the State?
The laws must be uniform, other
| wise they would be passing law
against Congregationalists, Unitarian
or almost any one.
This act applies to the teachers II