Pocahontas star herald., 1926-09-23
WHY THROW WRENCH IN
WHEELS OF PROGRESS?
CONTINUED from preceding page)

CONTINUED from preceding page
bitter religious contentious which
spread throughout the United States.
/ believe that the next Legislature
would act wisely in ignoring any and
all petitions which would have a ten
dency to stir up strife, and destroy to
certain degree the ever increasing
interest in education in Arkansas.
IL think that it is unfortunate that
a petition like the one from Randolph
county will be presented to the legis-
lature, from the fact that just at this
time every lover of better and more
efficient schools should devote as much
time and energy as possible to secure
the adoption of Amendment No. IL,
thereby assisting in increasing the re-
venue for school purposes, and also
because just at this time we have
man "Our New Governor" who Is
pledged to do all he can with the &C
quiesence Of the General Assembly to
give to the schools of Arkansas the
necessary financial relief which IS
needed so badly.
'Instead Of joining with the gentle
men from Randolph county in the
petition for useless and needless laws
| suggest that every citizen of this
great state that really have the schools
at heart. use their influence in secur-
ing the adoption of Amendment No. IL,
and give their support to the efforts
that are to be put forth by our Cover
nor and the Legislature to build a
more efficient school system for Ar
kansas"
To the above article the men who
signed the petition here have answered
as follows:
Why throw wrench into the
wheels of progress? Because the
wheels of educational progress are
running too rapidly toward infidelity
and we are DESTROYS of changing their
course.
The poetical part of your reply to
our petition is n fair sample of me
arguments usually put forth by the adj
vocates of Evolution-just cheap :'idi-
cule.
Why is it that you are not alarmed
about the dangers confronting the boys
and girls in our public schools and the
high schools, and our young men and
women in our colleges and universe
ties" for "fear that Evolution as q
theory or fact will be taught in these
schools? Is il because you are an
evOlutiOnist and want evolution taught
in those schools? If so, say so plainly
and admit yourself an infdeL If you
are not an evOlutionist, do not oppose
this law for it is the children's safe
guard against this infidelic teaching.
Your being church member, teach
err or a preacher will not excuse YOU
i'm the sight of Him who said, "Suffer
little children to come unto me-"
We should regret very much, indeed,
to see Scopes Trial in Arkansas as
result of passing an anti-evolutiOn
law. but we would regret thousand
times worse to witness a Leopold
Leob Trial" as result of not passing
such a law.
You seem to be much interested in
Amendment No. 10. We are glad of
that. But If this measure is lest, what
will be the cause of it? VIII it be
fear on the part of the taxpayers that
their money WILL NOT be used to
nay for teaching evolution, or will it be
lHt ltdI tAil IL w I'LL bt NoNN W. 'A"h
purpose? If this Amendment is lost,
we are going to charge the blame di-
rectly to the evolutionists. No sane
Christian desires to vote a heavy tax
on himself for school purposes and then
have the money used in the employ
ment of instructors to teach his chill
dren infidelity And we believe, and
will continue to believe until otherwise
convinced, that Arkansas is Chris
tian state.
When we wrote our petition. we
gave as our reason, that we believe
In the Mosaic account of creation and
that we believe the Darwinian theory
to be erroneous, false and misleading
and calculated in its nature to lead
men from the Truth of God and to in
still in them a spirit of inidelity.
Now, If you have some good reason
to offer why we are in an error, or
why the Darwinian theory of the
origin of man Should be taught in the
schools of Arkansas-or even why it
should not be barred from our schools
we should be pleased to have such
reason; but we do not care to consume
any more time in replying to ambiguity,
lduplicity, ridicule and nonsense.