Photoessay #1966 - Report on the Committee on Schools

This document is a crucial part especially in my second proposed paper on the Devotional Exercises controversy of 1877-8.

The Board of Education removed the requirement for devotional exercises in December 1877. There was a huge outcry involving petitions, sermons and letters screaming about "Taking the Bible out of the public schools" The Board of Education decided to publish a Majority Report and a Minority Report and issued it printing at least 2000 copies in Feb 1878.

I have a copy that I donwloaded through Interlibrary Loan from Yale. I've been reading it closely today. It runs 36 single spaced pages. But looking for an image maybe better than the one I had. To my surprise, I found dozens of internet booksellers featuring three different editions one issued in 2009. Note the new covers.

Why do you think that is?? It's true that the debates in New Haven 1870s about school prayer could be taken verbatim from today's publications and views. And vice versa.

But why would people re-issue this?? Just because they can as it's in the public domain. Even on sale for pounds on an English site.

It's well written. I'm biased. On the side against student prayer. Which is the majority opinion of the Board at that time. It's hard for me to accept the other side's views. Just makes no sense to me. Maybe because I'm outside the majority and it's been my experience that the majority cannot even conceive the minority's view.

Part of this document is an interpretation of from the Connecticut State constitution "No preference shall be given by law to any Christian sect or mode of worship". The majority opinion says that the State must be indifferent in religious terms. The minority opinion believes that the word "Christian" also modifies "mode of worship", therefore the State is, by definition, Christian. So the Christians (self defined as the Protestants) can lawfully put their prayers in the schools.

Um, that sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it.

The story I will tell is how Maier Zunder upended an elaborate devotional exercise scheme designed by the leading pastors and clergyman in the Elm City.

That's our man. Dennis said, even last night, bring him back!!!

The book websites are selling this document for at least $10. What's up with that?