*49.* _Religious Liberty, Bible, Religious Garb, Wages._—The authorities are not uniform as to what constitutes a violation of religious liberty. The question of whether the reading of the Bible in the public schools is a violation of the constitution, is an open one in some States and in others the courts have passed upon it, some holding that it is a violation of the constitution,(80) and some holding that it is not.(81) The weight of authority seems to permit the reading of the “King James” Bible,(82) and where portions only are read, as in “reading books” prepared for school work, or where the children are not obliged to be present during the exercises, the cases seem to be unanimous that it is not a violation of the constitution.(83) In Pennsylvania the court held that while Sisters in their religious garb might be teachers in the public schools, they could not give instruction in the Catholic religion at the schoolhouse before or after school hours, or at any other time use the school building for religious purposes. Also, in Wisconsin the court decided that while a portion of a parochial school building might be leased for public school purposes and the Sisters be employed therein as teachers, religious exercises and instructions could not be given in such leased premises.(84) In New York it was held not only that Sisters could not wear their religious garb or pray in school, but that they could not collect wages for teaching.(85) CHAPTER IV. STATUTORY LAW *50.* _Wisconsin, Mississippi, New York._—The statutory law of the different States of the Union is so varied and the laws of one State are of so little interest to the people of another that it would be almost useless and beyond the boundaries of this work to give the substance of the various statutes. In some States there is a limitation upon the real estate that a church or charitable organization may hold, and in other States there is no limitation whatever. Wisconsin, perhaps, occupies the extreme of greatest liberality, by not only allowing full freedom in everything relating to religion and charity, but it further excepts from the limitation all rights of alienation of real estate granted or devised to a charitable association or to literary or charitable corporations organized under the law of the State. The State of Mississippi probably stands at the other extreme both in the narrowness of its constitution and statutory law, and prohibits any devise or bequest of any personal property or real estate in favor of any religious or ecclesiastical corporation or any religious or ecclesiastical society. Neither does it exempt a clergyman, physician, or lawyer, from examination as a witness concerning information that he obtained in the performance of his functions or duties as such. Its judges, however, are more liberal than its legislators, and I know of no instance in which a clergyman, physician, or lawyer, as a witness, was sent to jail for contempt of court