The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-01
Foreign Languages in Our Common
Schools.

To the Editors Of The Argus.
s'An Old Moline Citizen, in a commun;-
cation in to-day's ARGUS, calls attention to
petition, numerously signed, against
teaching foreign languages in the common
school; and naming some of the signers of
said petition, who are Germans and Turn
crs, he charges them with acting against
the welfare of the German element and
the Turnverein, and belabors them smartly
for so doing. Did IAN Old Moline Citi-
zen" ever imagine that the common school,
supported by universal taxation, was in
stituted and so supported for the benefit
of the German element and the Turn
that his imagination is entirely at fault
As we'll might he imagine it is thus sup
ported for the benefit of the Freia Society,
ST Patrick's Day, or the--church.
The common school is supported by
unirersdt tdrdttoB fer the sole and only
purpose of teaching the common branches
of an English education "a. e. in the
English language, which is the American,
language) to all the children within pre-
scribed ages in the district; and it is not
right to use the taxes So raised fer any
other purpose, no matter who advocates or
does it. Can any one be found to justify
paying such taxes, such school money, for
teaching Spanish or Japanese. law, meGi-
cine or theology? 1t is no more wrong to
spend it for teaching these than other
foreign languages.
Does it ever occur to the advo
Gates of squanderinC the school money.
the grinding taxes wrung from the
poor, on foreign languages. that but
few of the children pursue such languages
long enough far enough to do them ally
good: to learn to read them even. and that
none of them learn to speak them in such
school? lf Frenchman would stuuy
French or German, Italian or Spanish,
Scandinavian or Scavonian languages,
he can find opportunities at the colleges
and universities; but, when he wants to
study them, or any of them in the common
school, let him do it where such Ian
guage is the language Of the country
There isn't a Frenchman, a German or
Scandinavian in all America but could
have studied his own language in the
school of his own country without coming
here. There isn't one of them all who
came TO America for that purpose. There
isn't shadow OF justice in taxing Ameri-
cans, the principal tax payers, to keep up
foreign languages IN our midst
There is good German school in Moline
where all can learn that language who
choose to. There is Swedish College in ouI
midst, giving excellent opportunities for the
Scandinavian tongue; and with these
facilities in the community there is no ex-
cuse, not even the shadow of an excuse fol
spending $4,000 or So 900. nor for 81 200 s
year, for two or more, nor Que foreign
language in the common school
Tie Germans taken to task by
IAN Old Moline Citizen" for doing
the plain duty of every citizen, have
shown themselves good citizens, loyal t.
America and her institutions, and desirou
of promoting American interests, and OBJ.
litcratiug unnecessary distinctions.
The school board Of Detroit ex
clude all foreign languages; that o
Chicago has reduced the appropriation
one third There is plenty Of room for tn
Moline board to improve by these exam
pies. EYE
Moline, A Aprl 90, 1876