Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-09-06
BEECHER ON COMMON SCHOOLS.

1srture" AT Metropolitan Temple, San Fran
cisco. The subject of the discourse was
knowledge IN Power" The consideration
Of = question like this naturally brought the
famous lecturer to a consideration of the
subject matter of popular education; and III
the report Of tho lecture in the Chronicle for
Wednesday we have the following Says Mr.
Beecher
The common school is the great democratic
mill where we grind up everything together
without distinctions, except those which
exist III nature ltself-in the very structure
% the minds Of mon. There need be 10 fear
of this talk about Communism and agrarian
institutions. Let men talk. Talk hurts no
body. It is the safety valve of American
liberty. laughter Let mon foam at the
mouth, it will cool their hearts. e.. Renewed
laughter There is no danger in discussing.
However infammatory they may seem
speeches don't hurt anybody, even if they
don't do anybody any good, Speeches in
sand lots are as poWerless as sermons IN a
church. Laughter and applause. 1t is the
glory of our institutions that they can stand
the wear and tear necessary from the infuite
expsnsiveness of human nature. We are
elastic, We are plastic, we are not afraid We
situations, and we are
NOT AFRAID or AGITATION.
We say, therefore, as we have the institu-
lions that become Gberty--our school, our
laws, our Constitution, our experience, and
the faith of the great mass of men in the
doctrine Of RECOMMENDATIONS as many
rs you please of foreign populations upon our
land in one generation, we will convert them
ali Applause. We will put them into the
stomach of the common school and digest
them. l care notfron what national womb they
come. they will be better mon when they have
conc through the womb OF the common
schools in America. Renewed applause
There are men who think it will pervert our
institutions TO have so many come. l say no.
When a hon Stays and eats an the lion
never turns INTO an OK; it is the OK that turns
to lion. Laughter and applause. We are
not going to turn Germans Scandinavians
nor any other nationality-we are going to
cat them and turn them into Americans ap-
plausel, snd the mouth and stomach is the
common school. The old men will pass on
and die undigested, but the young and tender
will all turn to blood and assimulate Laugh
ter and applause. Tho public schools afford
the only way i'll which the children of the
really poor can be educated. The State is
bound to be generous to the system of public
schools. Wherever else there is economy let
there be
NO STINTED ECONOMY
In tho equipment of our public institutions
Of education Build our Mints and crush
our houses small if you will, but let your
school houses be the most generous edifces
III the community. We can not afford to have
any other schools in the community so good
M the public schools. Lavish upon the public
schools so as to make them SO good and so
attractive that no private schools can flourish
IN their vicinity; so good that no man can
afford to have his children educated in any
other but the public schools, SO that rich as
well ~ poor will ask to have their boys ad-
mtted. Not only must your schools be built
IN amplitude and maintained literally, but
they must be the citizens schools and not the
schools of the priest and of the church.
Prolonged applause They must be non
sectarian schools. Continued applause. |
will not be taxed that my children may be
educated in the love of the Bhuddist. and he
shall not be taxed, with my consent, that his
children shall be educated in the love of
Christ if he don't believe in it. will not
permit my child to go back to Moses and stay
there in the
BULLRUSHES OF ANTIQUITY,
taxes for having his child taught in the creed
If Christianity if he does not believe in it.
IGreat applause Fair play for everybody.
1t is not right that the Roman Catholic should
have his child instructed i'll Protestant COM
munion in the public schools any more than
it would be if they We're in majority for
that Protestant children should be obliged to
learn out of the missal of the Roman Catholic
Church. Applause. There is no way but
shis, our public schools must be non -sectarian.
IRenewed applause We are met on the
very threshold with the objection that the
schools are Goddess therefore. Yes, they are
1t is not our business to teach the God idea
in the public scooIs. Applause. You teach
\ man the carpenters trade without teaching
him anything about God Is carpentry there
tore Godlessl We have the household and
the church for teaching morality and theology
If children grow up immoral and irreligious
IT is because parents neglect their duty. If
We neglect the education of our children in
religion at home and in the churches then we
are bringing them up Goddess, but if We do |
we are not neglecting them by keeping these
things out of the public schools, which are |
for an entirely different purpose. Children !
should be taught morality, but do you know
shat there is
NO sECTARIANIsM IN MORALITY.
Sects are founded in the clouds, where no.
body understands anything | hold that
morality should be taught in the schools (all |
people agree in the Ten COMMANDMENT and
theology confined to the household and the
church. | understand that the University of
~. L