Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-06-06
POpular knowledge.


that the standard of general intelli-
gence among the people of the
United States, is gradually lowered,
rather than raised, as it should be.
with the successive increments of
our population. During the last
two or three decades. the inmigra-
ton Of many nationalities has been
30 immense as to radically change
the intellectual and moral status OF
our people in large number OF the
Western and Northwestern States.
A reliable statistician ventures the
assertion that the forthcoming CEN
sus will show an unprecedented de-
terioration in all those elements of
enlightenment that are so essential
to free citizenship. The pro rata
number of adults "who can neither
read nor write" are yearly, and we
might say, weekly and daily increas-
ing in the Atlantic and Pac fic coast
cities. These facts present a sorry
outlook as to the future of our
boosted American commonwealth,
from which are destined to be drawn
the sinews that should bind in in
dissoluble union, the increasing
States and Territories of our sover-
eign country.
More than two thousand yeers
ago, the wise formula was promulga-
ted that, "Chiidren should be in
structed in all those things which
will inevitably concern them when
thew have attained the estate of i'll
dependent citizenship" So far is
this from being the rule nowadays,
that all our large cities are more and
more cursed by that scourge of the
present century, modern hoodlum-
ism. Just where this state of af-
fairs is going to end, of course, it is
not in our power to divine. Elec-
ton disturbances clearly show one
phase of it's legitimate tendencies at
least, an evil which still puzzles the
wisdom of common councils to less
en- OF suppress. Late demonstra-
lions of nibilism in New York and
Chicago are ominous straws which
show the current of light breezes
now, but which may, ere long, Gull
inmate in a fearful cyclone of the
worst human passions.
Ignorance, intemperance and crime
are the constituents of borrid
trinity. that is taking our country by
force, and unless speedily confront
ed by the strong arm of intelligent
and righteous law, directed and con-
trolled by an executive will that
shall never surrender, the first chap
tiers of another " Decline and Fall of
Rome" will soon be written by q
second Gibbon. Never were the
fields winter for harvest, and never
was there sorer demand for labor
ers. Now is the time when the
world stands in the greatest need OF
such. muscle and brain power as can
only emanate from rightly directed,
moral and intellectual education.
Since the inception of the temper
ance reform, that work has never
been more widely extended than al
the present time. But other good
works should not be Ignored and
neglected. To reiterate what we
have already intimated, the masses
of the people must be soundly edu-
Gated in all that appertains to true
citizenship. Hence, it will be seen
that the people themselves are, OF
cuOu1u NC, Tic iIaLi5IS Ol tllolT OA
government. The present great is.
sue between capital and labor, is.
after all, none other than hotly.
contested struggle between purel,
Legislative knowledge and Legislative
ignorance. If good common sense
and not money, regulated the cleo
tive franchise question in this coun
try, as it ought to do. should soor
hear the last of stuffed ballot-boxes
fraudulent, election returns, labor
strikes, mobs and panics. That was
s6tting rebuke to the ignorance O.
the times. when distinguished ora
tor politely requested all those O.
his audience who had read the con
stitution of the United States, te
stand up. Out IT mixed audience
of over five hundred, a score or tw1