Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-31
LETTERS EROM THE PEOPL1.



The Public Schools ~ They Are.
| Editor Star:-The Americans are q nation Of
| reformers. One generation reforms upwards,
another downwards, and the same spirit takes
traction tnS as the tide GIBBS and oWs. But the
struck balance shows consistent and per-
sistent advance IN every enterprise whose fruits,
among the dietary essentials of people, whose
motto Is towards and upwards"
At some time, some condition of ignorance or
band Of laborers comes to the front and battles
against prejudice and passion, until, at last the
missionary minority grows to be the controlling
majority. Then, when the evil disappears, and
the good becomes universal, there arises the
supplemental generation of refOrmers, who step
i0Itn from the cOntented crowd, and cry out:
rance"
The past development and the wished for
degradat1On OF the public schools furnish q
present illustration OF the truth OF these propo-
It Is surprising that this great American In
stltut1on should be subjected to unjust criti-
only hope OF people grooming under universal
suffrage, at time when they stand side by side
as the bane and the ant1dote.
the existence OF Kearney or q Cohen as NOV,
ers OF the masses can alone be accounted for,
and q boy educated In the public schools would
no other reason he would, In the language of
Mrs. Malaprop, despise "their parts Of speech. y
The friends of the public schools have ignored
the recent animadyersions Of ANONYMOUS sim
ners. but the signature Of one OF the saints, like
the Pope's bull, authenticating decree of a
council, gives dignity to the revilings Of un-
known antagonists, and clothes the form Of flc-
1t is the signature of the rector of st. Johns
that have TO battle with, not the contents Of
his note published in the STAR OF the oath inst.
ment, although not void of offence when 1t piGh-
lily and positively states that the distinguished
divine Is against us and not for us:
The Prince OF Wales and Lord ThllrlOw were
once invited by the Archbishop Of Canterbury
to sit under his sermon the following Sunday.
The first gentleman OF Europe" politely &C.
In his characteristic manner replied: "No; /
hear you enough in the House, where can an
swer you. I'm not going to hear you In your
own place, where you have it an your own
way" And although the rector OF st. Johns 10
a very brief note, dismisses Unto outer darkness
the present system of public schools, he will ex-
cuse Its friends for not accepting his pos1tton
respecting the three RS" as essentials OF public
position OF the thirty. mine articles would be re-
ceived, nor will he blame them for inferring
that his epistle was written hastily, between
sermons, or more probably fasts as it Is author
1tative and militant In tone, and evidently dedI-
Gated to the press and people, without Sitting
inquiry into the course OF study and methods Of
District. Our curriculum does not embrace the
classics or modern languages, therefore "YOung
America Is not being legiSlated into all knowl-
edge"
About two hundred out Of twenty-five thous-
and children taught in the public schools are
carried In mathematics into plain geometry.
This may be accounted the luxury Of our sys-
ried well through the Rector's ''three RS" he
drops out OF the class room into some useful
ns Or na isng o ns Ne Wo + not 5snt R9 &c
commends he should be. He is taught useful,
not ornamental, drawing, such drawing as
makes skilled artizans out of apprentice boys.
A little music, for rest and recreation. A re-
where between the problems of mental arith-
met1c and the dates Of national events. A little
PHYSIOLOGY Is injected into his intellectual
being. Enough to interpret the Psalmist, when
ne says I'VE are fearfully and wonderfully
made;" enough to teach boy that sscleanIiness
Is next to GOdliness;;" enough to make him IN
derstand the difference between goose's gIz-
he Is favored with enough knowledge Of the
earth, where he moves and lives and has his
pelng, 10 nave some appreciation of natures
FORCES; he also learns to distinguish pansy
from pumpkin; gets that idea of the Winds
rains and seasons which farmers boy or sailor
lad might find useful; in short, the selegislating
OF Young America into all knowledge" consists
u THIS District, OF anording him maximum OF
English education at minimum of cost OF
time to himself and OF money to the tax payer.
II conclusion: The prosperity and popularity
OF ane PUBLIC schools are assured. They. stand
last OF our safeguards which we would be VII.
ling TO surrender. The efforts to render them
obnoxious to public opinion by misstating their
mission and methods illustrate the last degree
nolies OF American institutions, the perennial
spring OF republicanism, the peculiar properly
OF tie people, and however much they may be
stood by one theolog1an, they viii always be
cnerlsheo Dy the many, and by the many be
peapetu ia 3. G. LovEJOY.