Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1880-11-18
a ''vstesy Sor sne Di9svzicn Of FoI,Ii-
cal KNOWLEDGE

A. 7vsteyy for she 0ifsrSio7 o. FcI,Ii-
cal Hnowieass
rhs hsld ia white anto the harvest for
the Society ior Political Education just
organized. We hops tbs pressing mead /
for immediats popular education ooncern-
ing finance has passed, but it ia neverthe
less most desirable that people shall be |
taught all that can be populsrls taught on |
the subject when We still see how ALSO
lutely lacking thousands are Ia any under
standing whatever of the meaning of the I
words ''money," dollar" &c. There are |
several important steps to bs taken yet TO
System, the frat being the removal of the |
lawlesa legal tender quality from Govern
ment due bills, and the next tile with |
dsawal of these dishonest silver dollars,
the making of them honest dollars, or
the restriction Of their number and their
recognition as practically token coinage
to take the place of small bank bills.
There is no hope for clear oomprehen-
sion OF the relation of coins TO values so
long az people are taught by their daily
experience that intrinsic value has nothing
to do with the relative values of coins.
There is equally urgent need for teach
ing this generation something about the
tariff question. OF course we differ
greatly with many OF the members OF the
new society as TO the dssirability of the
result achieved by the recent "tarif
"scare," but we have no doubt We are in
entire accord with them in regrettipg the
gross ignorance which made such scare
possible. it is high time that the Ameri-
cans OF to-day were taught some truths
familiar to the generations before the war
about this matter. They should be brought
to clear comprehension of the fact that
a tariff Is tax, which the people OF
country pay, and which, unlike other taxes
on commodities causes them to pay higher
for articles untsxed. 1t should be made
plain to them that one object Of this is
the encouragement of such industries as
by encouragement oan be brought to
prosper here, and that out OF their own
pockets they pay for this encouragement.
Then opinions will differ intelligently as
to how much of such encouragement
it is the desire of the people to pay fer,
and how much it is to their interest to
pay. Opinions will differ according to
locality and interests, but they will be
intelligent differences of opinion, and any
man who undertakes to make mystery
and bugaboo of the question will be
laughed at.
But important as these questions are we
think the society has still more impor-
tsnt field before it in the way of eniight-
ening the present generation, which be.
lieves that American history began in 1861,
on the subject of the character of our
| government and the Ideas underlying lis
structure The book the society starts
out with, though rather elementary, is
sound on these questions, and proba.
| bly, is The best that could have
been selected. Mr.. Nordhoff is man
who comprehends and values the prinei-
Piles and traditions which have made our
race foremost in the evolution and main
tenance OF rational methods OF liberty.
His little book is nom,nally addressed to
his own scr, and is intended to be- within the
comprehension Of any bright boy of 10 or
1G years Of age, but there are thousands
Of adults to whom it will be instructive.
II the society will also do what it can to
lay fair and honest ideas OF civil
service reform before the people it
will be doing an exeelent work.
In fact the field is TOO broad for scrip
ton, AID we sincerely hope the work of
the Central society may prosper, aud that it
may be taken up everywhere by local
organizations aud carried forward by
means OF lectures II the clubs of both
parties organized for the foolish purpose
of parading during the recent campaign
would maintain their organiz ltion for the
purpose of considering and discussing the
books and pamphlets issued by this
society they would DO their members ane
the country service.