The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-05-30
TEACHING THE LOVE OF MONEY.

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| Something new in education has
been attempted in Western city,
where the superintendent of schools
has undertaken the establishment Of
system of trade and finance among
the pupils. The children are train
ed in the arts of making money and
taking care of it. They are encour-
aged to earn an honest penny in all
possible ways-by backing boots,
selling newspapers, making small
marketable articles, ETC., and they
have a bank for the care and man
agement Of their accumulations.-
The object apparently is not that
they may earn their education, but
that they may be taught the value of
money, the Importance OF thrift, and
the mysteries of commerce. We are
not surprised TO hear that the boys
take to the scheme kindly. 1t is said
that their books are not neglected;
on the contrary, increased diligence
in study seems to result from the
general spirit of rivalry awakened at
the touch of trade. The lad who has
got ahead of his companions in II
transaction at ha|f.past eight, is still
in an emulous mood when he enters
the class room at nine. Altogether
the schools are lively.
The chiIdren-but, God save US
are there any more children? Are
these premature fuanciers the limo
cent creatures whom fathers used to
take upon thei knee, finding in their
simple prattle refreshment heart at
ter the depressing contests of the
busy day? Are these the models OF
meekness, dociIity, purity and trust.
fulness upon whom the Master laid
His sacred hands when He babe us
become like little children2 Bank
ers in round Jackets. boys who have
discorded Robinson Crusoe for the
Price Current, and substituted inter.
est tables for the Arabian Nights
they seem to be in a fair way to imi
tate the lawyer in the Battle of Life
by changing the old rule, "do as you
would be done by" into the improv,
ed modern maxim, 'sdo, or you viii
be done brown" And what terrible
sharps they promise to be when they
rise from petty operations Of the
play ground to the serious bargain
ing, selling, buying, lending, dis.
counting, note shaving, bulling, bear
ing and cornering for which their in
structors are now giving them snch
a practical preparation. They ought
to be shrewd enough in few years
to get the better of Chatham stree,
clothing dealer.
If there is an, thing which Ameri
can children have no need to be
taught, is the Importance of money.
getting. This is lepson they learn
seen enough by miserable expert
ence. The haste to be rich is, in the
opinion of most observers, our grea,
national fault. This is the cause oil
our instability and recklessness in
trade, our laxity of financial morals
the frequency Of our embezzlcments
and breaches of trust, the gross dis
honesty of our governments, tue bold
robberies Of our public officers, oul
wild license Of speculation, our vul
gar taste for display, our low stan,
dard of value in all things material
intellectual and religious. And there
could hardly be a more striking IL
lustration of the base merccnary
spirit which is destroying us thar
the fact that superintendent d
public schools thinks it a praisewor
thy action to teach the love of mon
ey to children predestined by inheri
ted faint or by national example tt
love only too soon and too well. Elk
change.