The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-25
THE SPIRIT BEHIND.

Gus strikes that the school children in various
parts of the country are setting up against
the properly constituted authorities They
are so harmless and so ridiculous that every
body can afford to laugh at them as the mani
festation of spirit that, while they are an
improvement on anything ever before at
tempted by the youth of the land, they show
that the spirit of young America is.still
abroad So it is; but there is more abroad in
the land than the spirit Of young America.
It is the spirit of spiteful and causeless re-
bellion. 1t is spirit that brooks no restraint
and that in the end will not regard the laws
of the land. 1t is very funny to read that the
strike for shorter hours, and extremely divert
ing to read how they have boycotted such
pupils as are inclined to obey the rules Of the
schools. It is rare joke that they dare to
stone the teachers who will not at once sub
NIT to their extraordinary demands But it
is not all fun. There is serious side to it
all. There is that in it that must set older
people thinking seriously upon the signii-
canoe of these outbreaks. It indi-
Gates that there is abroad in the
land sentiment against the law in its every
phase. The law against murder no longer re-
strains the hand Of him who would have his
revenge. Nor does it stay the purpose of the
people who take the administration Of Gus
ice7 into their own hands. Lawlessness is APP
parent everywhere, and is resorted to on the
slightest provocation. The poor apology is
sometimes made that this is the only way that
justice can be reached. But this plea will not
deceive the thoughtful man, nor will it turn
aside the inevitable consequences Of this con-
certed defiance of law and order. 1t is a de-
plorable thing that any considerable body of
reputable men should band themselves to-
gether in this country to set aside the statutes
set up by the people. 1t will inevitably be
disastrous if the spirit is allowed to rule the
schools of the land. When the day comes
that the school authorities cannot control
those placed under their care for their own
good, then will our schools become little bet
ter than so many hot-beds for the propaga-
ton Of sedition and rebellion. Then the last
great stronghold Of the law will be swept
away; for when respect for the law is lost
there is no virtue or safety in it. The
strikes" inaugurated in the schools should
not be tolerated for minute. The leaders in
them should be subjected to prompt and eff
fectual punishment. If nothing else will do
the good, old-fashioned way Of using the rod
might be resorted to. The very best men in the
world have known what it is to be logged by a
'tschoolmaster," and are none the worse for
having been subjected to such discipline
Parents would do well to impress their chill
dren that they must conform to the rules Of
the schools or suffer the consequence. It is
so that the young grow not up in the belief
that they can be law to themselves and do
as they please. The boy who entertains such
belief is certain to get into trouble later in
life 1t would be very pleasant for him to do
as he pleases but the rights Of others forbid that
one or several should arrogate to themselves the
rights and privileges reserved by the majority.
In the end there must be some kind of gov
eminent. The best time to teach this very
important lesson is at school. That,
indeed, is one Of the purposes of the schools,
and it has been found that those pupils
who have been taught to respect the rules of
the schools have least occasion to be governed
by rules. A respect for the law is surest
guaranty of their enforcement. When the
masses respect the laws the laws will not be
broken, and there will be little or no occasion
to enforce them by any but persuasive meth
DDS. The laws are for the Defense not the
restriction of the good citizen. 1t is only the
vicious that they hamper. It should be evil
dent, therefore, that good men cannot afford
to treat them with disrespect nor to wink at
their violation by others. It were madness
to simply laugh at the spirit of insubordina-
ton shown by the pupils in the public schools.
There are some of the participants in these
puerile rebellions that will soon see the folly
of the thing; but there are others who will
not, and who will grow into lasting disre-
spect for the law. If the school hours should
be changed, the fact can be demonstrated in
some other way than by the pupils setting up
a rebellion, and attempting to enforce their
demands by violence. In no instance should
they be allowed to put the authorities at de-
fance.