San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-03-15
OUR CHILDREN,
a Plan for More Attendance and Better
Methods in School.
EdItor San Antnnin LIght.

Editor san Antonio Light.
A great deal OF talk is under way of
reform schools for gone astray young
sters of both sexes, to redeem them from
the crooked ways taken to the straight
ways OF the righteous Would 1t not be
better, instead of reform schools, to es-
tablIsh form schools at the beginning
and conduct them properly, so that re-
form schools would be supernuOus.
Millions Of children are going to our
schools when IL suits them or their
parents, but what do they learn? Geog-
raphy, geology, geometry and every
thing with a Greek or Latin name to Ii,
but the first thing required to keep
them afterwards clear of reform school
and Jail and penitentiary is totally neg
lected. And why? Because this
is free country. The freedom
given n child in the years that
shouls be dedicated to learning, leads 1t
gradually to the PERIOD, when ii, by u
false course taken through very ignO-
rance to the gates Of the last school in
life, to the penitentiary. All the Greek
and Latin and other studies In early life
do not prevent IL from getting there,
whereas q little COmpulsiOn and the
teaching of the Christian doctrines, ss
laid down by our Saviour and his dis
ciples, would have led through a diff
lierent road in life.
But, being without the bright guide
Of Christianity, ii is no wonder 1t loses
the right path. and then men outside the
prison walls lift their hands IN holy hOr-
rOr at the perversty Of its getting there.
When our Saviour said TO his fol-
lowers: "SufieT little children to come
unto me, for theirs is the kingdom OF
heaven" he did not mean by that
all the secondary trash that is taught in
our present schools? Surely not! lie
wanted them to learn what would carry
them through their lives as good Christ
ians and good citizens and steer clear OF
all the locks of destruction Obstructing
their path of life. The children were
brought 10 Jesus by their mothers, be-
cause a child, naturally.shy and timid,
would not of his own accord go to the
Lord, surrounded as he was by his dis
ciples and a crowd of hearers. No more
will the child of to-day go to school Of
its own free will, because froliCking and
playing around ia more agreeable to IL
in its thOughtless way, not knowing or
caring what after life may bring, and
how bitterly it will repent Of Opportuni
ties lost through its own or somebody
else's fault.
A little wholesome OOmpulsion and as
much as possible knowledge Of that
great guide necessary to go through life
unscathed will work wonders in our
present growing generation. Compel
the children to schooling all the year
round, necessary holidays eXCeptet),
give them a chance to learn what Christ
himself thought most needful, and 10
years hence you will see the result in
your prison accounts. The saving of eX
penses in prisons. law courts and all
kindred institutions will, many times
over. pay for the increased school hours.
AS long as Christian teachings are for
hidden fruit to our children, so long there
will be no alteration. 1t is a shame for
all our religious denominations.
All pretend to believe in the Christian
faith, but for mere outside forms sake
they let their children grow up in the
dark and afterwards send them to jail
or hang them for leaving the right path.
Compel our children TO go TO school
at the proper time; make the parents re-
spOnsible for their attendance; throw a
half dozen sO-called sciences out Of your
school systems; teach them instead the
splendid lessons, Christ and His disciples
left us for them, and in the course of
time our jails will be bare, our peniten-
tiaries will be empty, and crowd OF
useless lawyers and their attendants
will scatter over the country to swell
the immense army of tramps and va
grants they have helped make for years
Daet,