Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-22
MRS. JOS D. WEEKS, STATE sUPT.


when urging enforcement to the letter,
of the Brooks License Law" she
said that she had never yet seen a
steam engine that was able to get up
at o'clock in the morning, light the
FIRE, fll the boilers with water, open
the valves, and start of itself
/ made the application at once to
our law requiring scientific temper
ance instruction in all the schools of
this Common wealth. that are support
ed in whole, or in part by public mo-
ney. Here we have a magnificent
engine of law; the best that ould be
obtained at the time, and we still
think, quite as good as anybody else
has-but it wet 20 of itself! Three
years have the L1nds of the State
Educational Department been on the
throttle. but the fire has lacked fuel,
the stoking has been slate instead of
coal, the boiler has been almost dry,
and never yet has full head of steam
been turned on, to show what the
grand engine could do if properly US
ed After three years of this partial
use of a magnificent machine, it is
quite time we walked up TO q sense of
its value and capabilities.
Now what shall we do2 First open
our eyes to the fact that in many cit
les and towns the law is evaded, in
others it is virtually dead letter, in
some schools no text books are in the
hands of many scholars old enough
to use them, and in others the study
is set aside from day to day-and mo
time for Physiology'-"preparing for
exhibition" or fitting for High
School," are given as reasons for this
neglect.
In many places the text books that
were were hastily adopted by school
boards, upon the passage of the law,
are defective, 80 lacking in amount of
temperance teaching, or so full of that
which is untrue and unscientific, that
they are almost worse than no books
at all. BY law these books can be
changed, after the organization of the
new school boards the coming spring,
and on this point we have more to
say hereafter
Several things do we advise and
urge upon every w. c. L. U. woman
now Try to get intelligent temper
ance business men chosen as school
directors; they will be less likely to
be influenced by mercenary scheming
book agents. Study carefully
fully, yourselves. the books now in
use and the better ones that are ready.
Give the teachers and every director
suitable literature on the subject
among other things, "Tests for selec-
ton of text books" by Mrs. NJ. II
Hunt, and sold by w L. p. A, La
La Sale Street, Chicago.
Do not conceal your dissatifaction
with the present enforcement of the
law. AS parents and citizens visit
the schools often, and, where necessa.
ry, make personal or written complaint
to the City or County Superintendent
of Schools. If in reasonable time
he fails to remedy the matter. make
formal charges 70 the State Superin-
tendent of Schools at Harrisburg, and
ask bim to "withhold the strife appro-
priation" which is the penalty provi-
ded for violation of this law
/ do not say this merely for effect;
| mean it, every word and literally.
We have waited long and patiently
that teachers mighty study the sub
ject and be examined upon it. that the
complicated machinery of the Educa-
tional Department of our State might
adjust itself to the new departure
and have meanwhile viewed with
great long suffering the violation or
but partial fulfilment of the law. 1t
is now high time to enforce it "for all
there is in it." Do not be afraid TO
do this. The temperance sentiment
of the whole country is rising, and all
the laws that legislatures have thus
far given US. there is enough public
sentiment to enforce to the letter. if
we will but conserve aud apply II.
md it will be the fault Of the w
C. L. u themselves, who worked SO
nobly to obtain this law, if they do
not from this time forward obtain
grander results from it, in the educa-
cation and salvation of the youth in
public schools. the orphans, the deaf
the mute, and blind in all our asy-