Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-01-24
Some Sensible Girls.

A society of young women of the
well-to-do class has lately been formed
in New York for the systematic study
OF the Constitution of the United States
and OF the time and condi tions which
led to its adoption. 1t is the purpose
of these young women to leave the
study Of the customs, manners aud iri-
stitutions of foreign lands to those who
are ashamed of being Americans, J hile
they, by special study, become ac-
quainted with the history and spirit of
the system ofgovernment under which
they live.
These girls are not ofthe estrong-minded
variety. They have simply concluded
that il is worth the while of American
girls to know something about their
own government. AS the schools at
which they were educated did not furn-
1sh them the desired Information they
have fallen back upon their only re-
source-that of self-culture in the de-
sired direction. To this end they are
holding private meetings for reading
the best works they can find on the
subject and availing themselves of the
counsel of the best informed of their
friends. Their course might well be
initiated by all young Americans OF
both sexes.
But what shall be said of the system
of education which renders it necessary
for fairly educated young people OF
either sex to rely entirely upon their
own axertioDs for a knowledge of what
ought to be the very groundwork OF
every intelligent Americans ed1ca-
ton? Is it not a shame that even ma
tive-eorn American children are de-
pendent upon private association with
those like-minded with themselves for
an opportunity to study intelligentlv
the Constitution of the United States?
Is the shame not all the greater Ia
view of the millions of foreigners that
are becoming American citizens with
out an opportunity of becoming Amer
icanized? a
The extent to which this ignorance
OF the American form of government
prevails even among people who are
considered well educated is appalling.
The legal profession affords the only
exception to this rule, and 1t is entire
ly safe to say that nine-tenths of the
law students learn little or nothing Of
the Constitution until they leave school
and college and enter upon the course
of study prescribed for admission into
their future profession. Business men,
teachers, physicians and preachers are
well posted in nearly everything but
that which they should know most
about, and hence it comes to pass that
the country is overrun with constants
ly increasing army of well-meaning
cranks, male and female, who think
the millennium may besashered in by
an act of Congress.
Every child, native or foreign-born,
should be taught in the school or coli
lege it attends the principles upon
which our government rests. He
should know just what Congress may
and may not do, the limits and scope
of the executive and judicial powers
granted by the Constitution, and,
above all, he should learn that the Cons
stitution was the result of years Of
striving toward union If seperate re-
publics and that it was sacred COM
pact. i'm the making of which each
State with many misgivipgs at the
time surrendered something for the
general good. If all American citizens
understood the almost insurmountable
under which the Constitu-
ton was framed and adopted there
would be less disposition to violate its
provisions or to treat them as Of no
importance.
For the present no adequate public
provision is made for the instruction OF
the young in the principles of the
American system or government AMI
those no want to know something OF
it must do like the New York girls
teach themselves. Fortunately the
of libraries and books
makes this comparatively easy task,
if some way could be devised of making
it fashionable. 1t mas been the fashion
of late to despise everything Ameri-
can, but may it not be hoped that this
of the New York girls
means the inauguration of healthy
change? If societies for the study OF
the Constitution were organized In
every neighborhood perhaps the ed
ucators of the country would wake up
to the fact that knowledge of the
form of government under which it
lives is quite as important to an Amer
can child as a knowledge of two or
three dead languages.-PhitddeifohiG
Times.