The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-03-21
SOME sENsIBLE oIaLs.
They Are Detsrmlaed 20 study the Cor
atltutlon Of Chalr CaunfrY.

stitutlon Of Their Country.
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 condition
which led to it's adoption. II is the
purpose Of these young women to leave
the study Of the customs, manners and
institutions Of foreign lands to those
who are ashamed Of being Americans,
while they. by special study, become
acquainted with the history and spirit
Of the system Of government under
which they live.
These girls are not Of the strong
minded variety. They have simply
concluded that 1t is worth the while OF
American girls to know something
about their own Government. As the
schools in which they were educated
did not furnish them the desired in
formation, they have fallen back upon
their only resource-that OF self-cult-
ure in the desired direction. To this
end they are holding private meetings
for reading the best works they can
find on the subject, and availing them
selves Of the counsel OF the best in
formed Of their friends. Their course
might we'll be initiated by all young
Americans Of both sexes.
But what shall be said Of the system
Of education which renders 1t neces-
sary for fairly educated young people
OF either sex to rely entirely upon
their own exertions for knowledge of
what ought to be the very groundwork
Of every intelligent Americans educa-
tionP Is 1t not a shame that even
native-born American people are de-
pendant upon private association with
those like-ininded with themselves for
an opportunity to study intelligently
the Constitution Of the United Statesp
Is the shame not all the greater in
view OF the millions Of foreigners that
are becoming American citizens with
out an opportunity Of becoming Amer
icanizedp
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 it 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 preach
ers are we'll posted in nearly every
thing but that which they should know
most about, and hence it comes to pass
that the country Is overrun with con-
stantly increasing army Of well-mean-
Ing cranks, male and female, who
think the millennium may be ushered
in by an act OF Congress.
Every child, native or foreign born,
should be taught in the school or col-
lege 1t 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 ex-
ecutive and judicial powers granted by
the Constitution, and, above all, he
should learn that the Constitution was
the result Of years OF striving toward
a union OF separate republics, and that
1t was a sacred compact, in the making
of which each State, with many mis-
givings at the time, surrendered some-
thing for the general good. II all
American citizens understood the
almost ihsurmountable difficulties un-
der which the Constitution was framed
and adopted, there would be less dis
position 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 Of government, and
those who want to know something Of
it must do like the New York girls
teach themselves. Fortunately the
multiplication OF libraries and books
makes this comparatively easy task,
II some way could be devised Of maxi
ing 1t fashionable. It has been the
fashion Of late to despise every thing
American, but may 1t not be hoped that
this movement OF the New York girls
means the Inauguration Of healthy
changer If societies for the study of
the Constitution were organized in
every neighborhood perhaps the edu.
Gators OF the country would wake up
to the fact that o knowledge OF the
form OF government under which 1t
lives is'quite as important to an Amer
ican child as knowledge of two or
three dead languages. Philadelphia
Times.
Curious Marriage Customs.