The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-10-30

has pursued IN the interests of the pub
lie schools.
All that the Bennett law asks is that
children be given an opportunity for II
weeks in each year to acquire some knowl-
edge OF English. To begin with the OPP
ponents of the law sought to make it ap-
pear That their opposition was directed
against It's administrative features,-tha
is, the method of its enforcement. But
discussion soon showed that there was
nothing in these objections and that the
parent could
Cd SIND HIS CHILD TO ANY SCHOOL, ANY
WHERE, IF FOR II WEEKS IN EACH YEAR HE
ATTENDED SCHOOL IN WHICH ENGLISH
WAS TAUGHT.
C2) Keep his child wholly out of school
if he had already acquired the learning
it is the purpose of the law to give him.
It was also shown that the school board
had no power to impose fine for the
neglect of the parent, but that the board
had the power to prosecute the parent
in court where he might make his de-
tense as in any other action brought
against him.
These things being shown, the oppon
ents of the law were forced to state theil
real objections, and these were to in
struction in English.
The fifth section is now the whole hone
| of con tention. 1t prescribes that NJ
school shall be regarded as school a
| which the child's attendance for twelv
weeks may be enforced unless there shall
| be taught therein ''As PART OF THE ELEMEN
TARY EDUCATION OF CHILDREN, reading
writing, arithmetic and United State
History in the English language.
Notice the words printed in small caps
IN the above. To make school legal
is only necessary that the instruction Il
these branches be GIN PART" IN ENGLIsE
There may be in addition any othe
language. but they must be In part i
English in order to make the school on
in which the child may attend the twelv
weeks and comply with the law.
If any one will say this provision
too much for an American citizen to sui
NIT to, The Pilot is willing to suspen
publication. Is it too much to ask tina
A PART of the instruction in reading, writ
ing, arithmetic and United States histor
be in the English language? If SO, the
| the public schools which demand that
PART of the instruction in these branche
in the English language as the law doe
not exclude instruction in them in an
| foreign language-are an infringement
on parental rights and should be abolish
ed. Democrats, are you ready to sub
scribe to this doctrine? Are you willin
| to say by your votes that instruction il
PART in these branches in the Englisl
language is unnecessary, unconstitution
al, un-American and undemocratic?
No person connected with the publ
school can conscientionsly declare an.
such thing if he clearly understand
what the law asks.
Under these circumstances what cours
was open to The Pilot unless it chose t.
play the hypocrlte. Its editor began
teaching when Is years of age and eve
since with an interregnum OF two years
| he has been connected with the public
schools. He can realize no infamy create
| than that of now sacrificing what hal
been the only source of his education
and what has received the best year
of his life in earnest, if not in successful
endeavor, for its improvement. He doei
| not state this to deprecate any criticism
| of his course, as for himself. Personally
| he defies the opposition to do their worst
You may 'protest him the baby of girl
II you hear a whine.
| The public schools are in danger anG
their friends should rally to their sup
| port. 1t is no imaginary danger anC
many who are supporting the democratic
| ticket fail to see to what their success
| will lead. There is no partnership In
| volved; there is no question OF free trade
| in the election of the state ticket. The
only question is the in ,egrity of our pub
lie school system.