The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-05-23
INSTRUCTION.

Il ihsti uClioi III tHc english l
g parochial and private schools. The men
v bership of that body is about evenly d
vided between the two great politica
r parties so nearly divided that it re
b CURED the votes of two of the three all
2 ance members to elect General Palmer
r the democratic candidate for Unite,
States senator. In cutting Out this pre-
vision of the bill the Illinois house places
I itself on record with the democratic ma
5 jority in the Wisconsin legislature, 70
which the Minneapolis journal de
r %nounces the Illinois democrats as COW
/, ards. and charges that they are opposed
/, to the diffusion of the official language
, and vernacular of this country. The
TRIBUNE fails to see the truth or justice
of this charge. 1t can see nothing in the
action OF the Wisconsin legislature or the
Illinois house to bear out the assertion
that they have acted cowardly. or as til,
journal puts it, have: "Placed themselves
in the degraded position of puppets tc
the threat of aliens, hostile to our Ian
guage and institutions"
Now let us look at this matter as rca
sonable men. not as politicians striving
to gain a political point by appealing to
the pride or prejudice of American citi-
zcns. We have in this country a purely
American institution free public
schools. These schools are supported by
gifts of land from the general govern
ment and by direct taxation. Each state
provides that certain branches of educa-
ton shall be taught in these schools.
In many of them provision is
made for instruction in the higher ma
thematics and in the languages at the
discretion of boards of education. But
the common branches of an English edu-
cation shall be taught in all of them. OF
course this implies they shall be taught
in the English language. All this is
right and proper. The public schools
being supported by the government and
the state, but under the control and SUI
pcrvision of the latter, it has "A perfect
right to provide they shall be taught in
the English language. But it does not
follow the state should also declare that
parochial and private schools shall be
taught in the English language. These
schools are simply private enterprises.
supported by private individuals and in
nowise derive aid from the state or
government, and consequently, as long as
they refrain from teaching sedition and
treason the state or nation should not in
terfcre with them. If they desire to i'm
part instruction in the common or higher
branches either in the Greek. or the
Hebrew. or the Latin. OF the French, or
the German, the italian. the Spanish or
the English language, or to employ all Of
them. we hold, that az private cduca-
tonal enterprises, they have a perfect
right thus to impart instruction.
Many wealthy American parents who
wish their children to acquire IA thorough
knowledge Of German or French send
their children across the Atlantic TO at
tehd schools which are conducted wholly
III one or the other of those languages.
sensible man objects to his ncighbor
thus educating his son or daughter.
hcsc same parents would doubtless ;
jatronizc schools thus taught in
ms country, if such existed. ,
large numbers Of children land in this F;
country every year who, with their par ;
'nts cannot speak a word of English. r
Many of them are so situated that they +
'annot readily learn To speak it. Now
We submit if it would not be rank inius-
Ice to those children to require them to :
master the English language before they l.
hould be taught the rudimcnts of an 3
Would it not be better for "
hem and for their adopted country if v
hey were permitted to attend a school .
aught IN their own language than TO u
eprlve them Of an education simply be
ause they could not speak the English 4
'nguagc! AS long as IL public school \
ystem is not interfcred with and our n
ubllc schools are taught in the En- n
llsh language We cannot see why the g
tate or nation should 60 out of its way q
} NEEDLE with private schools. ii
The Illinois house and the Wisconsin :,
'glslature are right. The latter in re @.
ealing the absurd Bennett law, not only n
irrlcd out the wishes of a large major II
y OF the people of Wisconsin, but il y
laced itself in accord with the liberal :.
'lrlt OF the age. The Illinois house in 9,
blowing in the footsteps of its Wiscon-
n brethren simply emphasized the JUS
ce OF the course pursued by its neigh s,
Dr. at the north. Neither displayed al
'wardice, nor did either, "place itself in W
he degraded position of puppets to the re
of aliens, hostile to our language pl
ld institutions" The journal should 81
wise its very Incorporate assertion. ~