The National tribune., 1892-10-20
Comrades, get yow veiocs ready!
ALL SALUTE THE FLAG.
An Interesting Incident in New York Scho,

An Interesting Incident in New York Schools.
capt Wallace Foster in Washington Post.1
TONOlt and love the flag of the United
This is the sentiment which is
being inculcated in the minds of
thousands of young children as a part of their
daily school life. The patriotic work was first
commenced in 1887 and 1883 by Col. George T..
Balch, Auditor of the Board of Education Of
the city of New York. He has dcservedly
earned the credit and honor of being the first
person to introduce a ritual for salutiDg the
National Flag in schools. and is the author of
the Methods of Teaching Patriotism" for
which he has received the highest Endorsement
from the United States Commissioner of Educa-
tion and many of the best known educators in
the country.
There are in New York 81 schools of the
the Children's Aid Society, with 6,000 pupils.
The latter are almost exclusively of foreign
birth or foreign parentage, and mainly repre-
sent the most ignorant class of citizens. In
January, 1889, Col. Bach commenced careful
examination of each OF these 81 schools. with
view to awakening and stimulating spirit
OF patriotism among the schools The princi-
pals and teachers welcomed the movement,
keenly approaching the imperative necessity
of developing and encouraging distinctly
American spirit. plan was at once formulated,
and one of its elementary steps consisted in
the salutation of the National Flag by the
scholars Of every one of the 81 aid schools at
the daily morning exercise. In May and june
1891, the scholars were all visited and the plan
explained to the children, in which there was
wonderful overflow OF enthusiasm that would
have done credit to our young Americans.
l witnessed an illustration of the happy re-
suits of teaching patriotism in schools in re-
cent visit to Rhnelander Aid School, No. $50
East Eighty eighth street, New York, Miss n.
d.. T. r..
SURPRISE and fully convinced me without the
least doubt of the great success of Col. Balch's
method of teaching patriotism and saluting
the flag. The great moral good these schools
arc accomplishing by teaching patriotism must
stimulate and encourage his methods with the
pupils of our public schools.
The lesson of patriotism is taught as follows:
The children, all standing, recise in concert,
% We give our heads and our hearts to our coun-
try" AS this is repeated 800 heads and hearts
arc touched with the right hand in salute.
This means allegiance; more than that, it
it means the transmitting Of patriotism from
the child to the parents, and the Americana
ing of the great foreign element to our lam
guage aud customs. After the first salute and
sentence come the additional words. "One
country, one language. one fagl" Then
they sang the thrilling old patriotic hymn
America" and the Union loving song to
piano accompaniment attended with the wav-
ing of 800 flags:
United we stand, divided we fall
The Union forever, freedom for ALL
After the patro ic songs bright-eyed little
boy steps forward to the front, faces the chill
dren with flag carried with the sta Fl resting on
his knee the flag gracefully dropping in front
His clothing is not very clean but his face and
hands are and he IS proud to be called little
American citizen, and America is none the less
proud to have him. Let US cheer the flag"
he exclaims. Again 300 flags are waved in the
room aud 600 bright eyes sparkle with patri-
otic love and delight when they give three
rousing cheers and q tiger, making the schoo l.
house tremble with their lusty voices. This is
emotional patriotism and will develop later
into intellectual patriotism, that will make
good law abiding, od-feariug citizens.
Ten days before the 25th National Encamp-
ment. GAR. at Detroit, Mich, | was i'm.
pressed with desire to promote the cause of
patriotic education, and wrote Col Balch my
suggestion for patriotic banner to be carried
in tho parade with simply the motto OH the
banner, "Teach patriotism in the public
schools" My suggestion was accepted at once,
and the banner was in Detroit for me on my
arrival.
/ cannot begin to describe the great outbursts
of enthusiasm the banner created in the parade.
The line of march was nearly five miles long,
with both sides of the street crowded with
patriotic people. Od aud feeble men would
stand up with hats off aud salute the banner
with their cheers; ladies from their fine resi-
dences would wave their handkerchieis with
expressions of delight and and approval little
children would clap their hands with delight
as the loyal American mother would point out
to them the motto OH the banner; young misses
would throw flowers to it and express their
delight and approval in many ways. Post after
Post of old vets III the counter march would doff
their hats and salute the sentiment that was
dear to their hearts with cheers aud express
sions of delight and approval.
To any who arc in doubt as to the sentiment
of teaching patriotism in our public schools
and filling the minds of our young Americans
with patriotism. can only say that they
should have witnessed the enthusiasm the
banner created ut Detroit, for it would have
taught them u lesson that they must learn later
that the American people are patriotic and
that our public schools arc here to stay and
the sooner the enemies of our public schools
learn this fact the better it will be for them
and their clan.
tell you, sir, the old soldiers will not vote for
Cleveland. He cannot carry New Y0rk.-Ge,a. d.
e. Sickies.
fcanTodoc uofu ,,pfooe TouT,,e