The Oskaloosa herald., 1892-12-01
OUR COMMON School.

OUR COMMON SCHOOL.
And if should be asked tonight to |
name one deserving of great honor | |
should point to Horace Mann, the found |
er of the common school system. 1t is |
the bulwark of our liberties. A love of |
country and love of education go hand |
in hand. a thoroughly educated man |
must of necessity be loyal. We have |
just passed through the Columbian Gel
ebratiOn. Who did not feel as he wit |
messed the exercises of the children on |
that day that the very air filled and |
thrilled him with patriotic thoughts, and |
as he heard them sing their simple, pa
triOtic melodies he felt that in their |
hands the future of this country was |
well. The one thought of our country |
should be, guard we'll the common
school, preserve it with vigilant care. 1t |
is the pabulum of OurnatiOnal prosper
, ity. Neither sectarianiSm nor socialism
should ever be permitted to pOllute it. |
The hand that would retard its pro-
! gress, or in the slightest impair its use
fumess for the upbuilding of the nation |
! is dangerous. The sentiment of Horace
Mann should be burned into every heart,
who, when asked if the cost was not
diSprOpOrtiOnate to the benefit, replied,
NO; not if it is my child that is being
educated"
Tonight, perhaps, of all nights in the
! year, we ought to be optimistic. We
are here in thanksgiving for blessings
had and received. No shadow of pessi- |
mistic thought should, perhaps, hover
over us, and yet cannot help calling
the attention for moment tonight of
those who preserved this nation, and
those who are to take up the heritage
they gave us, to the 80"
EVILS THAT ARE THREATENED
by our tremendous foreign immigra-
tions. That it is serious no thinking
man will for moment doubt. Our
cities are being crowded to suffOcatiOn
by class of individuals who have no
conception of the theory or practice of
| our government; who are controlling by
their suffrages, and nodded by designing
and INSCRIPTIONS politicians, our great
municipalities, and through their tre-
mendous vote are determining every
year, more and more, our national poll
ty. Why, the very moment it is sug-
gested that our education should be
American, that our children should be
taught American ideas and American
patriotism, howl goes up and teachers
are OStracised and dismissed, political
parties are reversed, and even standard
text books are baniShed from the school
rooms, and school boards become true
ulent instead of being American citi-
zens. i have not yet subscribed to the
doctrine of woman suffrage, but l do
say that if the'political thought and ac-
tion of this country is to be dictated and
| dominated by the ignorant brutalized
lazzaroni then in very self defense will
we be compelled to give the ballot to the
intelligent motherhood of this country.
have not word to say against the in
telEgent TO. eigner that makes this coun-
try his adopted home and who asSimi-
lates himself and his children to our in
stitutions. To him all honor and all
welcome. Close our eyes as we may it
is question that will confront our COM
ing legislation, and let lis hope that our
coming legislators will think less of
party and more of country, and be equal
to the occasion, and that this country
given tou by the sacrifices of the rev.
, OlutiOn, and saved to us by the heroic
efforts of the Grand Army of the Re-
, public, go on in its grand mission of be-
ing republic indeed, and that it may
stand resplendent among the nations of
the earth.
5 In conclusion allow me to return to
. you my sincere thanks for your most
? generous invitation to address you, and
for your patience in listening to an i'm
perfect and rambling effort, and as the
' day suggests the thought allow me to
, close with those magnificent lines OF
: Scott, reading of which ought to send
I thrill of patriotism through every
: heart, and make us indeed proud thai
9 we are American citizens:
> "Breathes there a man with soul so dea6
: Who never to himself hath said
This is my own, my native land,
Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned
. AS home his footsteps he hath turned
From wandering on q foreign strand9
= If such there breathe, go, mark him well
For him no minstrel raptures swell!
|. High though his title, proud his name,
Q Boandless his wealth as wish can claim
r Despite these titles, power and pelf,
4 The wretch eoncentered all in self,
i Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
!, Unwept, unhonored, and unsung."
Following this paper, Company T
= Third Regiment, l. N. g., under Capt
Stone, was announced, and they march
ed into the hall to the lively strains 0
their own bugles. They are the adoptet
K sons of the Post, and ever welcome t
n the cheer of its camp fires. FollowingMl
d Williams effort came the following fror
= Major Loring one who always come
g to the camp something goo
g in his hayers
u Comrades an id wit
u head uncovered und n
u spect, in the presel. o, as
= representative of {. .len, ca
utter the sentimentsN by you
last speaker, for it is ose youn
men and 10 the incult IN of thos
T. principles that we look / ( the futuI
al of our country. / may not attempt
8 present you any new thing tonight, II
Is the events which make this camp fire
i'd possibility have been talked about an
e. the scenes they produced describe
Of over and over again. until the story he
is become a part of the written and u
at written history of our nation. Our pc
le pie repeat it around the firesides of the
he homes, the children gather 1t in fro
the instruction of the schools, and ol
'e- patriotism finds encouragement fro
the painted canvas as it illustrates