The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-06-06

OUR PUBLIC


An Aple DISCOURSE by the Pastor of the
NJ. r.. Church.
On Sunday evening the pastor Of the
Methodist Episcopal church delivered a
discourse on u public schools. The text
vas, THE fear of the Lord is the be-
ginning of wisdom and the knowledge of
the holy is understanding" Prov, IX-10.
The work of the church is closely related
to that of the school. All civilization
worthy the name has been the joint product
OF both. The forms of religion have fire.
quently existed without schools, but de-
cency and morality have usually been at a
low ebb. Mexico may be taken as an ex-
ample of the degradation and superstition
that results from q form of religion that
lightly esteems the common school.
Shenandoah is to be congratulated upon
the excellence of her public schools, and
the work that is being done in them by
those true benefsctors of the rising gene
ration, the school teachers. The commence
ment exercises the other day show that
with such ideas instilled into the minds of
the young our Institutions will be safe.
When we remember that our population is
such q mixed one it will appear that our
schools are no small compliment to the in
telligence of the citizens who bear the
burden of their support,
The showing is a still better one when
we look at the educational work Of the
state and nation. According to the late
census there are over twelve and a half
millions OF pupils enrolled in our public
schools. The percentage Of increase from
1880 to 1890 was %. 81. But as the populs-
ton increased during the same time 24.86
per cent, the net increase of enrolled
pupils was only 1.68 per cent. And when
we remember that nearly ten millions of
our population, over ten years of age, can
not read, and that about enc million of
these are voters and are the carrion upon
which our political vultures feed, it will at
once appear how closely the interests of
the state are bound up with those of her
common schools.
1t is startling to learn that in many of
our most prosperous states the population
is growing out of all proportion to the at
tendance of children upon our schools.
And but for the rapid strides being made
By the southern states the showing would
be a poor one. In FIVE southern states
selected at random the average increase of
population the past decade was 20 per cent,
and the average gain in school atten-
dance was 63 per cent. In FIVE
middle and western states selected in
the same way the average increase of
population was Is per cent, but the average
gain to the schools was only g! per cent.
And our own state makes the worst show
ing of all; the population increasing q per
cent. tester than the attendance at school,
This is doubtless owing to the enormous
immigration of races that are not only
alien by birth but also alien in sympathy
to our institutions. We must either
Americanize them or they will ~foreignize
us. This can be done in no way so etfec-
lively rs by the public schools. These
will A~mericanize their children and the
children will Americauize the parents.
They are at present inaccessible to our
evsngelizinR agencies by reason of their
language, and in removing this obstacle
the school becomes the handmade of the
, church.
Il ought, however, neve to be forgotten
that mere education cannot make men
better. You cannot educate the devil out
of men or women either. Educate a knsve
or a fool and the product will be an educa-
ted knave or fool. The education will
simply multiply his power for evil.
knowledge is one thing, and wisdom il
another. There is no wisdom without
knowledge, but there is plenty of knowl-
edge without wisdom and we are told in
the word of God that, THE fear of the
Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the
knowledge of the Holy is understanding"
Wisdom is the principal thing therefore,
get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get
understanding.