The record-union., 1894-09-15
CIVICS - POLITICAL ECONOMY :
THE SCHOOLS.


work of the American Institute of Civ
les. That fine organization of patriotic,
high-minded men is now in its ninth
year, and is beginning to be telt as an inn
portant influence. Its sole purpose is to
concern itself with the dissemination of
knowledge relative to the interests and
reciprocal relations of the citizens and
the State. In other words, its single aim
and purpose is to cultivate good citizen
ship.
The Traveller declares that this society
has introduced into the vocabulary of
current discussion a new word, which
ought to be popularized as "the cystalli-
cation of grand idea" - namely, the
word ''civics" as opposed to the cold and
''soulless science of political economy,
which cannot bring salvation to the
race"
This is spirited, but inaccurate. There
is no antagonism between civics and po-
Htical economy. The latter may be
modified by the spirit of the former, but
the science is not at outs with the pa
riotism, duty-teaching and reciprocal OBJ
legations inculcated by the promoters of
the former. The one treats of duty and
obligation and of safety and happiness as
results, the other of the means for the
best conduct of the business affairs of the
State. When there is teaching by the
political economist that invades the
rights, duties and obligations of the citi-
zen to his fellow and to the State, then
there may be antagonism and political
economic science become 'soulless."
But it is not true that there is any ma
tural and fundamental conflict between
them.
The better the citizen the better the po-
litical economist; the broader, deeper and
frmer the sense of duty of the citizen,
and the higher and nobler the conception
of his privileges and obligations as a unit
in free government, the truer, sounder,
wiser the politico- economic doctrines he
Will advance anu MAINTAIN.
Civics teaches us of the human being as
such, as related to his fellows, and would
make the State, SO to speak, human:
political economy ought to teach of the
best methods for conservation of the
rights and interests of the aggregation of
human beings that make up the State
The Traveller comes nearer to the truth
when later in its treatment it defines
civics to be the ethics of political econ
omy, or ''the bridge between ethics and
political economy"
Recently the question of civics as re-
Aected in courses Of instruction stirred
the Texas State Teachers Association,
which sent on to the National Educa-
tionsl Association 8 resolution sug-
gesting that school instruction should
embrace "not only broader patriotism,
but the rights and duties of citizenship,
the rights of property, and the security
and sacredness of human life.n Il was
added:
than that for clear thought and rational doc
trines on the subjects of civil government,
social order, and public and private rights.
And there is no more appropriate place for
supplying that need, at least TO the workers
aud voters of q few years hence, than in the
public schools. These schools are not charita-
BILE institutions Tor giving public instruction
for their private good, for which they could
afford TO pay. They are a branch OF the Gov
ernment established and maintained pri-
marily for the good OF the State. And what
ever they may do in the direction of making
good mechanics, merchants, lawyers or
preachers, their first business Is to make good
citizens.
We like the ring and spirit Of that ex-
preston. It has never been better put
than in the words, 'ths first business of
the schools is to make good citizens. j"
who is there who viii have the hardi-
hood to deny the truth of that declara-
tion? It may be, as an Eastern journal
saws lis fact, that political partisans and
nolitical professors are a-tremble and
aphast at the idea of teaching the politics
of good citizenship in the schools" but it
must come about if the Republic is to ride
safsly at anchor in the waters of peace.
Here in Sacramento the Board of Edu-
ncation Ia most commercially at work
upon shs question. and proposes to give