Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1894-08-09

an0 poilClcal IN It's bearings and nation
a. In Its extent, OF morerprofound in
t'rest to vast majority of our coun.
trymen than the common school svs.
tenn, which Is recognized at home and
abroad by intelligent people of all
creeds and parties as the chief basic of
our government of the people, by the
people and Ifor the people, and the
chief sourse of our undoubted strength
and unsurpassed prosperity. The
public school is Americans stronghold.
for ignorance aud not malice is the
most fruitful cause of human misery.
Men In becoming wiser, will become
nobler and happier. The evils that
spring from enlightenment of mind
will find their remedy in greater en-.
1ghtenment. The public school fs the
great concern of our Democracy, best
bringing all Glasses into understa
Of each other.
Henry Ward Beecher once said that
the children of all nations 90 into our
common schools and come ont
Americans.
A tidal wave of immigration has
already overtaken our large cities.
New York, we are told has so per cent.
OF foreign birth or foreign parentage.
New States Of gigantic extent are wait
Ing for admission, and besides the
Dakotas. Montana and Washington
already admitted others have demand
ed recognition. 1t Is for us to provide
an elective system of training to
make them American citizens and
that system should be marked by the
broad Christian ethics to which we
owe our high civilization, and which
are the only guarantee of civil and
religious liberty. When we follow
the history of our country through its
colonial, revolutionary and constitu-
tional periods, we can mark at every
step, the effective, elevating and en-
noblinR influence of the common
school, however unobtrusivs and
unobseryed, as the instructor, pro.
tector and as it we're, the guardian n
angel of the infant Nation. We not g
the benefient result of it's early teach.
ing in developing manly thought and
elevating personal character on HON 9
life, on moral, social, intellectual and
material progress, and especially ln
che training of its statemen who from
generation to generation have assisted
in making America what 1t is TO-DAY.
There are those who desire to take
out OF our schools the Bible; do this
and they will not be satisfied, until thew
break in fragments the whole system
and start secterian school, and compel
all children to attend that. This is
what we Jr. o. U. "A. M. are trying to
avoid and are using their best en-
deavors to make it even more effec.
tive, believing brighter the torch of
learning, the clearer the pathway of
National prosperity.
Mr.. Ireland recited with telling eff ct
Whittier's poem, Barbara Freitchie. "
and then concluded:
Outside of our National and State
buildings, 1t would seem that there
was no more fitting place to raise the
ensign of our government than upon
the Court House, for here 1t Is that
foreigners seek to be made Americans,
by swearing allegiance to our country,
and to protect our flag. We there.
fore receive from the Board of Free
holders, through their Director, this
flag, and will raise it high above our
county building, hoping that there
shall never come time when for any
shame upon our country, state or coun-
ty 1t will have to be lowered. 1t has
been the object of the order repre-
sent to-day. as we'll as the desire of
Thousands of our loyal citizens to see
this banner floating over every public
building and every school building in
our land forever"
But the great speech of the dav
was the eloquent grafton of Hon. E.
q. Stokes, the State Senator of Mill.
vile.
10 the thousands who attentively
listened to his eloquent words mere
synopsis only.is necessary of his mas
terful address.
His glowing eulogy of the signifi-
canoe of the flag and the principles it
represented we're apt and applicable;
the very spirit of American principles
shown forth in Its shining stars and
In Its crimson stripes.
He brsnched off into discussion of
the col fiict of labor and capital as
this conflict was generally held to be
and pointed out clearly the dangers In
| jts s{tuattou chOwipo Of tho soma