St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-01-14
erns compensation, there may be happi-
ness even in hell.
a NEGLECTED EDUCATION

public schools of this country-far eX-
ceeds all of the other expenses of the
governments. These schools are sup
ported in the main by taxation of the
property of the citizen. The sole war
rant for this use of the power of the
state is that the youth of the state 6es
come in time the citizens who control
the state, and that it is the highest duty
OF the state to prepare its youth fofithe
duties of citizenship. ~
While everybody comedies that this is
a proper and laudable exercise of the
power of the state, and while no institu,
ton OF the state is so close and so dear
to every citizen as our public schools
none for which sacrifices are more read.
lily or so cheerfully made-there are
none of the institutions of the state in
which the vital purpose of its existence
Is so greatly disregarded as in this.
When we come to examine the course of
studies of all of our schools, from the
grammar through the high school to the
state university, we find the most
meager attention given to studies which
are absolutely requisite for any knowl-
edge or discharge of the duties of citi-
Zenship.
Aside from the fundamental branch es
of education necessary as stepping
stones, we find very little to instruct the
young mau or young woman in those
matters with which they will be vitality
concerned as soon as they take upon
themselves the struggle for livelihood.
Civics, teaching the frame work of the
social fabric, Is spasmodically taught.
and political economy is given a terms
consideration in the higher schools. but
neither of these studies receive any,
where the attention which their i'm
portance demands. These deficiencies
become apparent when we consider the
questions which confront every citizen
today.
One of the most urgent and pressing
questions, upon which many others
hinge, is: What is government; whv
Is 1t organized; what ends to serve :
what are its limitations. We have re-
Gently passed through stress of finan-
ciai disaster which has brought to every
citizen who reads or thinks the question
OF: What is money; what are its func-
tons; what is the relation of the gov
eminent to it? Another question, in
the discussion of which the nation is
still engaged, and promises to be for
some time. is: What is trade; what Is
1t for; what are its laws, and what are
the relations of the state to it?
What ic thQra fhof fo alo, +I,o
more closely, in which he is more vitality
interested, than questions of finance.
questions of trade and questions involv-
Ing the right of the state to control his
action. These questions enter into his
everyday life. and maa. h II whichever
we" aJ lie turns, and what is there In all
OF his education, for which we spend
annually millions of dollars, to inform
or instruct the youth of the country1iu
THESE questions. and thus prepare them
1of their duties as citizens? tqsir4
An authority so eminent as DAVID "A!
Wells estimates that there has been an
actual money loss to the people of 9the
United States within the last year.
through the lack of Just such element.
airy education in matters of which
every citizen should be informed, which,
aggregates hundreds of millions of dol.
lars. The lack of accurate knowledge
IN regard to the nature of money was,
one of the chief causes of this enormous
loss. More money was lost through the,
want of education than has been spent
in education.
No stronger proof of the absence of
education and the need of it can be
cited than that men so Intelligent that
we would not insult them by saying
they do not know better feel themselves
able to say, with confidence of being
believed by large portion of their fell
low citizens, that the people of other
nations can be made. by simple act of
Legislation, to contribute to defray the
expenses of our nation. Another in
stance of the density of ignorance is
shown in belief, lately quite popular,
that an exchange of the products of
labor. which every producer is anxious
to make, and finds himself benefited
in making, becomes positively Injurious
to the individual and society if it be
made across an imaginary line dividing
one nation from another.
We do not by any means urge that the
common schools, in their advanced
classes, shall give instruction in the
science of government. or of finance, or
of political economy; but what we do
insist on is that the children, without
distinction of sex. should be taught
these fundamental laws on which these
sciences are based. There is nothing
occult or difficult in them; they are SIM
pie and easily comprehended. Any
pupil in what is called the grammar
grade can easily grasp and understand
them; and once firmly grounded in them
they would be to him, when the duties
of citizenship come upon him, precisely
what the multiplication table is to him
in all of the computations involved in
business transactions. They would be
to him what the carpenters square is to
his trade-measures to be applied to
policies to test their soundness-what
the compass is to the sailor, enabling
him to keep his course in darkest night.
President of the Whole Club.
Midway News.
In the election of DR.. Conway to the
presidency of the Press club the Jour
naliStic fraternity Of st. Paul has
shown, in splendid manner, its abil-
ity to rise above mere personal piaue
aud ambition and TO recognize meri-
torious talent backed up by liberaIitY
of ideas and energy of character. DR..
Conway will not be the president of
faction but of the whole club. 49, rH
In Bad Form. - 81
St. Peter Herald. nf ~
The suggestion of one or two newspa-
pers that the Minneapolis people turn
their banquet fund over to the poor is
very ill-timed and not treating those
people with that courtesy which they