The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-09-19

Published by permission OF Editor Flower
of "The Arena" Boston, Macs. in the Augus
number of which magazine the article ap
peared.-Ed. C. NJ
The work of fostering the savage
spirit in the minds of the very young
has not been confined TO the church
indeed we might say that the church
instead of holding steadfastly to the
high ideal Of Jesus, allowed herself to
hearken to the words of short-sighted
thinkers and drift with the current oi
a settled policy, which has Of late be-
come more and more apparent with
each successive administration. The
introduction of military training into
the common schools of America mark
ed the triumph of the military spirit OF
despotic Europe over the long-cherlsh-
ed traditions Of the republic. Not sat.
isfied with teaching the manual
of arms in the colleges, which
should be dedicated to peace and true
civilization, the high schools have come
under the curse of this bunting, soul
shrivelling influence of war, and 80
cunningly has this spirit of savagery
been fostered that the lower schools
are now threatened with its infection.
We are told that the administration
looks with favor on enlargingthe scope
of military Instruction and EXPIRES
ident Harrison, not to be outdone, al
lows the admonitions of his acknowl-
edged Lord aud Master to be forgotten
in his desire to win the favor of capi-
talism and the Grand Army, by ex.
1T Is good for the boys,
good for the schools and good for the
On the 18th of May there passed un-
der my office windows sight which
saddened me for many days. 1t was
the spectacle of more than twelve
hundred lads, of from twelve to nine.
teen years of age, parading In full uni
form, all bearing guns. They were
headed by band which discoursed
military airs. The little street
gamins looked enviously upon the
boys clad in blue, with brass buttons,
bearing standards and marching to
military music. do not see how any
persoM could have looked
upon the spectacle without feeling
that the hands on the dial Of civiliza.
ton were being put back.
To the lover of peace, to the truly
civilized man and woman, to the high
mined patriot, such spectacles are sad
iening beyond expression. They re-
veal the fact that, after our country
had reached the point where she had
by arbitration shown the other
great powers of the world q nobler
way of settling disputes than by
the instincts of the savage
in man, and just at the proud moment
when it seemed that the flower of en-
during peace was about to blossom up
on the breast of the great republic, we
find the cry going forth, to transform
her from the worlds harbinger OF
peace into q military camp; and that
this may he effectively done, we find
that our boys in the common schools
are being trained in the savage art Of
war.
Every careful student of human life
knows that the ideals and thoughts
which fill the horizon Of childhood
color all after life. If during the for
native period the ideals which I'LL the
child's mind be essentially noble hu-
name, if he be taught that his mission
is to help subude the savage In man,
to transform swords into ploughshares
and spears into pruning hooks, or In
other words, to become q saviour OF
life and dispenser of happiness in
stead Of slayer Of his brother and an
angel of darkness, he will grow to
brave but gentle, manly but
loving. He will love justice more than
gold he will see that the man who
develops the highest side of his life II
the child of wisdom, and that where
ever he may 60 the flowers of JOY will
spring up, blossom and fling abroad
their exhilarating perfume.
On the other hand the child who Is
drilled in the manual Of arms has con-
stantly before him the hour when he
may draw the trigger which means
death to a fellow-man ; he comes to
love the sound of the drum beat and
learns to long for chance to shoulder
the murderous gun. He turns to the
lives of Alexander, Caesar and Napo-
leon dreams of fame though slaughter,
of power through devastation and de-
fill his mind, and by coming
to believe it is legitimate to kill his fel-
low-men when ordered to by q supe-
rior officer, the highest and finest ele-
ments in his mind are benumbed.
And 1 may say here. what I most pro-
foundly believe, that there can new
er be an approach to civilization 80
long as the child mind receives mill
tary drill, for the associations, ideals
and dreams which necessarily follow
in the wake of warlike instruction are
so at variance with the ideals which
alone can redeem the world from hate,
greed and inj Justice, thatuntil children
are taught to entertain profound rev.
erence for human life, human rights
and for justice in its broadest sense,
will not know what true
is.
We are informed by the advocates of
military drill that there Is much to be
said in its favor, aside from its possible
benefit to the state in the eventof war.
We are informed that it gives the 6oy
much needed physical culture. In re-
ply would say that, even ifthis claim
were we'll founded, the possible bene-
fit would be many times counterbal-
anced by the bunting of the moral
which attends training In
the art of human slaughter, to say
nothing of the evil effect in filling his
mind with dreams of fame based on
the exercise of the savage in his ma
ture, =,
But let us further notice the claims
mt forth for military drill OH the
ground of its value in developing the
physical body. On this point there is
3 diversity of opinions; indeed, it is
doubtful, if the spirit of Caesar were
not so strong at the present time,