The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-02-22
OUR DEAR GEORGE
His Birthday Fit
ting1y Observed.
School Children Do Honor to
Their COuntry's Father.
Speeches Made at All of the
Public Schools
By Well-Known Citizens on the Oc-
cssiOn of February 22d.
The Programmes at the Various
Schools.
Who the Speakers Were and What
They Talked About-The Dec
Orations Were Very
Appropriate.
Speeches Made at ALI of the
Public Schools
By Well-Kn0wn Citizens on the Oc-
casiOn of February 22d.
The Programmes at the Various
Schools.
Who the Speakers Were and What
They Talked About-The Dec
Orations Were Very
Appropriate.

Washington's Birthday was celebrated
throughout all the public schools OF the
city yesterday. The exercises were
most appropriate and included patriotic
selections by pupils of the schools. 1t
has been the custom in past years to
observe the day in the schools by some
kind of programme. and occasionally TO
have some person address the children
on the significance Of the occasion.
The celebration yesterday exceeded
previous affairs of the kind.
Prof. Leroy d. Brown, superintend-
emit OF schools, early conceived the idea
of asking prominent citizens to address
the pupils OF every school in the city,
and for some time before February 21st
he was busily engaged rustling up ora
tors and talent.
His efforts were successful, and ss
result talks were made by well-known
people to the pupils of nearly every
school in Los Angeles.
The speakers not only impressed the
necessity of loyalty to the country upon
the minds OF their hearers, but also
dwelt at more or less length upon the
advantages of the public schools of tn 9
nation. The speakers all handled the
subjects in a style that was suited to
the pupils, whether in the high school
or in the kindergarten, and are to be
felicitated upon the universally fine
style in which they were able to talk en-
tertainingly and interest their juvenile
hearers.
The day was a most happy one in the
history OF the local schools of the city,
and will probably be the initiative OF q
more extended Observance of the occa-
sion in the future.
AMELIA STREET SCHOOL.
At this school all the rooms were dec
Grated. On the walls of each room were
inscribed sentences uttered by leading
men of revolutionary times; or since
then by great men who have spoken
Or have written of Washington
md the Independence of the United
Blstes.
Amelia street school is one of the most
crowded in the city; 400 pupils are in
attendance daily. This school ia in
great need Of more room.
At il p. m. the pupils were called to
order by the principal, Mr.. Phillips,
who had been requested to deliver an
address. The speaker said in substance
as follows:
The purpose OF the public schools is
to prepare the young for the life work
that lies before them. All human be-
ings have work to do, and in order to
be prepared for doing that work well,
we must have some instruction in early
life.
But in order to make the best use of
all our powers of mind and hody, and to
accomplish most by the instruction we
receive, certain conditions are neces-
sary. We must have freedom, security,
equality-in short, we must have law !;
for in just law, firmly and fairly exc
cuted, is found the most complete free
dom. 1t was the life work of Washing
ton to be the leader in the mighty work
OF founding nation to rest solsly upon
law, by which all men should be equally
bound, and therefore before which all
men should be equally free. Kings and
mobiles, privileged classes and serfs, were
forever abolished from the government
founded by Washington and the men ne
led. In his own person he gave an
illustrioua example of what free man
should be. by the complete self-control
he never lost over his own passions and
temper. A free government being es-
tablished, to preserve it becomes mat
ter of no less Importance.
The Greeks established free states.
but their freedom WAS short lived,
Rome became the mightiest power the
earth had ever seen; but from the time
it eliminated its destruction was rapid,
till at last it persisted utterly. Anarchy
destroyed Greece, but Rome was brought
to ruin by an opposite cause.
In our own country an attempt was
made to introduce the anarchy that had
ruined Greece 30 long ago. Had seces-
sion triumphed the same result would
have followed as in Greece; state war
ring with state till all would have been
In one common ruin. There was no
possibility of the existence OF noble
sentiment in q war waged to maintain
negro slavery; the only sentiment
evoked in such contest was the love of
the dollars that could be made out OF
slave labor. or the produce of slave
mothers in furnishing stock for the
market. great man WAS raised up to
lead in preserving what Washington
had led in establishing. The parts that
make the whole glorious union are
cemented by the blood of Abraham
Lincoln and the heroic dead who gave
their lives on sea and land for the
preservation of that union they all
NIoved 40 well.
Pupils, your horizon is gradually
widening; your ideas of the Importance
sof human beings are becoming nobler I;
Eyou begin to realize that you are crea-
etion's heirs and the whole world is
yours.
At the conclusion OF the address the
classes went to their rooms. where brief
exercises were held suitable to the occs-
sion. Then all the pupils assembled in
front OF the school and saluted the flag,
after which they were dismissed.
HIGH SCHOOL.
There were about 800 of the high
souuol students present at the exercises