The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-01-22
ALL ABOUT THE SCHOOLS
Rev. J. H Little Tells How They
Should Be Conducted.
TO KEEP THE CHURCH OUT
In Many Ways There Are Dangers
Besetting the People. He Thinks.
That Require eternal Vigil
ance on Their Part.

II
very largely attended. Many matters of
public interest were discussed, especially
| the school question. which has lately re-
| ceIved very general attention, because of
| certain recent actions of the school board
| and the publication of the districts finan-
| cial condition. Rev. j. II. Little read an
interesting paper on the question, entitled
| "Our Duty TO the Public Schools as fol-
| lows:
We assert without fear OF successful contra
| diction that our public school system Is one OF
| the strongest bulwdrks for the protection and
maintenance OF TINS republic The founders Of
TINS u ton realized the Importance OF uducd-
tlon' as carefui Investigation OF their early rec
Ords Will SHOW AZ the very Doglnnlng-lhat IS
vi hin II OF II years aiter the landing of the
| Pilgrim fathers, provision was made Tor the ed
| uca,iOn of all the ieople. In ,nIs connection
Horace Mann says, tho Pilgrim fathers who
| 60 OuiZed Mas -achusctts bay made "A bOldeT in
nOvdton up IN all pTe-cNistlns policy and usages
| thdn the word mad ever known. .ey
| adopted special and costly means to train up
the whole body Of the people 10 industry. to IN
| telligence, 10 virtue and 10 independent
| thought
In 1885 grant OF 30 acres OF land was made
\ TO the schOolmaster, Philemon Purdy, besides
the fees paid b, the parents Of the children. In
| 1872 the general court OF the cOOny, by enact
ment, made 1t compulsory on the part of the
| town officer TO see that every child received AN
| education. The ''scectm IA OF every own were
| required TO have "A Ngant eye over their
brethren and nclghbOrs-,O sec that none OF
/ them hall Suiter mucu baTDdT SINS IN or
| their families, as not TO endedvOr to teach by
by themselves or o hers their children and APP
pIentices, so much learning Is may enable them
perfectly To read the English tongue
| upon p 'nalty Of 20 shillings for each neglect
therein"
lhoush the schools were public, and all chill
| dTen were compelled to at end Them IL was not
| lill lGi1 that law was passed making the entire
| support OF them com ulsOry on the part of all
| and education enufey free. Tins new law
| specified that every town containing 80 house
hOdeTS should have "a teacher, To teach al such
| children as shall resort To him TO write and
read, aud towns containing 10i househoiders
were required To have a grammar school so that
the master might instruct youth 50 FAR they may
| be ht,ed for the university.
| This aw-thc law of iGi1, was the foundation
| of our present magnihc mt public schOOI sys-
| tem-the peer Of any In the world, and superior
| To most from this acorn planted under dis
| cOurag ug circumstances two and "a haf CEN
| lures ago. na> grown the gigantic oak which
| spreads us bengndnt branches al over TINS
| broad continent. Truly We eniI "A glorious
| heritage, handed down by the hers, VINO did
| their work nobly and well. But this heritage
| imposes on every loyal patriotic citizen, be he
| Of native or foreign birth. duties that cannot be
| lightly thrown on duties mat no lover OF TINS
| free republic Will desire 10 eNade.
| Let rs then briefly cOnsid r our duties and
| obligations to The public schools. | consider 1t
| of tie greatest Importance. and she first duty
| that owe these schools. TO keep them en-
| tiTely distinct and separate from any ,arian
or ecclc,id,tica control. In a country like this,
| free from the incubus of state church. where
| all re igIOus are tolerated where every man
| has the privilege OF WOTsuplng God or not as
| ne chooses, II would DE q great disadvantage 10
allow any chuIcI Co step IN and interfere with
| e. matter and manner OF teaching. care not
whit name You NAV call the church. whether 10
he Methodist Ban. list. Presbyterian or Jathu-
ne. / cons der lt the duty of all citizens 80 pro-
| test against any or al Of tucm interfering n
| the least with the schools as thry now exist.
| Not that consider them absolutely perfect. but
l believe "tley are going on unto
gGrl'eto a t %n% are Is p our business to
entangled with ecclesiastical complication, thIt
may weaken their power rather than help them.
| The question rs To whether the Bible ought or
Dug not be read in an schools Is "A subject in
| itself that We do not ARE to discuss now, but
creeds and UNCONVENTIONAL teachings must be
| forever kept on side; let eacn church do its
| duty ana we shall not have "A race OF goddess
| citizens. But how are we to keep deuOmna-
| ti'ns outside? ! answer that according 10 my
| Judgment that the most efiectual method is To
| SO amend the constitution Of the United States
and every separate state constitution that IL VIII
| forever prohibit the granting of aid To any
| church or religious body for any purpose. here
will not be such an interest on the part Of some
| TO get control of our schools II the financial
| help Is Withdrawn.
Another duty we owe the public schools is to
give them adequate financial support. There
| ar some poor narrow minded ignorant people
who look upon the money spent IN our school
| system, rs money wasted Taking all things
| into consideration taking the system in lis en-
| tire y. no public mon y gives Such good returns
| aS that spent In the educating OF our children.
| Ignorance IS the most costly evil that we have
| in our land IL is the nor bed for developing our
tlllnllldl ftlNNt's. Niltt tuNttl ION may not
| be tile pdndccl Tor al the evils under the sun,
| Yet We believe, that as men become educated.
| Il Is easier To reach their moral nature through
| their intellectual. our la,ls and penitenttrleS
are Il Id with the ignorant, ana believe from
the standpoint otcconumy, that II would be a
! great deal cheaper IN the end 10 spend all the
money necessary Ia our 80 oOlS, tuan on cor
| I, CtlNe agencies In the future. Now IN adNo-
| eating Hupra support for our schOo :. am
not Ia favor pi SQuaudcrlng mon on any un-
| tried schemes, OF of laylShly squandering II on
any political tiyorltrS. II there Is any money
! that should he more sacred than any other, |
| believe the money raised Tor educational pur-
poses is that money. / know hat there are oh
| icctuu> often raised against building commodi-
ous school houses. and purchasing tue latest ap-
come from the ignorant. VINO imagine that be-
cause they have managed 90 i've, and get
through lie meaning 10y that term that they
have accumulated moury-dnd that they got
ther education IN "A .oE school house, and for
appliances mad q rra .cr an arithmetic and
good portion of % birch rod, which was as ncceS-
sarN for their education a> the u;heI articles,
that the same. or some. hing little better j.
good enough for the present generation. | be-
ueyc the best Is none too goo for the future
TuIer~ OF this nation. II we would maintain our
liberties ana hand them q wn 10 the generations
following the present, It must De az some huan-
ca. cost, let us build school houses and we SHAH
have less 1I#l> 10 built. and while We are build
ing them, let u> build them omfortabe and
beautiful - that in the fullest sense OF the
word they NAV br useful and ornamental
Tic question Of giving the schools adequate
support Is subject 10 NJrlIN of answers:
SUM- tliltlN AiistA fliA fA'kN NflINAt hhiNl~AN II
running the schools lust Is cAcdpN Is poSS lble.
regardless OF re>ul OF erS, who are more
liberal In their views, consider an adequate sup
D orr 10 couSlS Ia providing funds sufficient 10
| give q thorough education 10 al who viii avail
! themselves OF the adv ,ntIgeS thus given. 10 j.
In this light that ] view 10. and for one adyo-
te that liberal financial aid he given TO our
schools.
| Another duty that We owe them. is 10 elect in
teiugent Trustworthy men a. directors. or truS-
1 tees. u D. j. possible 90 see urr educated men
| who viii give Their time anu attention 10 his
important work. - mucl the better for the
/ schools. hut n not. say under no e. Icum>tanccs
appoint men. or rather elect men. who are pos
itiNey untitled for the position. uuW few real
/ he the lT plrtaucc Ut the position They think
/ Il l. Jus. - .t>N TO III the office ~ director
az public schools. even iu civ like Butte. IS 10
! l. Co UI the position OF constable. hence men
are not chosen luT their ability. lUt tn satisfy
| some parry o. nationality. Politics. a. that
term j. ordinarily understood. should have mo-
plA.r IN 90 school board. rIpINIIty AMI IutrE-
TIty ~uou "a Doe the chief qua HrJ' ou~.
| The power IuN a>.vd q ~rIHH. board Ike
| thlt o. bu.IH .> very .rrI. hot uu.s have they
| o .Hr-r amount a. money O. dl,hlr>r, bat they