The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-06-29
TEACHING FALSE HISTORY

A Milwaukee school teacher has re-
Gently got into trouble BY writing dis
respectfully and falsely about American
independence III the wisconsin Journal
IF Education. This teacher, whose
name is Freeman Ellsworth Lurton,
calls the American revolution "a little
war; and asserts that the colonies were
not justified lii declaring American in
dependence on the glorious Fourth OF
July Of Its. Blatant Fourth of July
orators" says this A. p. A. pedagogue,
have SO long 1nagnided the revolution
ary that tradition is fast taking the place
Of fact He then says that there was
no oppression worth speaking of in the
colonies and that few Americans de.
sired separation from the mother coun-
try. WAS there sufficient cause for
war;, he' asks. He answers his own
question in the negative, and says Otis
and Henry, two irresponsible men who
were ready to try the fortunes OF war,
because they had failed Of every thing
else, melted the people to revolt on &C
count Of the. paltry tax retained on tea.
He seems to entertain a great dislike for
Otis and Henry, and declares they were
not representative men either in ability,
sentiment or character. AS If that was
not enough he belittles the military
achievements of Washington and his
generals by saying that mastery retreat
and not successful ampaigning was their
forte. He goes further and falsely pr'-
claims that it was not the valor Of the
American soldiers but the aid given by
France that won the final victory over
the British. s Il ..53 IA 5 i. '45. .5s.ls
Such O. remarkable article from y .
teacher in the public schools naturally
attracted attention, and the tlrst man to
discover and expose his falsehood was
Prof. John &. McMynn, well known
educator 81 Madison, who Indignantly re-
scented the reflections cast on our revo-
|lutionary heroes, and intimated quite
strongly, that the Milwaukee board Of
education should rectify the mistake
they had made in emplo ying L,,rton IN
the capacity OF teacher Of American his
tory. .5 q i ss ia ss q. A,
The words of Prof. McMynn aroused
Milwaukee to its depths, and Indignant
citizens called upon the superintendent
Of schools and on the Sthirty-six school
mmissioners for the official scalp Of
Lurton, who was roundly denounced as
d Tory, .straitor,"" British SYM
Epathiser'' and other names in the yocabu-
larry Of vttuperation. Lurton must co.
was the cry repeated everywhere in the
Cream City, and to the credit Of the Ger
mans they were the most vociferous in
demanding his discharge The chair
man Of the school board is q patriotic
irish American named Patrick n. Ham
min, and he emphatically declared that
LIE Lurton did not hand in his resigna-
E ton within few days he would call q
special meeting Of the board and demand
his. dismissal III q. summary manner.
The teacher fg on a vacation aud It ID
not yet known whether he will tender
his resignation or not. He IL IS years
old and "a sor-in- law Of ex-Ctongressman
Clinton S. Rabbit. o. Beloit. Strange to
say he is a graduate Of Al academy at
Rochester, Mimi, where he is supposed
to have studied American history.
The citizens of milwaukee, took the
proper slept to get rid Of the fellow. and
the school board should lose no time
in bouncing him from the position he
has disgraced. The teacher who does NOT
admire the noble character and heroic
achievements OF Washington and his
com comp atriots, and who casts aspersiopps
on James Otis and Patrick Henry, who
reused the people % resistance against
the aggressions of Great Britain. Is not
a lit person TO make loyal and patriotic
Americans out IT the young people In
his classroom. 1T matters not whether
the children IN our, schools have sprung
! from revpluti onary sires or not. They
may So the Offspring Of INNING rants who
have hut recently landed on our shores,
but never heless they should be Inspired
8bys their teacher iths love this great
country and Ilts giIor Ious institutions.
they should hs tod ofss the gallants strug-
giles and loody sadcrd Ices made ~ Ameri-
ON heroes IN m this con-
sinent 4 republic q the people, 81 the
psopIs md for the and TREY ought
to be- taugh ID yerence the memories
o tlIe men vrhos. sssasts oft the British yoke
forever, after lighting 6 The armies
NJ md and theiI I'm an1i Iiafies