Evening star., 1895-02-22

| He a student of history, practical
philanthropfst. and a co-worker with Chas.
Loring Brace, founder of the Children's s
Aid Society of New York city. He made a
study of the immigration question. which
| is becoming a serious problem in America.
This led him to trace the social condition
of the immigrants In the homes frofn
| which they came, and how best to over
come the influences and condition, to make
| law-abidng citizens of the ignorant and
| irresponsible persons who are f1ocking to
our shores. bringing with them soclanstic
| ideas, to incite others to 1awlessneSs and
| anarchy. In the spring of 1856 he received
an order to make an exhaustive eXamina-
| tion of the department of health, and be-
came deeply interested in the tenement
house system in New York. He was con-
virced that freedom has no security, no de-
fense protection or safeguard but educa-
ton, and that moral power and principle
which education brings.
In January, 1889, Col. Balch commenced
careful examination of each of the
twenty-one schools of the Children's Aid
Society, a task which occupied some two
months. This examination embraced the
| relations existing between the teachers
and the parents, and what steps had been
taken, or what special exercises were OBJ
served to awaken and stimulate spirit
of patriotiSm among the scholars, and, If
in use, how far they had been successful
The teachers welcomed the movement in
all these schools. and especially the prln-
cipals, who found keen appreciation OF
encouraging a distinctly American IDEAL
of how important it is that the child
should understand just what the school Is
for. and why the children attended 1t, and
their future destinies as American citizens
In these schools tens of thousands of the
children of the very poor of nearly every
race on the face of the earth, and OF every
color children unable from extreme pow
erty. from speaking foreign language. ir-
regular hours, or other reasons, to attend
the public schools, have been taught what
it means to be clean, orderly. respectful
and obedient to authority. This examina-
ton and investigation led Col Balch to
formulate his system Of patriotic instruc-
ton, with the flag in every school room as
an incentive and object lesson. In May,
1891. he introduced in the twenty-one day
the patriotic salute: I'VE give our heads
and our hearts to our country. One coun-
try. One language! One f1ag!'
The effect of the daily of this salute
by the children so happy in arousing
their enthusiasm for the national flag ana
in awakening a deep interest in the prin-
ciples it symboliZed $50 far as the children
were capable of understanding them) that
he became convinced that the salute
needed but a single amendment to COM
pletely fulfill the patriotic purpose for
| which it was intended. That amendment
was the recognition of an overruling
Providence. of the Almighty Father of all,
of that God whom all civilized nations.
races and tongues acknowledge and adore
In the salute IN a SCROOl the
aim has been to interest the child by
arousing and appealing to the emotion Of
gratitude, the outgrowth of its love for it's
parents, who are all in all to the child. 1t
is easy to pass from love in this form to
the love Of home, Of the locality in which
the child is reared. and of personal friends
and neighbors, and thus gradually enable
the child to apprehend the idea of love for
the country of it's birth adoption, that
larger home which we designate as our
country After careful deiberation it
seemed wise to amend the salute as used
from 1891 to 1894 so that it shall recognize,
first of all, the Ruler of the universe, the
Almighty God. The form now used Isl
1--WE give our heads and our hearts to God
and our country! One country! One Ian
guage! One flag!"
The Flag Drill and Salute.
At the conclusion of Mrs. Mink's speech
came the prettiest scene of all. The plat
form was cleared of chairs and seventeen
of the prettiest young girls in Washington
filed on to give the flag drill and salute.
One wore brass helmet and carried
handsome silk flag, around which the four
groups of four went through all sorts Of
pretty evolutions to the music of the
Liberty Bell March" The little girls who
took part were from twelve to sixteen
lowing: Edith Stowell, Helen Hastings,
Carrie Hastings, Jessie Holden, Clara
Quinter, Eva Grossart, Edith Randall, Lucy
Smith, Edith Coe, Bessie Leete Bessie Dyer.
Carrie Butt, Maggie Bell, Edith Prince,
Nellie Myers, Daisy McElroy, Edna DeNeale
and Mabel Kiff.
The girls were attired in attractive uni