The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-04
IN HONOR OF DEWEY
Many Favor a Patriotic
Demonstration in the
Public Schools.
SUPERINTENDENT sNYDER'S VIEWS
Importance Of the Victory
Should Be Impressed On the
Minds Of Children.
Members of the Beard Of Educa-
lion Favor the Plan.

Dewey's great victory in Manila Bay
suggested that an excellent way to do
that would be to have patriotic exercises
in the public schools 1t was for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining which would be adj
visable that members of the staff of THE
Jersey City News spoke to those in
charge of the schools
Superintendent of Schools Henry Sny-
der was asked by reporter for "The
! News" yesterday afternoon if the public
schools of the city would formally cele-
brate the great American Naval victory
over Spain's Asiatic squadron He said
he thought they would.
s'The idea that such an event should be
formally celebrated by the school chill
dren," he said, occurred to me yester-
day, and have since been thinking just
| what form the celebration should take.
As yet have reached no conclusion 1t
will be time enough however, when we
receive the NEWS complete Win uSldlS-
Such glorious event should be formally
celebrated by school children throughout
the land. OF course, the event has all
ready been commented upon by our
teachers in their class rooms and the
event made use of. especially in the
classes of geography.
G. -
| Corps climbed to the roof of the building
| and raised a streamer inscribed Old
Glory, 1777,' with somewhat of a cere-
mony The drum corps beat the reveille
and the bugle corps blew the call, Flag
up In the class rooms the pupils sang
the Star Spangled Banner and some of
the teachers commented upon the victory
we had won.
But continued Mr. Snyder, this re-
cent great victory of our peace navy
| fighting an unselfish fight in the interests
of humanity in a distant part of the
| world, is too important to be ignored in
| the matter of the education of our chill
dren. It's Importance should be impressed
! indelibly upon their minds by stronger
means than ordinary lesson comments. .
President John l. Firm, of the Board of
| Education said
'I am in favor of popular demonstra-
| tion in celebration of the victory of our
| fleet in the Philippines. We can't have
| too much patriotism. We teach patriot
| ism every day in our schools. Saluting
| the flag is the first and principal exer-
| taught to sing patriotic anthems, and
| they have been singing them with vim
| of late Our school children are thor
! oughly patriotic. I am in favor of set
ting a day apart as Dewey day as soon
as we receive definite news from Manila
| 1 would have all the regular exercises in
! the schools suspended and have the day
devoted to patriotic exercises and ad-
| dresses
sIt will educate the children up to the
| times, and while it is instructive i'm gem
eral way, it will also be liable to impress
upon their minds the war as nothing else
would AS soon as any news of the war
| is received the principals and teachers an
nounce it to the scholars. Giving it to
them direct impresses it firmly upon
! their minds BY all means let us cele-
brate Admiral Deweys great victory
| School Director Frederick Mersheimer,
when asked his opinion on the subject
| last night, said
| st heartily agree with 1.-THE News" Our
great naval victory over the Spaniards
| should be celebrated by everybody. But
above all other things the grasping minds
| of our school children should be duly
| Impressed with the Importance of the
event as matter of patriotism, to say
/ nothing of the great object lesson in the
| history of the world and events that have
| led to the establishment and maintenance
! of this glorious Republic. Indeed, would
| favor, if it were practicable, the gathers
| ing of them all in some big park where
| they could unite in a joint celebration.
| That is impossible. But tberevent should
| be celebrated BY our school children. The
| details of such celebration, as MEM
Der of the Board of Education, would
leave in the hands of our efficient Super
| intendent of Schools. Mr.. Snyder. He
knows better that even we do the value