New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-17
TAXING SCHOOL CHILDREN.

The Borough School Board acted wisely In re-
fusing to permit the Red Cross Committee TO
os, offerings OF one cent each from all the chill
lren in the public schools OF Manhattan and The
Bronx. AS Commissioner Anderson said, the
plan was one that Il was easier 10 vote for than
against The Red Cross work appeals to every
heart II IL AT all times entitled to generous
support ut the hands Of humane people. Par
tcularly M this time when 1t is putting forth
every effort to minister TO our soldiers and
sailors and relieve suffering In the lands they
20 to redeem from oppression, patriotism Is
identified with the Red Cross movement, and 1t
Is noble impulse which prompts the sugges-
t,on that the enthusiastic devotion which longs
for an opportunity TO help the Government
shonld he utilized for the beneft Of those who
bear the brunt Of 1ghhng Certainly 1t is TO be
honed that the Red Cross will have all the
money it needs and that the contributions will
no so popular that the Red Cross labor will be
a labor Of love on the part Of the whole Nation.
But when It comes to collecting these contribu-
lions II Is necessary to guard against harmful
methods and the use OF the machinery OF the
nubllc schools 10 secure contributions even 20
tho host of causes would be decidedly harmful
In the first place, It is difficult to draw the
line II once the children are subjected 10 chart
table appeals They might all be glad TO COM
fort the troops in Cuba. Would they be equally
glad 70 hep flood sufferers Oh the Ohio when
Red Cross committee asked funds equally In the
name of humanity? 1t may be said that no other
occasion of such universal interest the present
IS likely to be known; but causes are frequently
presented which stir all classes of this city.
We wish to relieve famine in India or Ireland,
1 uich IN "A
and every little while we hear IL proposed that
the school children shall do this or do that in
aid Of some popular enterprise. In Riverside
Park. for instance, there Is n statue Of Wash
ington for which they paid. Now, we cannot
make the precedent too strong that the sole
function Of the public schools IL TO educate. and
the sole business OF the children in them is to
receive education They are not there to be
turned into missionaries, however much mis-
sionaries may be needed; they are not there to
offer an mpressionable public to workers for
even the best Of ends; they not there as
parts of n system which may be rightly used to
do anything but It's own work. Yet there is an
almost constant effort on the part Of people with
a mission to make the school system their in
strrment The only thing n school board can
do is to refuse rigidly to allow any invasion
whatever of the schools for any purpose, no
matter how prasewOrthy or how popular, not
strictly that for which they exist
Moreover an invitation to the children Of
school to contribute to any enterprise Is virtu-
ally TO tax them. IF there Is one child in a
school who gives his cent unwilllngly when he
would rather buy stick Of candy because his
teacher asks it and his companions are paying
then the collection ceases TO be free one and
becomes Il matter Of petty extortlon through the
instrumentality Of the school machinery. Any
school offering OF the sort proposed would sub
ject those who did not pay to the scorn OF the
other children, just as the refusal OF guardsmen
to enlist when they were ranged In line and