The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-04-02
SCHOOL MELANGE.


The "Pedasogue' was an Interested
listener to the sermon delivered by Rev.
DR.. Sooy, pastor Of Fourth street N. +.
church, Sunday evening, March eth,
and he subscrlbes to every word uttered
by the eminent divine on the PROBLEM
OF Great Cities" and his entire audience
he thinks, did the same. But what, say
you, does this have to do with school?
Much every way; for we see in our pub
lie schools the very element that is to
solve the great problem referred to.
Our public schools are 20 send forth a
generation OF men and women who will
not submit to misrule in our great
cities. or even In this great country Of
ours. Some may say this Is boasting,
and 1t may be asked why has not the
generation that Is to do all this, been
raised up long ago. as our public schools
have been In operation for several gen.
e%rations past: While this is true, It is
also true that our public schools, until
very lately, did not attempt to teach
anything but the common branches.
They paid no attention 20 the matter of
good citizenship. Now "civics" Is
1du5Ah JusI IIt SAINT us dIlLlIIltllG, Seu-
STaphy or grammar, and all true teach
ers are trying to impress upon their
pupils that the hope of the country Is In
Its good citizenship. Especially are our
boys taught that It Is 4 great privilege
to be an American citizen, and that to
be 4 good citizen, means to be a good,
upright and honorable man. Our boys
are to-day being taught that 1t Is a
t,Faa , ,Nrtt.Ila-n 30 80 - Z. 81 i'll -
good citizen will fail to exercise his right
to Vote whenever he has an opportunity
to do so.
He is also taught that It is dIshonor-
able to be influenced in any way what
ever by others In the exercise of this
God-given privilege; that he should
study well all questions TO be decided by
the ballot, and then Vote for the right.
as he conscientlously sees the right.
Give us compulsory attendance in our
schools: then fill them with good teach
ers. and every boy and girl In the land
will be given enough enlightenment 20
know the right, and 10 do Il. The boy
or the girl who grows to manhood or
wOmanhood in this land at the present
day. ignorant OF the great principles of
good government ought not to be allow
Cu " aS1NS my pau III thC boNElIllllc'it.
An intelligent suffrage is needed very
badly in our land To-day. When our
public schools become jus. what they
should be, he,problem OF s~cIf-govern-
men; will be fully solved. Our great
cities will not her be under mIsrule
from the fact that the Intelligent masses
will not submit to 1t.
In saying what has been said above
W do claim that Dur public schools
are doing all they ought to do. but we
do claim that they are doing more to
elevate the masses than Is any other
one influence; and right here we pause
TO say that our schools are not support
ed rs they ought to be. l.. e., the patrons
Of II schools do not Interest them
selves enough to Know just what they
are doing. In saying this We do not
near to say that parents are opposed TO
them. but the interest taken Is OF such
an anathetlc nature that 1t amounts to
almost the same as M interest at all.
They take about the SAINT Interest that
many Of II best citizens take in the
matter OF suffrage-simply stay away
from the polls ana fail TO cast their bal
lots at all. The writer often, while urs-
ing parents to come to school now ard
then TO see how their children are pro-