The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1899-09-16
IN LING wide the doors Of public
Il schools and college halls to tht
l. twenty million American you'll

l. twenty million American youth
that will now invade them. For these
same youth are our vast army of occu-
patton in this broad land, land given -
us to hold SO long as we maintain first
place in the race Of progress.
And when and where in The annals of
che world has any nation enjoyed opporru
intyand inspiration like unto this?W look
i'm vain to all those fallen empires whose
history has been written for centuries in
the dust, to find a school system that
reached the peasant class. And here up
ON this continent, in the wilderness CT
America, far removed from the capitals
Of culture, and beyond the dangers and
alurements of despotism, among l :dde
and unlettered people, was first reared
the little school house free Cor all. And
in it, with sort Of Freemasoarv, the
children of rich and poor still meet rp-
on the level and part upon the square.
And who shall be bold enough to say
that without it democracy could long be
maintained, or with it that despotism
could long endure?
So we say hail to the children of light!
"NSNt ~Nt
when tn old ship seems running to the
shoals, when the wisdom Of leaders is
wanting and the pilot is overheard. we
turn at last to the common sense Of the
whole American people and are of good
cheer for we know we can muster hum
dred crews from the list of passengers.
But in the olden time it was not SO. The
few played chess with the many, and ig-
norance was their willing task-master.
The Wasteful wars and luxuries of the
lord meant endless slavery for the serf,
and his protest required revolution to
be heard. What, indeed, to him, was the
swing of Pleiades or the long reaches of
the peaks of song? But the children Of
the free, risen to lofty heights find ref
uge and respite here. Not among them all
is there single one dead to rapture and
despair, thing that grieves not and
never hopes. But this multitude Of mil
lions, the light of heaven in their faces,
excelsior as their motto, and the history
Of ages as their guide, are alive to every
quickening power and drinking deep from
the fountain of knowledge.
And how uplifting to the young to have
the WOrlQ'S greatest lulIherS, I9AdhS-
speare and Milton and Macaulay, Goethe
and Schiller, Caesar and Cicero and Hor-
ace and Livy,,9and Homer and Demos
there's for their companions! For through
them are they lifted up out Of their local
environments and made to forget, the little
hates and prejudices Of life. They walk
the royal pathway of learning with poets
and empire builders, feel the great
thoughts that have moved others to he
roic action, and are made ready for he
rotc deeds themselves. And though the
world may seem somewhat prosaic when
the books SO full of heroes are laid away,
and they may mourn the days Of romance
and chivalry, yet in little while will
they discover modern heroes all about
them, and a chivalry that costs no other
knight his life or love. For the truest
chivalry Of all the world is to be found in
the unarmed knight of the nineteenth CEN
tury, the product of Americas free insti-
tutions,-and chief of which is ouDspublic
schools.
So say we again, hail children Of light!
-Bede's Budget.