Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-11-10

is to the deep regret Of every good
woman and good man in the state,
that the anti-cigarette bill, after
passing the senate, was lost last
winter because no record was kept
Of it's first and second reading in
the Legislature, although several
members and one state official
assured our state president, who
was in Bismarck working for this
and other laws, that they very dis
tinctly remembered hearing the
bill read.
One Of the most important meet
ings Of the convention was held
Monday afternoon, especially for
the benefit Of the school teachers
and superintendent Of the city,
who were present in large nnm-
bers. Mrs. Unruh, Oregon, gave
an address on "How to Prevent
the Spread Of immortality Among
Children in Schools" which was
listened to with the greatest atten-
ton. She said in part:
"It is no exaggeration to say that
upon the public school system rests
the future of our nation socially,
morally and politically. It is
essentially an American lnstitu-
ton, born of Republican ideas,
nourished upon the milk of
equality. Following the train Of
advanced ideas it is constantly
nearer and nearer perfection. In
itiated from the idea that the child
Of the wage worker has a right to
as much mental culture as the son
Of a millionaire, the curriculum Of
the school is constantly widening
and a meads of culture broaden
ing,
eve r rightfully proud Of this
splendid institution, and we guard
with jealousy any criticism upon it;
and yet we may carry this jealousy
to such an extent that a destroying
fungus may grow upon this tree Of
knowledge, which may at least in
a measure sap it's very life, while
we r saying Glands Off" to the
real friend who would point out
the danger.
Earnest, thoughtful teachers
are already appalled, before, to
them, well known fact that unclean
communication and indecent pic
lures are in circulation in nearly
every school, and hat the secret
vice is common, while criminal in
timacy between children that most
people believe to be totally ignor-
ant Of such things is alarmingly
frequent. The teachers stand ap-
paled before this gigantic evil and
scarce know how to reach it.
with the policy Of the past to
simply ignore such questions, it
becomes a most delicate matter to
reach. To many of the earnest
friends Of this most splendid insti-
tuition Of modern times there is
already an awful danger menacing
it, and one which commands a
most careful study and thought to
reduce the danger to a minimum
and in time to eliminate it. I refer
to the alarming growth Of impurity.
"There is probably nothing in
connection with school work today
that should receive more careful
consideration nor one more diff
cult to meet. It is largely not the
fault Of the school system, but
seems to be Legitimate results Of
the massing Of children together, a
great portion of whom have never
received the slightest instruction in
the laws Of purity, and many Of
whom have had much in their lives
either actively impure or ready
students in the school of vice.
''These at first may seem start
ling statements, but did time suffice
we could readily prove their truth
fulness. In what proportion of
homes, think you, do the fathers
and mothers consider the slightest
allusion to the laws Of purity in
the presence of the children, i'm
pure as a friend said some days
since?
In many homes are made coarse
illusions and unseemingly jests,
impure pictures, unclean litera-
ture, the daily food upon which the
child's mentality is fed. These
going out among those more pure
spread that contagion, like unto
the germs Of a physical disease,
and as the victim has not been in
noculated against this poison, a
veritable case of mental smallpox
sets in. Verify we have a strange
idea Of the relative value Of things
when we make laws to innoculate
against smallpox and leave our