The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-12-31
TEACHERS STATE THE
FACTS OF THE CASE
The Defeat of the Myers Bill Was
All They Claimed as a Vic
tory, Despite Reports

The report of the committee on edu-
cational progress to the State Teach
ers' association on Dec 1. 1899. as pub
lished in the papers, contains state
ments that call for correction.
This report says that at the hearings
education in the Massachusetts legis-
lature. last winter, to ungranted petit
lions for a stronger temperance educa-
tion law,
1T was clearly seen that not only
educators, but the leading temperance
people of all professions were heartily
opposed to the desired measure, that
the measure proposed was drastic in
every particular with eXacting re-
quirements and heavy penalties an
attempt to subvert and degrade the
schools"
The report further says: CHOSE who
had hitherto believed in the honesty OF
the petitioners were sadly shaken in
their faith when, after so signal de-
feat, the petitioners sent out broadcast
printed report in which they claimed
victory"
All this is utterly misleading. The
movement referred to originated with
the May 1898 meeting of the Massachu-
sets State association of Congrega-
tional churches, who instructed their
temperance committee to petition the
next legislature for a stronger temper
ance education law. Committees and
representatives of 16 different religious
denominations, philanthropic societies
and organizations united with this
congregational committee to form the
Massachusetts central committee to
secure the desired amendment Fully
$4,000 residents of Massachusetts, in
their individual and collective capacity
united with this central committee in
this petition. Efforts to belittle the
sincerity and intelligence of these pc
titioners are useless, Their petition
stated just what its signers wanted
and asked for, viz,
STRENGTHENING AMEND
MENTS'
including what the present temperance
education law lacks needed speci-
f1cations" and such "just and ade-
quate penalties for non-enforcement
as would secure the temperance educa-
ton which the law of IA years stand
ing requires for every pupil in our pub
lie schools
The further charge that ''the meas
ure proposed was drastic, exacting
ETC." could not seem such to one who
wants the present law enforced IT
asked for a definite place in the course
of study. From the following extract
from the petitioners report it will be
seen that all they asked for at the ut
most was 100 graded textbook les.
sons in the whole subject of physiology
and hygiene, including the temperance
matter, to be distributed through si1
years at the rate of 80 lessons a year
with oral instruction for all pupils il
| the primary grades. The distinctive
| temperance teaching thus implied il
the primary grades estimated on the
average length of primary lessons
| would not amount to over an hour an(
J a half a year. and not more than thre,
hours per year in the grades above tn,
| primary All the rest of the study il
! hygiene and sanitation with physiology
| enough to make it Ineligible No on
who wants the instruction given at al
could claim that this is an extravagan
amount of teaching on those vita
topics. From 500 to 900 book les
sons in less important studies like ge
ography are often given in the sam
period
Such provision could not REASONABLY
be called drastic" and would not Sub
vert or degrade the schools" but war;
the scholars from habits that lead t,
! degradation. y
AS to the proposed penalty of fin,
upon school committees who refuse Il
comply with the requirements of the ex
listing law, it has never been deemed
degradation to the school committee.
of Massachusetts, that they are now
SUBJECT TO A PENALTY OF s1Ot
for failure to provide certain sanitar,
provisions required by law. Why would
they be more degraded by fine only
one-fourth as large for refusing to com.
! ply with the law requiring them to pro-
! vide for education in the laws of health