The evening times., 1899-06-08
Patriotism Cut and Dried.

| Somebody has suggested gently that it is
possible that the children Of the public
schools may suffer from too much COM
pulsory patriotism, and that it would be
just as well not to have the flag waved in
| their faces at all times. This does not ap-
ply to the public schools of Washington,
however. The children are given clear
idea OF the meaning of the flag and taught
to reverence 1t, but the thing is not over
done. The person who made the sugges-
tion quoted above lives in New York.
One of the ceremonies of the New York
schools is flag drill,'' which does. or did,
take place every morning. 1t is probable
that the objection was made in regard to
this.
1t is rather hard to know just what the
line of peril is in such a matter. There Is
no possible doubt that human nature is SO
constituted that an overdose of anything
creates loathing, and there is no reason
why patriotism should be an exception to
this rule. The big public school of city
life. of the streets, and the theatres. and
the newspapers was at one time in some
danger of thus overriding the display of the
flag. When it came to flags printed on
restaurant napkins and chair cushions and
other inappropriate places. and the drag
ging in of the colors to save cheap melo-
dramas at the theatres from being justly
Kissed of the stage. there was some dis
gust in the minds of intelligent people.
And children are, if anything, more sensi-
tive to such Impressions than grown peo-
pie.
II may be reasoned that the soldier does
not lose reverence for the Stars and Stripes
though they be always before his eyes.
But the soldier has other associations with
the colors than those of drill and daily
work. He knows that he will some day
follow that fag into battle. and he has
heard stories OF men who died ky the
colors. SO that the whole matter Is a live
thing to him II is different with the child.
The teaching of patriotism TO children is
rather like the teaching of religion: both
are likely to be overdone, or done in the
wrong way, by tactless people. When
Johnnie. or Susie. learns Sunday school
verses in the hurry and scramble of get
ting ready for church. or is called in from
particularly fascinating game to learn
those verses the night before. or is given
chapters of the Bible to commit to mem
ory as a punishment, it is not likely that
there will be much spiritual benefit in the
performance. But il the childish sense Of
the beautiful true. and heroic is appealed
to; If the mother or teacher waits for the
right moment and says few thoughtful.
tactful words, the memory of that quarter
of an hour stays with the youngster for a
long time. Many people proceed. in thsse
matters, on the principle that any time is
the right time for a good thing-as if it
were good to feed child half a mince pie
and the breast of a turkey just after it had
had full meal of bread and milk. and FOL-
low up the treatment by good large dose
of mixed boneset and castor oil. When
several different varieties of moral. So
cial and religious instruction are poured
into the ears OF the child, when its mind
is full of other things. it gets mental and
moral indigestion. which results in sin.