Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-30

IcoIle " ne foSueS IN pubic Office ready
to be bought and other rogues outside
ready to buy them. But / do believe
that such knowledge as you might i'm.
part would tend to reDress civic
roguery.
Children understand perfectly what
is meant by fair play when applied to
their sports and games. 1t seems to me
that teaching should lead them to
make the right application Of this in
their maturer years, to their business
life, where fair play is comparatively
rare. A readjustment of values is nee
| essary, it seems to me. To be able to
read is an imperative need, but to fill
children's minds with subjects about
which they will wish to read is. of the
| two, of the greater Importance
| Education of the eye and ear to the
| phenomena everywhere about US is OF
| more value than an exercise in arith-
| metical gymnastics that, to the pupil
at least, serves no apparent useful end.
To declaim the Polish Boys however
well, is Of small value as compared
with the ability to read offhand IA
newspaper paragraph aloud. The
economic conditions which were a large
| III oul WI wal al Ga
of more Importance, in my mind, than
the names of generals. The social
| changes which resulted from that war
| are of more importance than deScrip-
tons Of battles. a knowledge Of the
| inventions and discoveries, settlemcn ts
Of new lands. developments Of large in
dustries are preferable to the knowledge
| of the exact succession Of the presidents
a literary criticism from an eighth
grade pupil is of no value whatever.
| His description of a days work, the
bursting Of a cocoon. the difference be-
tween the bark of an oak and a hick-
DRY tree would be Of greater value.
And now pardon me if | step little
outside of this into a very important
branch of this subject. Henry Ward
| Beecher. think il was, who said: 1t
is hard for man with the dyspepsia
| to be a good Christian | believe it is
difficult for a half-fed, half-clad child
to study
II belive that the state for very self
preservation, should see to ii that none
Of her little children need to beg. steal
or work in the factories for their
bread. need to work outside of
home duties at anything. The
school age and the school
months for compulsory education
should be extended. When ! speak Of
compulsory education it is the parents
who should be ompelled-compelled to
permit their children to be properly
educated. | do not believe that the
children. except in rare cases. would
need to be compelled to attend schools
IL teachers M ls. Al
We're what they should be-
II do not believe that children should
work. even to support the poor or sick
ly, or widowed mothers. believe it is
more important more vital to the life
Of the state that her children should be
educated than that the inflrm should
live few years longer
The state does not hesitate To send
the flower Of its manhood to the horrid
front Of war. even for conquest. When
it is for the preservation Of the state
itself that war is waged, how readily
the young men answer the call to
arms-how readily the state accepts
their lives-how criminally sometimes
those lives are sacrificed.
And. yet, when it comes to the sac
rifice of few aged people that the
state may live; when it is a question Of
cool dispassionate consideration Of
what is best for the community. edu--
Gated children or infirm old people. a
mawkish sentiment blocks progress. |
am not in favor Of permitting any one
to starve to death. But it We're a
thousand times better that the state
took the place Of these children and
provided for those poor parents than
that the children of the state should
grow up tramps and criminals
This, may seem wide Of my subject
but it has a bearing. | want al these
children to attend school the full school
year. from the kindergarten to the age of
Il. and ] believe that two generations of
such policy would raise the average in
telligence ana morality Of our people be
Nond our present conception of the posi-
hilltieS. II necessary to that end | would |
have these children provided with free
clothing, food and shelter by the state.
Il do not want to suggest a change in |
your curriculums. but | ask you how
many Of Your pupils who know of Gaze |
SdrS message. 'Neni Vidi Wei know that |
the inscription on the coat Of arms IF |
Chicago is 'Urbs in horto or how many
Of them who know 'Gallia est omnes di- |
wards Chicago is divided. or how many |
town governments and in what precinct !
they each live? And while | admit the |
Importance Of the Latin l ask which of |
ance to coming citizen Of Chicago. |
do these boys who will graduate this |
term from the grammar schools and then |
seek employment know Of the laws in |
tended to secure to them pure air, sani-
tary conditions and protection from dan
gcrous machinery? Cannot arrangements |
be made for occasional visits to the COM
mon council chambers ana to the meet
ings of the county commissioners? VIII
YOU not teach our coming citizens to look
for the source Of the corruption funds
used in our city politics? Will you not |
impart to them the desire for being ana |
doing as Of more Importance than noisy
shouting for the flag; to rely on George
Washington less and themselves more?
In closing | want to make one earnest |
plea to you. | want YOU to Judge for
yourselves as to what form you will use
as to the questions you will put to youc
classes, but | want to know if You wip
some such questions as these:
what are the principal ordirancos that
have been passed by our common council |
since last you We're asked and what Is
your judgment of them?
How is Chicago governed?
How does the administration in Chi
caSo compare WITH that of Glasgow or
some other model city?
Reforms come slowly. | do not pXpcct
that what you may do will have its i'm
mediate result, nor do | claim that nv
suggestions to you point the way to a
panacea for all ills, but | wish YOU would
carefully consider whether such knowl-
edge as | have limited at. when acquired
by your pupils. will not in some time TO
come be Of great advantage to them and