The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-04-14
THE AMERICAN SCHOOL BOY AND
ENGLAND.

James F. Smith, a fourteen year
old school boy of Philadelphia,
started on last Tuesday for Preto-
ria, bearing the following message
to President, -Kre ager, which is
signed by ten thousand of his fell
schoolmates.
owe, the undersigned students
of the public schools Of Philadel-
phia, in the city where our own
forefathers enlisted in their splen-
did and successful struggle against
English oppression, desire to ex-
press to you and to the fighting
men of the South African republic
their great admiration for the gen
ius and courage that checked En-
glish invasion of the transvaal, and
the undersigned extend their most
earnest wishes that in the end the
South African republic will tri-
umph over England in a war in
which the Boer cause is noble and
the British cause unjust"
1t is no wonder that the Ameri-
can schoolboy sympathizes with
the Beers. The very first lesson
he receives in United States his
tory prejudices him against the
English government Even be-
fore he begins the study Of our ma
TONS history from the textbook, he
is told of the midnight ride of Paul
Revere; the cowardly execution Of
that American patriot, Nathan
Hale. Of the Boston Massacre,
the stamp Act, the Boston Tea
Party, and hundreds of other Incl
dents in our nations birth that
prejudices his mind, and justly,
against England. AS the pupil
advances and delves more deeply
into English history he finds little
to soften the prejudice against a
nation he has learned in child
hood to hate as the oppressor Of
his forefathers and the foe of his
beloved institutions. The same
F., spirit that led boys to charge a
field of mullen stalks with wooden
swords, in our boyhood days, des:
ignating each stalk British sol
der, burns as intensely today as
then, and if it is to be subdued,
the glorious history of our coun-
try must first be expunged. The
utterances of such men as Mark
Hanna, that the "English govern
ment is just as good as ours and
in some respects, better" will no,
quench the flame.
The message OF the Philadel
phia school children will be re
echoed by ten million school chill
dren throughout the United States
PROF. David Starr Jordan, pres
ident of the Leland Stanford, jr.,
University of California, in an ad
dress before the State Teacher.
Association at Logansport, Indi
ana, stated that although he wa!
opposed to Bryan in 1896, he
would gladly vote for him thi:
year. In the same address h,
quoted Roosevelt as saying tina
Mckinley has about as much back
bone as toy chocolate man in ;
confectioner's stand. Prof. Jordan
is one of the greatest thinkers o
the age. His opposition to Nc
Kinley will have a telling effect
not only in California, but through
out the United States.
ADMIRAL. DEwEY's debut as
presidential candidate continues t,
be the political sensation of tn
hour. At first republican politi
clans assumed it to be a menace t
Mckinley, and next, democratic
politicians thought it to be bio,
at Bryan. 1t was suspected tina
anti McKinleyites in one party, O
anti-Bryanites in the other urge
the Admiral to announce himself
After reflection. however, politi
clans of both parties are settlin