Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-06

dom, the Magma Charta. we see the
first great step in civic liberty
Early America.
"Then we come down four hundred
years more and behold small ship
anchored near the rock-bound coast OF
New England, and in 1920 we see the
Pilgrim Fathers enter. a compact on
the Mayfower. This is the second
step, and it is followed century and
half later by the scene in Philadel-
phia, with the small boy at the por-
tails of the great hall, waving his
hands high in the air, the breezes
playing with his faxen hair and the
light glowing in his blue eyes. We see
him wave his hands and shout to his
grandfather in the belfry the one word
Ring Then, as we look, the old
man, who seemed before to be totter-
ing with age, suddenly seizes the clap
per of the bell and proclaims to all the
world that the Declaration of indie
pendence has been signed, and that
the American people have declared
that all men are born free and equal.
Civic Liberty.
1--WE follow down the years until we
come to that one whom we call the
greatest man in history, Abraham Lin
coin, and We see him on January /,
1868, sign the Emancipation Procla-
nation, the last of the four great docu-
ments of civic liberty. Is it not sig
nificant that three of these great steps
were taken upon American soil? We
are, and should be proud of that fact.
1t speaks much for the progressiveness
of the American people.
lowa's Schools.
"Often the people of Iowa ascribe
the progressiveness of Iowans to the
excellent public school system. This
| is all right, but we must take into
consideration the fact that, while thir-
ty years ago, in 1870, this state rank.
ed first in regard to the absence of IL
| literacy it went in 1880 to third place,
and since that time it has kept that
same position, unless the census sta
tistics of 1900, which we have not
heard yet give better showing. This
should not be the case.
Conditions in Iowa
statistics l gathered last year from
the county superintendent throughout
the state are to the effect that there
are 100000 boys and girls in the state
who have never enrolled in the public
schools Allowing that 100000 of these
have gone to school in other states or
in private schools, there are still e..
900 who have never had any educa-
ton in school Adding to this number
the 10000 who do not attend regular.
11, an, a. ~.
ter of million of people in the starc
between the ages of five and twenty-one
years who do not attend school OF
else do not attend regularly
Teachers Poorly Paid
81 well remember that three years
ago. in this city, made the statement
that the state pays too little to its
teachers Since that time have beer
able to more than verify that state
melt | have found that Iowa pays
, less, with one exception, for the in
! struction of its youth than an yothel
state in this part c. the country
Not PessimTst
!, do not gather from these remark!
, that | am pessimistic | believe tina
, Iowa is going ahead, and that .h'
!. whole world is growing better But
believe that some of the conditions
,, could be, bettered. There is too mucl
of disposition to let well enough
alone. In Ohio, when they talk abon
their educational system, they poin
I with pride to the pictures of such me,
i as Garfield, Mckinley and many othe
J, statesmen, and say, What bette
t school system do We want, when on
a present one gives us, such men a
: these?"
e Strive to Progress.
d That spirit never made the worl
), go forward. That sentiment is not th
/ one we should have. We should no
S be content to let we'll enough alone
e but we should strive to better cond
e lions all the time. 1t will be a grea
: day for Iowa when her rural youth
e are given the same advantages an
q teachers of the same ability as th
e children of the cities have.
o Letting Well Enough Alone.
q 'If the people who made the unrul
y boy attend Sunday school and CAV
him clothes to wear after he had r.
peatedly sold suits they had alread
given him, had given up and let we
e enough alone there would have bee
u no Doctor William Morrison, VIII
e translated the English Bible to tn
u Chinese language. If Daniel Webste
II had not been turned back to Exete
e Academy when he was leaving it in d
u spair, the world would have lost on
le of the greatest statesmen it has eve
:. known, and civilization would hay
: had a back-set. This was what can
of not letting we'll enough alone
Small Colleges.