Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-11-09
ART IN THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

( Surprising that. by the efforts and
| sacrifices OF those who have the inter
/ cStS of the public most at heart we at
| last have a really beautiful city: who
4 il 10 take care Of it' What is tn. us.
I "t crt ctinc beautiful statues il hood
luns smash their noses; or attractive
/ fioWcr-bcdS. If children trample them
down: or fine public halls. if the floors
are TO be tOulcd with tobacco juice"
Many men who have set out to do an
I they could for their home town haN,.
l'een disguStcd by the ingratitudc ana
vandalism displayed. If a drinking
f"uHtdin is put up. the chances are
that the cups will be carried off. The
number of books stolen from rublc
iii r1rirs is Il painful proof of imperfect
civilization. II is to be feared that in
rrsp"ct u such laWiessncss ana van
dalSm, America has "A bad prc-emi-
nvnr.. several eye witnesses. Henry
SavaG" Landor among them. have re-
f"rI"d to the contcmptuous ignorance
Of thu American soldiers in china i'm
..cgard To The beautiful objects found
lghIl. loutimg palaces The japanese
made free to help themselves. but
showed the utmost respect for The cost
.. ana not To- lliAIl-N
they saw. and handled costly bowls
ana vases with ,hc care of a house
vif- The Americans did not disclim-
mat in thu. least between good and
Lal ana mashed what they could not
,arfy ott. WitA cailouS brutality Of
IIunS
This is quite in line with tn" wonder
APR, s.,.d ny many European visitors
ur tn prevalence of vandalism in
Am"ic1. Not To speak Of commercial! |
tl,&trlictivcness like that which mas 4
VI, cn ~ppiling Tie Hudson Palisades
thrlD is altogether too much wanton 1
nj.cEi.f. The treatment Of the Chicago
-Hbcsition buildings from the very mo-
lurnt the fair WAS over is Il case in |
,.uil.t. That the rights OF the whole
public are involved seems to make no
differences: consider the vicious poison
Ing " the animals in our Forest park.
Nor il such outrage confined 70 out
casts ana hoodlums: look at the many
cae,S in which college students have (
dom. WantIn. Irrcparablc mlSchlrl
sometimes extending to the defacinS OF
.tatI,.S ON the other hand. American
,i.ye. il Europe have been deeply
IMPRESSED with the respect paid by pep-
~. ar an cIlS.te to such things. In one
:olyp The children had Il fashion OF nd
in,r ON The back of Il bronze lion in
small park. 1t did not seem quite the
thing. and to stop it the authorizes m
stead Of sending the police To guard lhe
.p.t -;mrIy planted floW"r-bed
,-nunI il The children were 10" Wen
;i.,in..u to tranplc down tn" flowers
md the dignity Of the lion was eiie'-
riy..ly guarded. 1t is to be feared that
With :; crowd If American children Il
,,,rl,nn-,vir, fence would have been
l:reden.
Ii X unfortunately rue tHi't -Ai'cii-
,.., .hi,frcn lack discipline III respect
tn such things TIL" frequent elidefh-
IL. ,f ston;ur the windows of uh"ccu-
,.ioI b,,,ecs X but one instance. When
,.u,h l,..1cusnrss goes hand in mana
-.;.b Larhn,ian Ignorance aS !" the
u. IN. Of beautiful things. th' result !
i vandalism which puts SERIOUS !
,..,o.,< ~, the ;riprovcment IT clty.
T., ,,,,,rin.. for the future. we must
,:c; forget to look alter '"' ''"7
refine '"cii '''9'>
t.acn then, to respect 'osuH "'''
things. and. above ~. 70 give
the,,, s.,,rd discipline IN S"f-coiit'"'
ana in regard for private ana pun"
,.,,,,.,,,. Tho municipal government.
,ho bon,.. and The school must CO.
,..or,,n borc. the government by lay
an, ,l.,r.,, rho law sharply t" Want"h
l...a. ,,rs the home hy 4 stift2ninG