The sun., 1905-09-10
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not work, and only allowed 1t to be intro
duced in his school on special request. he
was parti ularly opposed to the Judiciary.
A child cannot be judicial he said. After
it had been in operation long enough for
him to Judge he declared that it was sue
cess in every branch. but particularly In
the Judiciary. and that three pupils had
proved to be excellent judges tried by any
standard
an the Daniel L, Keyser School OF Phil
adelphia, of which Miss Kate W. Shaffer Is
principal the first arrests made were for
profanity In the school yard. This was
surprise TO the teachers, for they did not
know such offenses we're being committed.
Evidently popular opinion was against
profanity. The judge in each case SEN
fenced the offender not to speak to any
person at recess time for stated PERIOD
and every pupil in school seemed actively
interested In seeing that the order OF the
court was carried out. Such sending to
coventry would probably never have oc-
CURED to teacher and had teacher
imposed such a sentence it is probable
that the pupils would have taken no trouble
to execute it.
"One arrest was for trying to pick fight
because of an unintentional provocation.
The sentence was to copy neatly and care
fully twenty times the first law OF the
school city code, which was
DO unto others as you wish them to do to
you. This is the natural law. without which
no popular government can succeed. ana II
is the general law Of this School City. to which
all other laws and regulations must conform.
an the Chestnut Hill primary school
in Philadelphia the children are from
to years OF age, and one-third OF
them have parents who cannot read or
write English. Anna A. Gorgas, the prin-
cipal, testified that the first and most imme-
diate benefit derived from the school city
was the protection Of public property in and
around the building. During the year
following its organization no marks of de-
facement had to be removed from lamp
posts, fences, pavements DC, a thing which
hitherto had not been the case.
-'Time and energy are saved in forming
the lines she said. 1t stands to reason
that five policemen can do more than one
teacher, and they do. At the same time,
the children do not resent the commands
of the policeman, for they themselves have
elected him, and they aspire to hold the
same Office themselves.
THE ambition to hold an Office to which
they have been elected by their fellow
citizens is most potent influence in the
school city, and the influence Of an Office
in Transforming the conduct and even the
appearance Of some pupils has been very
marked. knew of one little chap who
ran for member of the ct ty council. His
ability was acknowledged. but it was said
during the campaign that he was always
dirty and that it was not decent or proper
to have a member Of the city council who
habitually came to school dirty.
"He took tumble to himself, as the boys
say and began to come to school with face
actually shining from vigorous applica-
through, winning the election by only
vote or two, and the lesson was sufficient
He extended his care not only to his hair,
but TO his teeth and clothes teacher
complimented him or. his changed appear
ance a while after, and he looked up gravely
and remarked
You know they expect SO much Of
fellow when he's on the council, Miss r.
ANY other art, trade, occupation or
profession whatever, we spend time and
effort to teach our children if we expect
them to know it. But the art Of living in
democratic community, the art Of self
government, we give them not hint Of.
we let them come up under totally
autocratic government, we give them not
a glimpse into the practical workings of
popular government, and when they are
Of voti g ase they are ripe FOR gang rule
and blind partizar ship
Although the origir ator had no intention
OF promoting woman suffrage when he
evolved the idea, he admits that that would
be the logical outcome Of wide adoption
Of the method.
After boys and girls had voted together,
held Office and conducted school govern
ment from the baby class to the day they
left school said he, "the incongruity and
absurdity Of political rights being con-
fined to one sex would natura lily strike them
both on leaving school. l hope. among
other things, that the school city will teach
girls that some rights are withheld from
them, and that it will bring boys to recognize
the same thing"
Proba bly, the school city is the only method
of school government which body Of clergy
men ever voted to accept as substitute
for the ten commandments. Last March
some clergymen Of different denominations
in Wa shington petitioned the Board Of
Education Of that city to introduce the
ten command dments and certain other
religious teachings into the curriculum of
the public schools. The entire body of
Baptist elergymen of the city, joined by
some others, protested against this as an
act in the direction Of sectarian teaching
in the schools
A third party having explained the school
city to both sides, both joined In petitioning
the board for the permanent introduction of
the school city into the Washington schools
as a means Of moral and civic training.
.;'he new National School City League
has William l.. Gill, Franklin Institute
Philadelphia, as its president; Ralph Albert
son, Jamaica Plain, Boston. secretary and
George H. Shibley, Bliss Building, Wash
ington, treasurer.
Unclaimed Wealth in England.
From the London Ddiiv Mail