Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-22
FOR HEALTHY AMERtCANISM


FOR HEALTHY AMERicANIsM.
At the Lewis and Clark county
teachers institute recently held, State
Superintendent of Public instruction
W. E. Harmon, gave an interesting
lecture, the title Of which was THE
Stranger Within Our Gates
Mr.. Harmon dealt particularly with
the immigration question, pointing out
the need for teaching a good sound
healthy Americanism in the schools.
Mr.. Harmon is not narrow in his
views. He is simply pointing out
danger which is being recognized by
educators, publicists and statesmen
throughout the United States And
that danger to our institutions lies in
he character more than in the num-
Der Of the immigrants who are now
landing on our shores. Immigrants
of the right kind will and should al
ways be welcomed Such have done
much to make America what it is to-
day. In all civil pursuits they have
borne their part with credt and hon
or in war they have offered their lives
as willingly and fought as bravely for
the stars and stripes as they would
have for the flag of their fatherland.
At such no shaft is aimed. But the
time has come to call halt or place
some restraint upon the immigration
from southern Europe, good part of
which is not natural and of it's own
volition. On this phase of the question
Mr.. Harmon very truly says:
when our forefathers came from
England, Germany, Ireland and Scan
dlnavia the question was a different
one. The quality was better: the
number smaller the need of popula-
ton greater, and the purpose animat-
ing the new corners higher. They
came to found homes and to rear their
children in the air of liberty Today
those that come are mainly ignorant
tools of corporations in America and
agents on the other side. They hud-
die together in country or city and re.
tain their customs, habits, prejuslices
and language. They do not associate
with our educated classes, and hence
never become Americanized. Our gov
eminent, however, with unseeming
haste, confers upon them the right of
suffrage and makes their power at the
ballot box as great as our own. Great
questions have been settled by one
political party or the other buying a
few thousand of these votes. Across
the sea they were held down by many
restraints, but here in America, the
land of the free, they are found to be
llsorderly, nearly ungovernable and
a serious menace to our civilization"
Mr.. Harmon has tersely stated the
| facts in the above relative to the past,
and the contrast between the former
period and the present is such as to
show the need of a change in our
immigration laws. Popular sentiment
should be so aroused that our national
Legislators would be compelled TO re-
cognze it, There is where the rem
edy lies. Being an educator Mr.. Har-
mon sees the need of something being
done to offset the dangers that threat
en- from our alien population and
thinks the schools the proper place to
| inculcate veneration for the nations
heroes, love for the flag and pride in
our institutions. He says:
whatever is TO appear in our public
life can be wrought out by the school,
| Hence. the public school of today and
of the future must teach the elements
OF a sound, healthy. genuine Ameri
can patriotism. Every child should
| be taught of our great principles, what
they have cost and what they mean;
they must know of all our illustrious
men who have lived and died for our
country For centuries. men have
looked TO the ancients as having the
greatest characters but liberty loving
Japan has studied of our Washington
| and tried to emulate him. And where
in all history can you find another man
who was first in war, first in peace and
! first in the hearts of his countrymen.
! Every child should be taught, every
citizen should know every word and
every line of our national songs. 1t
| is our duty to SO mold public senti
ment that right shall prevail; that in
the question of immigration those who
have good intentions, are earnest and
sincere. that are home builders and
are ready to swear allegiance and do
allegiance to our flag shall be separ-
ated from those who would be a leech
upon the body polite and construe
the word liberty to mean license"
That the schools are doing much in
the direction recommended by Prof.