The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1906-05-16

vent the thought of evil, there to sug.
gest the cause of right there to cor
rect the first i'll word and suppress by
love, or force If necessary, every APP
pearance of vice.
If there Is fault and vice in our
pupils 1t is not the result of idleuass,
lack Of care on the part OF the school
authorities, vicious teaching, immoral
teachers or any other creature of our
public school system. There is no
single master vice among our schools
that creates total depravity. nor are
there many such, parceled out one or
two to a school, which give the same
universal result. The fault lies else.
where.
What are the evils in our school
children of which we complain? Is
il tobacco? Well! where do they see
tobacco being used? In the school or
out of it? Is it the cigarette? We,
men. use them We, men, sell them
to the boys for a profit. A profit, not
to the Boys, but to our pockets. Is it
swearing? Go up the street and as
certain what kind of animals use these
expressions and consider that boys
love to be men. Is ii drinking beer
and stronger drink? Sirs. who drink
the most, men or boys? Who places
the temptation in their path, men or
boys? Who frequent the saloons and
set an example for our pupils to
follow? Who orders the brewers
wagon to stop at the house and depos-
it case or two in the cellar? Who
places the glass to his own boys
lips at his own board and fireside?
Is it tho teacher? Is ii gambling
that is running our students and max.
ing them crave for the gamblers ex-
element and depriving them Of the
sense OF justice? Watch the nickel
in-the-slot machine as our most prom
inent citizens gamble for a cigar. See
with what eagerness the small boy
watches the result! Frequent the ho-
tells and the trains and note the mon
cy change hands on the gambling ta-
be.
PERHAPS il is non-attendance at
church and Sunday school. The pub
lie school children will be there IL
their fathers are there. But where is
"a father? Spending his Sabbath in
tne club or ct the office. And does
the boy not know all these things?
Perhaps the most detrimental Of all
foul-mouthed men in the presence of
all ages. The low vulgar suggestions
Gmbibed by the youth and believed
by him to be true about everybody
except in part, for very few OF his
own home folks, his mother and his
sisters and possibly one or two OF his
girl friends) is a constant menace TO
his morals, constant source of mem
tol
woodworking influence. Yet these
are common and they come not from
the school, at least they are not born
there but from conditions entirely ex-
terror.
There are some conditions growing
out OF athletic contests in our schools
and colleges that are to be regretted.
| Such. for instance, as the tendency at
deception, gambling in a small way.
riding ponies" and the like. But even
these are often learned out of the
school room. The gambling at the
ball games by men of position, often
publicly, and often seemingly in q
quiet way, are always known and
have the result of teaching, almost
compelling the school boys to do the
same when their games are on. The
lead the youth to do likewise. So al.
| most every Influence that tends large
ly to the evils in our schools can be
| traced directly to the conditions that
prevail In the community outside the
! school yard.
Men are not what they should be.
Boys are little men and have the same
] inclinations. a far greater desire to
initiate and a much smaller amount
of backbone to resist even when they
| know how to do right.
The remedy for all this! The cause
OF it all points very clearly to the
place where the remedy must be ap-
piled. 1t is the reformation Of men!
| Can it be done? God knows! But we
can attempt it, Yes! it is our duty.
We as teachers of children are at the
same time and for the same purpose
ministers to men.
Public discussion OF an evil brings
to the light and perhaps there is no
| better way than getting these facts
before the public. Let every news
paper be used as a medium Of COM
munication to the public. Let the men
| be asked to write articles for the daily
press. Let every superintendent, both
city and county, be leader in the
reform. Let every teacher throw upon
the community the burden of the re-
sponsibility, for the morality of the
youth of that locality. Let every par
ent fully understand, let every ma
ture citizen feel that his act directs
and influences the child for good or
| i'll, that the school child but reflects
the life of the community, that the
school is only one element for good
and cannot be expected to overcome
manifold contemporary influences for
evil, that the church, as moral fac
tor, must receive cordial support, that
public and private honesty in small
| things is as necessary as in the great
err transactions of life.