The Dickinson press., 1907-01-12
elementary pupils to the population Of

From this table it will be seen that in
Russia only 1903 per cent of the popula.
ton attend school; and this fact NAV, in
a measure, account for the opposition to
the enforcement of the law encountered
from this particular source in this coun-
try.
1t is a lamentable fact that there are
people residing in this community, en-
joying the political and religious free
dom, equal rights of suffrage. full privi-
leges of the free public school for their
children and the general hospitality Of
the greatest republic in the world. who
harbor in their hearts a feeling antag-
onistic to Americas greatest institution.
the free public school.
1t is a lamentable fact that there are
young men and women in this county,
who have grown from childhood to man.
hood and womanhood within a few min
utes' walk of a free school. who can
neither read nor write. So long as these
conditions prevail, the unscrupSlous DOL
itician may we'll say. "Well, we got those
ID Russians" for, until those who
exercise the right of suffrage can read
intelligently the ballot placed before
them, some one is going to get them.
This is equally applicable to all nation.
%alities.
1t is these very conditions that we
hope to improve by developing the mind
of the child and enabling him to think
and act for himself. The first step in
this process of evolution is to get the
child associated with the school.
The school census taken last lime
showed that out of approximately three
thousand school children inStark county.
but n thousand five hundred seventy
five had been enrolled in school for a
period OF sixty days during the previous
year and that one thousand n hundred
thirty.four had not been enrolled at all.
A little less than 1s% of this number
were either attending school outside the
county, had completed the common
school course, were mentally or physi-
cally ~incapacitated or lived more than
two and one-half miles from school.
This leaves a total of nearly one thou
sand children of school age in this
county who were within two and one
halt miles of school and were never en-
rolled but were deprived of this sacred
privilege by careless and Indifferent par
ents.
The present law went into effect on
July 1st, 1905, and since that time / have
caused it to be published in the. various
newspapers of the county and have fire.
quently commented on it through the
press. have issued circular letters to
every school board in the county, urging
them to impress upon the patrons Of
their district the necessity of sending
their children to school and calling at.
tention to the financial loss t O the tax
payers which must needs result from a
decreased enumeration.
the teachers, insisting that they do all in
know personally of many teachers who
have visited every home within a radius
of two and one-half miles of the school
and insisted that the children attend.
l feel that this has been sufficient
notice. But, again, must parents be no.
tilted that it is their duty to send their
children to school? Would it not be as
reasonable to notify them that they must
supply them with necessary food and
clothing? Can we expect children,
brought up under environment which
contributes absolutely nothing to their
intellectual training, to become good cit.
liens?
Fines have been imposed on a very
few poor people for it has been my pur-
pose to make examples of those who are
we'll able to pay. 1t is true that the
really poor people are the ones who are
most willing to sacrifice to send their
children to school while those who have
accumulated some wealth value most
highly the utility of the child as a pro-
Queer.
The position of one who encourages
the people to ignore the public school
and the laws relating thereto is certainly
not an enviable one.
In conclusion, l wish to emphasize the
fact that this law will be enforced with
out fear or favor for the next two years;
and if, by SO doing, may be instrument
tai in securing to three or four hundred
boys and girls two years schooling and
an additional three or four thousand
dollars to Stark county from the state
school fund as a result of the increased
enumeration, l shall feel that some good
results have attended my efforts.
LLOYD RAIDER,
County Superintendent.