Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-04-30
New Question in Christian
Education.

away from home to school, has
been the character, standing and
religious spirit of the institution
UNCONVENTIONAL schools have flour
ished because parents OF a partic-
ular doctrinal belief have wanted
their children indoctrinated with
certain religious convictions or at
least trained in an atmosphere
where views are emphasized.
Some schools have been built
up around the strong personality
of principal or president, while
others have stood out for some
peculiar type of character or meth
cd. Attention in large measure
has been conferred upon the school
itself, its course of study, its gen.
eral spirit, purpose, plan and
methods.
But in the changes which are
taking place throughout the state
an entirely new element is enter
ing into the problem, and that is
the question of environment. The
people of the state are waking up
to the fact that the licensed saloon
is the greatest hindrance to edu-
cation that exists on this continent
to-day, and that however good
may be an institution of learning,
it is not able to protect its pupils
from the corrupting influence OF
the dramshop where such exists
in the same community.
A man having sold his big farm
decided to go to some educational
town SO as to give his children the
benefit of the schools therein. In
looking about for a home he found
a string of ten saloons on one
block and said to others of his
household, "We will stop right
here, I'll never locate in any town
where whiskey has the run OF
things as it has here" He than
went to another College town, but
finding many saloons there he
turned from it in the same way.
Not until he found a community
which he felt sure would keep the
saloon under, did he buy a home
and move his family. Baptists.
Methodists, Presbyterians and
others do not care so much in these
days about the exact doctrine
their children are taught if only
they are led to warm, earnest
christian living, but they do
care more than ever wheth-
er in their hours of leisure
they are to be surrounded by a sa-
loon atmosphere, or one antag-
onistic thereto. The saloons en-
vironment unconsciously deadens
the moral sensibilities and en-
courages the development of the
grosser qualities of character.
Hence with College towns as
Fulton, Liberty, Mo~rrisville, Farm
ington, Fredericktown and Others
already dry, and such state in
stitutional centers as Kirksville
Warrensburg and Columbia hav'
ing expelled the dramshop, the
careful, solicitious parents of thu
state are thinking seriously tina
they cannot longer send thei
children to schools that are in sa
loon towns. They do not hav'
to.
Much of the good results at
tending education comes from
the surroundings. The environ
ment, the atmosphere, the life o
the people met has much to d
with and for the student body.
The faculty of the State Uni
versity may not be increased thi
year MOI a new building erected
but into the students there wi
come new and higher culture be
cause the citizens rose up to driv
out the saloon. The same hole
good of other towns that hay
taken the advantage of the Loci
Option law.
In sending out their catalogu'
wherever they a do it, prime
pals and Boards of Trustees vi
boast that no saloon exists in Il
community where their school
situated. A "Dry" town is goil
to have a marked advantage ov
one that is ''wet."
Missourians themselves W
prefer such, while people fro
prohibition Kansas and Oklah
ma, around as they are again
the liquor traffic, are not going
send their children to institutio
where they will be exposed to t
constant temptation Of the drar
shop.
Numbers Of cities in which the
are splendid schools are going
have the chance this spring
vote on-the local option questic
and If their eyes were open to tn
own interests every nan comes