The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-12-02
ETHICS FoR CHILDREN.
What Sort Of Teaching is Needed e.
Decrease Crime.


A learned conference on the cause OF
the increase in crime in this country
and the responsibility of the public
schools in this country in this mat
ter, was held in Philadelphia at the
New Century club, under the auspices
of the educational department of the
club and developed a wide diversity
of opinion.
With a view to having as broad a
view on the subject as possible rep
resentstives from the Jewish, Protest
ant, Catholic Ethical and all otner
organizations which stand for moral
ity, were invited TO address the meet
ing, and although little that was
strictly new t.org little that seemed
70 offer any permanent remedy for
"thcSgreat increase in crime, was said,
the discussion was entertaining and
enllghtening. 1905 ~
Mrs. Edwin G. Guce, who during the
speeches, said that the earnest de-
sire of the committee under whose au-
spices the conference was held was
the awakening of the minds of the
public to the gravity of the problem OF
the increase in crime
Rabbi Charles Fleisher of Boston,
the first speaker. said. among other
things I'VE must teach our children
some code of ethics in the schools.
Why should we leave the care of their
morals to- our churches? The church
es do not reach everybody, and the
churches do not meet enough people,
nor give them enough time to make an
impression.
we are growing to me a more in
| teligent than a moral race. We arc
shrewder than we arc sympathetic be-
| cause we do not take our moral de-
velopment seriously enough, II is the
! duty Of the state to stimulate the
sense of right and wrong. Why
should the moral training OF children
| he left to chance? why should tn,
church have the only kind Of moral
training necessary? Hall. Of The rcu.
! pie Of the day donot 90 10 church. \
small, proportion of them go to sun.
day school, and when they go, what
do they get? A diluted Theology. 4
moral pap
Rabbi Fleisher recommended that o
graded system Of ethical instruction
be incorporated in the public schools
DIR. Nathaniel Schaefrer suporinteud
ent of public instruction in PonnsyI-
vania suggested in the address which
followed that teachers use secular dis
tinctions as an occasion for the in
stilling Of ethics and some kind Of
/ 1c Lt . I,g.
value of veracity," he said. THE very
way in which children are encouraged
to tell different tales about their ages
is enough to influence them against
any possibility of their having a high
standard of morals. In Pennsylvania
children have three different kinds
Of ages. Their first age is real or bap-
tismal age. The second their railroad
age. when they want to get cheaper
railroad rates The third is he age
they give when they want to get en-
ployment, when they know they are
too young" .
Superintendent Schaefer suggested
that the school books in which his
,orical events and characters appear
cd be used as topics for occasional
moral instruction. He also suggested
that the teachers in public schools be
required to have some religion; that
no teacher not a professional believer
in some creed be allowed to teach I'm
the public schools.
Although called upon unexpectedly
and totally unprepared for an aCadem-
ic address. Father Daniel McDermott
made brief address, in which he crit
icisCd the remarks of those who pre-,
ceded him on the program, and frank
ly said that their remarks had nothing
original about them nor did they, tC
on the program or offer any practical
solution for the incrcas in crime,
"lf you adopt the theory that yor
must teach ethics and not religion,
he said, you leave the children With q
rule of life which has only a na,ura
law as its end. If you combine relig
ion and morals you will have to define
! more clearly than either the rabbi OF
the superintendent have defined wha
Is your religion and what are you
morals. H."l
81 do not see how you are going e
introduce any religious training in tn
schools without becoming sectarian
You cannot even say the Lords Pray
: er without offending someone, becaus,
: the Catholic version is different from
, the Protestant version. You canno
read the bible because the Catholic yer
sion is different from the Protestant
and even If you celebrate the Christ
+. mas ideals or talk OF tho Christ yol
r. offend the Jew"