The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1908-07-21
OUR HOPE IS THE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
New Orleans Item.

concerning the future of the American
people if he understands and appreci-
ates the value of the American public
school. That school is this country's
most glorious institution and greatest
achievement.
The people of the United States.
realizing the greatest of necessities,
first made men free, and now THEY
MAKE KNOWLEDGE FREE TO ALL
MEN AND WOMEN.
Once a year, at least, all the people
of the country should think of the pub
lie schools, dwell with gratitude On the
work of the teachers, and contemplate
with hope future results.
The schools are closed once more.
Grass and weeds w growing already
in the paths that lead up to the little
country school-house and tina windows
r getting dusty.
The children are at home, tens of
thousands Of them actually educating
their parents, among the foreign born,
giving to the older generation the free
knowledge that the Government gives
to the young.
There is much important work in
this world, but the work of educating
the children is so much mort impor-
tant than all other work that no COM
parison whatever is possible. Our
achievements in industry, science,
money earning and comfort creating
are as nothing compared WITH THE
CREATION OF A BETTER RACE
OF HUMAN BEINGS. AND THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL CREATES THAT
BETTER RACE.
The public school is not only a fac
tory for turning out better human be-
ings and q distributor of knowledge
1t is also truly republican in its char
acter, a great mixer of the innumera-
able nationalities that make up the hui
man wealth of America.
If we should lose our factories and
mines and big buildings and our &C
INFLATED wealth, the loss would be
great. But every dollar of that loss,
every stick and stone, would soon be
replaced by the children that have
just come out of those public schools.
Whereas, if we lost our public school
system. If We abandoned the magnii-
cent principle that declares all child
rem entitled to knowledge, THAT
LOSS would be irreparable.
Fathers and mothers should be full
Of gratitude for the work that the
teachers, the superintendent and the
higher managers Of the public school
system have done throughout the year.
All Of these men and women, work.
ing unselfshly, deyoting their lives to
the welfare of the children of others,
are entitled to public thanks. They
are paid insuficiently-shamefully lit
tie in thousands of cases. No money
could compensate the work that they
do. They are entitled, at least, to the
deepest gratitude, to the earnest coop
Grafton Of the parents in their labor.
Any man who helps to make our pub
lie school system better is the friend OF
the. entire nation, the creator OF q bet
ter race in, the future. Every enemy
Of the public schools is an enemy OF
this country and Of its system of gov
ernment, and has no place in the coun-
<rys The man who from niggardliness,
false sense of economy in taxation,
would limit public school expenditure
Is IN ignorant citizen or an unworthy
citizen, or both.
The man who would economic at
the expense of the school children is
me~an-spirited and contemplate. He
who thinks that there is any education
too good for the poorest child in the
public school is entirely unworthy OF
the opportunity that America offers to
I'll.
1t should be impossible for the rich
est man in the world to give to his
children an education better than that
which the nation gives TO ALL OF
IT'S CHILDREN.
AS a matter of fact, it is impossible
70 give to any child in America an ed
ucation better than that which it finds
in the public scpool, For the public
school gives what no private school,
however "aristocrstic" or suobbish il
may be, can possibly supply. The
public school gives . training in
AMERICAN EQUALITY. 1t brings
The boy and girl into contact with real
Life sss IL Is. It teaches the growing
mind to adjust itself to different opin.
ions, different views and different ma.
Nonslities. The public school is dem
ocrstic In the true sense Of the word,
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