The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-04-24
RELIGIOUS AND MORAL IN
SrRUCTI0N THROUGH HIS
TORY.
MARY l.. TRAVIS,
Teacher of Latin and History, Idaho
Falls Hiph School

MAN Il. lItANlo
Teacher of Latin and History, Idaho
Falls High School.
At the beginning of our national
career, our statesmen recognized the
necessity for religious and moral
training of men, In the famous doc
ument of 1887, they ordained that
Religion, Morality and knowledge
being necessary for good government
and the happiness of mankind,
schools and the means of education
shall forever be encouraged. BY
this expression of their sentiments,
followed soon afterwards with the
Federal Congress, they have given,
as it were, a legality to such train
ing that has become imperative for
us to follow.
1t is perhaps, needless to mention
here that the term religious" is
used in it's broadest sense, as refer
ring to the religious nature in man,
to belief in things of the spirit, and
is above all creed and dogma.
If,therefore, in day when the
home training impressed the stern
principles of truth and righteousness
deeply upon all, statesmen felt i'm
PEELED to call still further attention
to such, how much greater is the
necessity for doing so in these days
of wholesale political corruption and
increasing love for money? Much
as the old fogy notions of our fore
fathers are laughed at by some, to
these same notions are attributed our
high moral standards and success as
a nation. The greatest need today is
that we go back to some OF the old
fashioned precepts which are really
always new-fashioned, for advance
ment to be real must be upward.
The environment of the homes and
communities where many OF the
boys and girls are now growing up is
frequently not conducive to good
morals Often, the places where they
eat and sleep can scarcely be called
homes. Again, frequent divorces
break up homes, so there is not that
sacred atmosphere in which to nour.
ish these young souls.
The presence of such large mum.
bers of the foreign-born in our coun'
try must not be overlooked. The
migrant comes here with European
ideas of right and wrong, coloret
perhaps by centuries of oppression
In five years time, he may become &
full-f1edged American citizen, bu
alas! this time is altogether too shor
for him unaided to learn new
language and become filled with tht
spirit of our institutions. How the1
I, = 10 ohi11rnn hn tonph
49,. the principles of good citizenship un
less through our public schools
Coming as these hordes of people arr
now doing from the southern ant
eastern portions of Europe, often en-
tertaining notions of anarchy which
teaches that liberty means license, o
trained to feel that religious matter
are wholly apart from secular inter
ests and that the voice of conscience
can be silenced in an Indifferent way
they are a farce in our body politi
which must be considered. Are thes
people to make valuable contribution
to our civilization or are they T.
sweep down updh us like Mongol in
vaders and stifle our moral life? Tha
1t may not be the latter, we must b
bestirring ourselves
One incident as cited by a lat
number of "The Outlook Magazine
will suffice to show the danger.
On a night before city electio
some ten years ago, Manuel Levine
Jewish immigrant boy just owe
from Russia, entered large hall l
the city of Cleveland. The room wa
decorated with flags and filled wit
foreigners Of the Jewish races. o
the platform sat police judge, seN
eral assistant prosecutors and tn
ward boss, known as the Gear" A
ter a patriotic air by the band, tn
boss addressed the audience in Yit
dish He spoke of the hard strus
gle the men there were having
earn scanty living with law an
wealth apparently arrayed again
them. He told them that they wei
entitled to larger returns and ft
this reason they had right to tai
advantage of people in trade, to br
stolen goods and evade the polio
He said further that if any Of the
ever were arrested to send for mi
to help them out; then, pointing
the Judge and others on the platforr
exclaimed: "They are with US, wi
us all the time! We have the
skinned"