The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-03-03
P A 7 RIO T ISM
in PU BLIC
SCHOOLS
THEME OF ADDRESS BY REV G.
w. MoCREERY.
Teachers and Students Assemble at
First Congregational Church
at q O'Clock.

At meeting of the Teachers as
sociation yesterday afternoon at tho
First Congregational church, Rev. G..
w. McCrcery addressed the students
and teachers. his theme being: pa
trlotism In the Public Schools" He
said:
There are three influences that
touch the child life In teaching way.
They are the home. the church and tho
public school. Each Is moro or less
successful, each fails some. At least
In spite Of them oil, some children
grow up to be harmful citizens, devoid
among other things Of patriotism. 1t
is our purpose this afternoon to dis
cuss this situation and ask and try to
answer the question. How may Pa
triotlsm be taught In tho Public
SchoolsT In our discussion we as
sumo that patriotism should be taught
In the public schools. It is an institu-
tlon of the state. Pupils are under OBJ
legation to the state for their education
and 1t has a right TO expect that they
should come out of the public schools
with an ideal Of citizenship that Will
make them good citizens. intelligent,
productive and law abiding.
But In part there is a failure. 1t
Is best to face tho fact that we may
be better All these institutions thai
are moulding the life Of the child
should study the problem from the
standpoint Of an Incomplete success.
F1rst-There is the child that comes
out Of the public schools q criminal.
You have clearly seen that he is head
ed that way. You have tried to halt
him but he has gone from bad to worse
and you have eaid "If he does not
stop he will stop in the penitentiary."
] do not think that 1t Is the fault Of
the public school, but the home in most
cases, but the public school should be
able to handle the problem, II 1t does
its full duty to the state.
Second-Then there Is perhaps Il
greater number who work the govern
ment In petty ways Of graft 1t Is
considered perfectly right to steal
from the government to slight the
work that may be done for the state.
to beat the contracts and steal the
public domain. To hew Just over the
mark, but still on the wrong side.
Third-But greater than oil is thet
class of citizens who arc corrupt In
their civic duties. They may not real
lie 1t but they are very unpatriotic.
a. The first is the crimInally indiffer
ent. They do not attend the primary.
nor lift the voice In favor Of that which
they really believe. Sometimes they
vote. sometimes. But the state would
so to ruin IL 1t were dependent upon
them for safety. Their evil is one of
omission b. Then there are those
who are active In party politics, but
at the behest of the boss and they to
their extent are bosses. The party Is
above state. 1t Is my party right or
wrong. but my party" with them. They
know that their leaders are corrupt,
but say that 1t is necessary for sue
cess. There may be deals with corrupt
influences. but they approve, that they
may win. They vote the ticket
straight, regardless. They make the
machine possible Perhaps they get
something out Of the corruption barrel,
to pay for their time They deserve
severe rebuke
The third type is "the interest" and
of the corporation or individual first.
the rights Of the people and the state
afterward This is the most subtle
and the strongest influence for cor
ruption that we have In the state
These classes Of citizons are the un-
patriotic. They are undesirable ciu-
zens," II you will. We need patriot
Ism that will make these things impos
sibIe. It Is not the noise made on the
Fourth Of July or the amount Of cheer
Ing done at political gatherings that
Indicates patriotism.
Now the problem is this-To so
train the children and youth of the
land that they will grow up to be citi-
zens who will do their civic duties,
and do them right and that they will
be law-abidIng and lncorruptible in
all their actions.
How Is this to be done @
First-Tcach honesty and integrity,
truthfulness and uprightness. This Is
the root of the situation Develop
character. You havo many opportuni-
ties. Insist that in their play about
the school grounds. or In games be-
tween schools that nothing under
handed shall count, The one who wins
by deceit has not really won. 1t Is
not good sport to win by trickery.
think that this is very important. To
run in players, who do not really be-
long there. is to lay the foundation for
future crime To play underhandedly
is the preparation that leads to under
handed business and crime. Take ad-
vantage of the temptation to steal In
grades and information In examinations
to show that to do so is to foster the
practice upon the citizenship of the
future. Show that It's principle is GRIM
inal. I am told that the number OF
students In the high school that filch
information In examinations is almost
all Inclusive That there Is a spirit
In the student body that fosters IT.
If this is true, IL my information is
t,,r. O