The San Francisco call., 1910-12-28
Fresno Editor Addresses Cali
fornia Teachers AssOcia-
tiOn at Berkeley
Benjamin Ide Wheeler, Alfred
ROncOvieri and Others
Are Heard

can teach the tide Of foreign tmmigra-
fion coming into our country annually
our American virtues Of courage and
truth Those virtues, like the rest Of
oar institutions and ideals, came from
northern Europe, and developed only
because the people there were a rugged.
hardy and outstanding people. II
takes courage to tell the truth, for to
tell the truth means TO fight. That is
why, perhaps. IL is said that men seldom
fell the truth TO women, and that
women never tell the truth TO any one"
SO Chester H. Rowell. editor Of the
Fresno Republican, stated before the
California teachers association in Har
mon gymnasium, Berkeley, yesterday
He said that upon Americas schools, or,
rather. upon her teachers. rested the
task OF maintaining our democratic in
stitutions. Rowen made his speech at
The general afternoon session of the
association. following addresses made
by Benjamin Ide Wheeler. president of
the University OF California, and AL
fred Roncovieri. president Of the asso-
citation and superintendent Of San Fran
cisco's schools.
Rowell dwelt upon the premise that
the hope OF democracy and the hope of
developing better citizens and higher
ideals Of patriotism were in the public
schools
MIST CREATE PRINCIPLES
III you can not solve the problems
OF the present day in the task Of MAX
ing good Americans OF our boys and
girls and OF the foreign influx coming
every year." Rowell said to the teach
crs. then the task viii never be solved.
You must create or maintain such
principles OF democracy as will make
love OF courage and truth be virtues In
this country. In some crowded and op-
pressed parts OF the old world sneak
ing and lying have become virtues, for
in that environment only such ways Of
life led to success and only such ways
- life were possible. If we maintain
high ideal Of democracy courage and
truth viii continue TO be regarded as
virtues here II not. then snealSing and
lying VIII become the things 10 be
sought after. We must realize that
only ia the proper environment will
courage become virtue. Courage in
q iion is virtue; in a rabbit II is fool
ish.@
Rowen went on record as in favor
of excluding undesirables. He mem
aned no names. but gave the strong
impression that he opposed Asiatic i'm
migration. a burst Of applause greeted
this sentiment
SCHOOLS MUST BE GUARDED
The task OF keeping America
democracy depends on the permanent
democracy of the public schools"
Rowcll continued. When schools be-
eomc 50 classified that one sort OF peo-
rle send 10 one sort OF schools and
anol-er sort OF people send 10 another
go-t OF schools then the end of democ-
~1cy Is in sight. and within one gen
er-tfon. We must insure against this
V : ecpinE public schools. as they are
e-aT tie best and most effective
a2ais in the land"
speaker made n clear that what
ought the schools should aim for
training IN citizenship. lie be-
in vocational schooling. and
it we should have moro OF IT,
fear was shat in following this
losely. in aiming ar securing too
a' efficiency in specialized subjects.
rr 2ight become -sidetracked" from
.ain purpose-training for citizen
children are not trained IN citi-
aip in the public schools. Rowell
r.e on. where are they TO get that
'a ning2 Perhaps in the school OF
- Seal politics. But the trouble is
~ AZ present we can only train chill
d"t the sentiment Of citizenship. in
,et-ietisni in the schools and not in
- Intellectual understanding of actual
~ Government. This is because women.
Or med by women, predominate in the
So o2l system. Women, trained by
va.nen. mast teach boys and girls who
WA, by the time they grow up both
hs the obligation and duty Of citi-
7eDship upon them. The children learn
in books how the government is put
together. but they never realize how
it actually works This Is because their
teachers do NOT know that
LAUDS WOMEN TEACHERS
Rowell declared. however. that the
women teachers did wonderful work.
and that All he called for was greater
percentage OF men lie said a good
strong woman was better than a "su-
perannuated sissv-boy~
Benjamin 1de Wheeler welcomed the
teachers 10 Berkeley and dwelt upon
the ambitions Of the university of
which he is the head. addressing the
teachers as fellow workers In the same
great task A notable portion of Doc
tor Wheeler's address was that oppos-
ing the statement often advanced at
gatherings of educators that the public
schools were too much merely prepara
tory schools for universities and that
the high school should become the
poor mans college"
The university president stated that
every poor boy should have every on
portunity TO go TO college and that the
lower schools should be regular and
fully equipped grades leading TO the
higher education. Doctor Wheeler
made plain the sentiment he holds that
10 seek 70 make high schools the poor
mans college was the element of snob-
hery and undemocratic in the extreme.
His declaration was that every poor
man should have equal opportunity with
.se rich 20 prepare for the work Of the
university.
Doctor Wheeler declared that the
work or the schools was that Of equip
ping young humans with the power 10
trse themselves from the shackles
paced upon them by tradition or the
hand OF man.
RONC0vIERI FAVORS PENSIONS
Alfred Roncovieri touched uoon sew
eral problems now confronting the
schools Of the state. declaring strongly
Tor pensions for teachers. Roncovieri
advocated industrial schools and q bill
prepared by Colonel Harris Weinstoclx
10 be submitted TO the next legislature.
providing fer the establishment OF In
dustriai schools al over the state. In
part he said on this topic:
The demand for the twentieth
century Is Tor an education that is
practical Ii IS for an education
that viii prepare for complete liN-