The Paducah evening sun., 1910-02-17
SEND THE BOY TO SCHOOL

A common mistake Is being made
BY the press of Kentucky in reference
to the report of State School Superin-
tendut Crabbe, when they emphasize
the fact that out of total scholastic
population of 1886. only 311,192
attend. It must be remembered that
the scholastic population includes all
minors between the ages Of 6 and 20.
and II is not surprising that great
many under eight or over sixteen do
not attend. The trouble with the
school situation in Kentucky is not
merely that children cannot get TO
school at all; but that they do not
attend long enough. One reason is
that the terms are too short.
Society is evolving a new code of
ethics, and governments are strug-
Cling to conform to it. Time was
when the Three RS we're consid-
cred sufficient for the needs of the
ordinary man, education being re-
garded as an advantage only in maxi
ing ones way in the world. Now, an
education Is necessary to fit one for
the duties of citizenship. As we pro-
gress and develop and our relations
become more and more complex,
ignorance becomes more and more a
menace. william Allen White sounds
warning in his excellent series in
the American Magazine on "The Old
Order Changeth". when he says and
proves by statistics that 1--WE have a
sixth grade government" II we
would prevent chaos we must speed
lily have High school government,
which means that the controlling
leverage OF citizenship, which stamps
the character OF government, must
have at least High school educa-
tion.
We see at home the narrowness of
some rural minds in McCracken
county today. Our county superin-
tendent has sounded the sentiment
on the idea of consolidated schools.
A farmer thinks that the proximity
of the school TO his place will eu-
hance its value, and Il might do q a
trihing injury, II the school Is To-
moved. But he forgets that the in
creased number of schools cuts down
the pay Of the teachers and the
length of the term, and thereby re-
duces the possibility of. not only his
children. but his neighbor's children
acquiring an education. Consequently,
for the imperceptible advantage of
having an idle school house standing
near his farm, he will risk the possi-
bility of men and women, who will
make laws and social conditions in
which his children will have to live,
growing up in ignorance, a menace
to and drag on social progress and
a detriment to farm values. which
he cannot appreciate. but which are
real and overwhelming.
The farmer. speaking of him now
as of a class, feeling his lack and
knowing not what it is, cannot,
through sheer ignorance, study his
own condition for its betterment.
Kentucky has passed through en- eX-
pensiYe experience of this nature.
She spent more in putting down night
wealth than it would cost to put the
schools in first class condition. Does
anyone think night riding could exist
In an educated community? Look at
the rural exchanges of the Black
Patch and one will read two and
three columns OF farm properties for
sale. Farmers aroused to pitch OF
trenzied anger at their conditions,
burned and slew, with the net result
of half million acres of farm land
dumped. a drug on the market, hun
dreds of people driven out Of the
state, thousands OF others prevented
for a generation from coming. mil
liOns of capital withheld from invest
mont, aud untold suffering and heart
ache. No one knows what outlawry
now turks in the minds and hearts OF
the sons of those men today, to
threaten the safety of society and the
government.
II is just as important for a mans
lneighbors to be forced to take sani-
tary precautions, as 1t is for him to.
and IL is just as important for a
mems neighbor's children to be edu-
Gated as it is for his children.
In the city do we find the men,
who complain that the laws are made
for the advantage of their employers
educating their children? Not al
ways. They give the boys what they
consider enough education "to make
their way IN the world" and then
send them to their trade. Why don't
they educate their children, so they
can take their place in civic life be-
side the sons OF their employers. 80
they may study the problems. affecting
their trade, fairly and equltably, in