The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-11-06
EDUCATION A NATIONAL, NOT MERELY
A LOCAL OR STATE FUNCTION

unskilled, with so little experience
or fitness for the work as is the
case in the United States of Ameri.
ca.
in no other civilized country does
the nation, as a unit, concern Itself
so little about the vital educational
interests of the people as a whole.
And yet OF all modern nations the
United Sta.es is more dependent for
its prosperity in the long run upon
universal education than any other.
In a republic, OF all forms OF gov
ernment, the welfare of each sec
ton and of the whole is bounl up
with the educational condition OF
each section district and locality
In free government where every
man counts in certain matters as
much as any other man. ignorance
in any locality, or in any individu-
al, is a menace to all localities and
all individuals. Intelligence and ed.
ucation in any district are an asset
for all districts and for the whole
nation.
OF all republics the United States
is most interested in maintaining a
vital and efficient educational sys.
TEN. No other state is receiving SO
many ignorant people from so many
different nations with sNCh varying
standards of religion, morals and
conduc, no oter state is finding
the fundamental basis of national
unity so s,ently undermined by
foreign currents of thought and
feeling.
The fate of the nation is conse,
quently bound up with the 9ssimia-
tion OF these elements as soon a.
! possible with their complete inCor.
pora ion into our body polite and
social, and above all with their con.
tinuOus uplift toward an ever high
er standard of economic and moral
efficiency. And yet rowarl accom-.
plishing all this the nation as a unit
is dong almost absolutely nothing
We are spending enormous sums
OF money upon the army and upon
the navy. We pride ourselves upon
being a peaceful nation and yet VIC
are spending more, and always have
spent more, upon military defense
! and offense as a nation than upoI
all other objects and for all Other
purposes whatsoever. We have spent
money like water upon the improve
ment of our rivers aao narbors. We
are planning to spend still more and
If it were wisely spent 1t would be
well. We are upon the verge OF
adopting a policy OF internal i'm
provements which VIII cast far in.
to the back ground all that he have
thus far done.
Side by stse wi,a the conserva-
ton OF our national resources We
are considering even larger plans
for the development of our ma ional
resources on an even larger scale
And yet We are doing little as a
nation to conserve the greatest OF
our nation resources-the intellec;
and health OF our people. And we
are doing still less 10 develop what
is. after all, the greaest asset of
any natiOn-the brains of its peo
pie We have doubtless wasted much
of our heritage. Such a waste is q
sin and bitterly we shall pay for It..
But the saving which we may affect
after all by a more reasonable policy
in these matters represents but a
small Increment to our national
wealth compared with what may be
added by the intelligent develop.
ment of national talent, such as is
brought about by a reasonable, COM
prehensive, well suppo:ki educa-
tional system.
When the constitution was a,npt.