Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-07-06
THURSDAY. JULY 6, 1911.
UPHOLD THE HOOLS.

state what IS called the EQucaDlOndl
News Bulletin. This publication con-
tains many good news items Of an
educational nature; but it is most re-
markable for the amount Of harmful
matter which it contains. 1t often
find fault with and tries to belittle
public education as exemplifed in the
high schools and higher institutions of
learning in Wisconsin.
The current number of the bulletin
reprints approvingly from the Amigo
Republican an article which better had
never been written. The article was
signed by E. A. Morse and published
under the heading. Are our schools a
failure" Here are a few paragraphs
which show it's scope and spirit:
Most Of those who enter the grades
do not graduate from the high school
Less than one out Of every ten If
remember correctly. The other nine
realize that the high school education
is not what they want.
Let us keep the high school for the
one and at the same time let us es
tablish a school for the other nine that
will be Of value to them. Oh, the bitter
disappointment Of the poor parent, who
has worked like slave to send his or
her boy through high school when he
realizes that he has learned some ge
Ometry a smattering Of botany, Latin,
astronomy, physics and chemistry, but
cannot earn his living. How he blames
the boy at first and later the school.
Such cases are not rare in fact they
are the rule.
Il believe that good trade and ag-
ricultural school here would be worth
a dozen high schools and the attend
ance would be ten times as large.
IF you want to put the pool rooms
and other evil "hang outs" out of bus
mess give the boys something to do
that they can see will be of real dollars
and cents value to them.
A state wide protest ought to be
made against the sending out of such
stuff as this at public expense.
Without visions the people perish.
With narrow, perverted and short
sighted visions such men as Superin
tendent Cary and Mr.. Morse can do
incalcuable harm. 1t is very harmful
indeed to spread abroad the false notion
that high school education is not
what the boys and girls need. They
should all be encouraged to attain to it.
Except in cases OF extreme necessity it
is invariably mistake to drop out of
school
school graduates can not earn their
own living are not rare, but in fact the
rule, is simply false statement. 1t has
no foundation in fact. 1t is we'll known
to all men who can see beyond the
short transition period from school to
work, that high school graduates are
uniformly successful. This is true in
Mineral Point; and it is true in every
community where good high school
exists
Trade and agricultural schools doubt
less serve a good purpose. But to
establish and maintain them at the
expense of the high school as now
established would be a greet mistake
1t is used to be said that Uncle Sam
was rich enough to give farm to each
of us. The farms are nearly all pre-
empted. But education is within the
reach of all. Grown people should en-
courage the boys and girls to attain to
it.
A case came under our notice last
vision showed out in striking and
favorable contrast with those who
decry the work of the schools Mr..
Hugo, who had the city contract for
cement work here, had in his employ a
high school graduate who was a student
at the University of Wisconsin. The
young man had become expert, and
when the university opened last Sep
TENDER the contractor was paving him
$500 per day; and it was hard to get
man to take his place. The Young
man hesitated as to whether to keep
on at his good wages. or to throw up
his job and go back to his studies.
But, while it was to his own hindrance.
the contractor persuaded the young
man to go back to school, telling him
that university training would greatly
aid him in attaining success in the line
of cement construction. Mr.. Hugo was
right. The education of the schools
as now established is of real value
even dollars and cents value.
Garfield pointed out that through