Evening star., 1912-09-12

When Gov Wilson, in one of his recent
campaign speeches. told the farmers in
his audience that one OF the economic ad-
vances OF the future would be brought
about by a greater use Of the school
house by the parents of the children. he
struck a heavy blow against the closed
schoolhouse door and thereby reinforced
the efforts Of the men and women who
for the past five years have been enerset-
ically working under the slogan A
broader use OF the school plant
This movement started in the cities in
the utilization of. the school as social
center in the tenement district. II Is
spreading everywhere, and in no conhu-
nifty is its need greater than in the rural
localities. The use OF the schooi as
political center. as advocated by eroV'
Wilson, is not new in one sense. oecase
the public school building has been useo
for speakings. for primaries ana TOT eau
cuses, as well as for elections. for many
years in some states. and such use mas
not always met with the approval OF
those having the best interest of the COM
munity at heart.
The modern idea of the use OF the
school building for political purposes con-
S1SIS not III having q kdlhCIm6 ~
of the local politicians who, amid clouos
Of bad tobacco smoke and much expecto-
ration, to be cleaned up before the room
is At for the occupancy OF the chIluren
next day, plan secret schemes OF personai
interest, but rather in using the school
building as an educational center from
which will go out knowledge OF Interest
and benefit to the entire community. II
can be utilized as a lecture hall, wnere
men and women will gather to near nve
~F <1,o Sides
current political issues. The children are
taught that politics is really the practical
application of good citizenship and tney
carry home to their parents this IDEA and
for further information. There is no rea-
son why the schoolhouse may not serve
as a medium for the distribution Of cam
paign literature, provided 1t is done in an
absolutely non-partfsan spirit and al
sides have equal advantages.
X
The advent Of women into political cir
cles already is being felt in the rural
districts, and
Advent 0f Women as the women
Already Being Felt. ested in poll
tics are usually the ones who pay most
attention to the interests of the Schools
it follows that many Of the school I'M
provement leagues now are making
study OF political interests. The school
houses form the most convenient meet
ing places for this study since the men,
bers are most Of them parents OF chill
dren attending t.e school, About TWO
generations ago in many communities II
was customary to gather in the old-fasn-
ioned schoolhouses for lyceums. debating
"schoolhouse meetings" at which mat
ters pertaining to the good of the COM
munity, such as the building or ne"
bridge, or changing the length OF the
school term. were discussed by the ,. peo.
ple who were to be most affected. That
was before politics had assumed the
complex aspect Of the present day.
Now II is believed that by the revival
of these schoolhouse meetings and the
presentation of political issues by com
petent speakers representing all of the
different parties one OF the strongest
powers against corruption and graft VIII
be put into operation. In Colorado the
rural schoolhouses have been USED exten-
siyely for informal political meetings at
which the consideration OF local needs
has been easily widened out to include
national subjects such as the tarln and
the other political issues.
In the southern states some especially
effective work has been done In the utili-
Zation Of the
EffAcfive Work rural public
. school as a
IN 0outAcIA 0saseo' social center.
AS a result Of the work in one Louisiana
school the community will soon have a
rural telephone company with the prin-
cipal Of the school as president. Materials
now are on the ground for constructing
a line into Provencal. the nearest ship
ping point where the families connected
with the school dispose Of most of their
products. This schoolhouse serves to
provide the religious education OF the
community also. for 1t houses the Sun
day school which meets each Sunday
morning. After the Sunday school the
older scholars have social hour with
the principal society called The
Community Upbuilders' has grown from
this school. whicn devotes its sessions to