Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-26
A Protest to the Public.

Editor Kennebec Journal: In a Ger
tain place not far distant. there is a
school which has daily attendance
of approximately $50 boys and girls.
This includes, of course, children of
widely varied parentage. And in
this school, certain so-called fast
set" has created conditions which
have been the cause of a deal of I'M
pleasant comment from many quar-
tiers. In fact. So much has been said
that number of mothers about town
have said that they will never send
their sons and daughters to the
school.
II is only right that such false
impression should be corrected, or at
least modified. In the first place, the
entire student body has been called
upon to bear the stigma which props
erly belongs to the very few. Such
a condition is obviously unjust, but is
none the less true. 1t hurts the fair
reputation of the school, and of each
individual student, and ii is very
unfair superstition to infer that 1t Is
solely the fault of the school system
or the authorities. In fact, 1t is
largely the fault of the parents them
selves. for. if they will take the pains
To look into the affairs of the school,
observe how the dances and parties
are chaperoned, and then compare
conditions here with other schools IN
or out of the State, they will find as
exemplary conditions as in any other
school of equal size anywhere.
It must not be supposed, however.
that in saying this, we intend to give
the impression that the social eondi>
tions are perfect. We know very We'll
that the present generation is sub
jected to as many. perhaps more
temptations. than any previous one.
But you cannot blame the school for
that. It is condition which is a part
of the twentieth century system,
test which distinguishes unfailingiy
between the fit and the unfit, and as
such, is useful and essential part
of universal progress. A definite ad-
junct to the process of evolution, 1t
can neither be altered nor abolished,
but it may be confined to the isolated
cases of the unfortunates who are
predestined to become mental and
moral failures.
In this particular case. a majority
of the disturbance has been caused by
that peculiar class of people, who
continually fall back upon those
timeworn old phrases, Il heard and
they say" These two ancient and
very undesirable subterfuges have
done more to injure the regulations
of both school and students, than
any other one thing. The class of
persons who persist in employing
such clumsy defenses TO cover their
innate love of startling gossip, ought
to be consigned to the bottomless pit.
They either do not realize, or do not
care how seriously they impair the
regulations of their own children, as
well as that of the school. by their
senseless folly and SANDER. In clos
ing, having been member of this
school for over four years, my inside
knowledge of actual social conditions
is about as comprehensive as anyone's,
and there has been entirely too much
smoke for so little fire. Most of the
scandal which has been circulated has
been simply and solely the result of
the wagging tongues of busybodies,
who do not know whereof they speak.
Also. no boy or girl who cannot be
trusted to do what is right here, Will
ever amount to much anywhere.
K. F. l..