The Detroit times., 1913-04-30
COLER CALLS U. s. SCHOOL
SYSTEM ACN0STIC;; URGES
BREEDING OF COODCITIZENS

can be no deviation on the one side
without corresponding gravitation on
| the other. Public debts are soaring.
public debt service is bearing down
with cruel and ever-increasing pres
sire. Public debt service is what
we call the part OF our annual tax levy
that goes to pay the interest and fill
up the redemption fund.
| You may note that your city had
4 low per capita net debt rate In 1910
but IL Is not encouraging to learn that
since then you have increased your
=. net debt by more than four million
| and that your 1912 per capita rate
was 1871. However, when you com
| Fart that with New York's $50 per
capita rate you can see that the future
Is still in your hands.
Sounds a Warming.
when we think Of all th:s. We may
we'll grow grave. What is it's signif-
| canoe? For all this expenditure it is
| true that We have certain material
| comforts. But how long can IL last?
You may have noticed that In 1903
San Francisco's debt was very low.
That was before the earthquake. The
| reconstruction OF the city was posi-
| BILE because OF it's splendid financial
| condition. But suppose some such
calamity should overcome Boston. or
! Cleveland. or Cincinnati or Pittsburgh
or New York. Their ruins would en-.
| cumber the earth. Their levelled
towers would lie: they would be fiat
tened like the cities OF the plain be-
! cause they could not borrow the funds
for reconstruction. More than that,
the topping towers OF credit would
shake the finances OF the world.
There is a point of saturation in
the money market Some signs there
are that we are reaching It, The vast
municipal bond issues OF the last few
years more sluggshly. The market
receives them with reluctance. They
are withdrawing money from indus
trial enterprises and from agriculture.
They draw the people into the cities
where the wealth is, and the conven.
fence and Injuries are.
Detroit is still happy in that II
can conserve it's credit II is a choice
that has a value. DO not use it un-
wisely.
Another Heavy Drain.
There is another heavy item in the
cost OF government, against which the
guard. do not think any form of
graft takes as much OF the taxpayers
money as the employment in the name
OF economy and efficiency of useless
expert accountants and inspectors
and engineers. We are all concerned
with the amount of service we can
get out Of a highways laborer: we
measure IL of in square yards and
nh I'd 81
are lacking on the number Of expert
$4,000 a year accountants necessary
10 determine that the job is properly
done and honestly paid for.
There Is a very general impress
sion among our people that II Is
possible to cure moral evils with
statutes. II a police force reveals
corruption, 1t never seems to occur
to us that a sane thing would be to
try 10 secure more moral policemen.
Our press. in hysterical cutlery. and
our people. with sheep-like bleat
demand mediate enactment of laws
reshaping the police organization.
My opinion then Is that the form
OF government you adopt lisa matter
OF small Importance compared with
kind OF citizens you breed With
short ballot or a long ballot. with
commission government or any
other form Of government, by a law
that is larger and more compelling
than any Legislative statute. Won
will represent in your civic manage
ment with absolute accuracy, tho
moral content OF your social life. II
your citizens have sharp sense OF
hot ic cfr tuh
cut and definite conception OF what
is crooked and unjust. your govern
ment will be simple and honest and
efficient.
What. then, Is, the most impor-
tant thing you have to consider in
framing your municipal charter?
Where do you fashion citizenship?
1t is In childhood that il must be
your municipal government the de-
veloping souls? In your schools. 1t
is there that you must save your
city and make its government clean.
More efficient in the cause OF good
government than thousand reform
committees is single earnest, hon
est. instructed teacher.
With regard to our schools we
have followed the fashion Of the
world OF thought. We have felt the
materialistio backwash Of the Oar
winian revelatio nand have been
submerged in IL. We are sensitizing
the minds of our children to n1u-
ences at the same time materialistic
and Socialistic. because at its base
materialism and Socialism are the
same thing
"Ethically We are losing a con-
tent OF the greatest practical value.
We are turning out graduates who
have a thought that good and evil
are only relative terms. effluent
fro mthe changing conditions OF hui
man history. instead OF distinct and
positive and interchangeable reali-
ties embedded in eternal truth We
are educating their desires. but not
their moral nature You may not
feel it-in the development "A
criminal class that is of type new
In the history OF this country at
least
You must bring moral authority
back into the schools. You must as
sociate with your secular teachers
the authorized moral agencies Of
your city You can do this only
through the religious aducaton Of
the child and in any American COM
munity denominationallv divided.
the Just and wise course is TO en-
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