The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-05-19
= v ' . = = ' ' = 2 = 2 =
HIGH SCHOOL DANCES.
Rev. c. 1. Adams Recent Ser.
mon Attracts New Comment.

The Escanaba Journal says

sermon sunday evening in Jcuuneia-
ion OF the dance m general nur NOR,
especially the dance IN ur public
schools
This newspaper VIII take M cNeep-
| ton 10 the remarks Of Editor Russell
that there always mas been and al
ways viii be DANCING. also that ,oung
PEOPLE must have amusement. and
also thst there should De- cuIsu'uctiyn
work done with regard tp tho amuSe-
mrnt question.
We shall not discuss the question,
either in is religious moral. social or
educational aspect W. have our
idea, un Tie dance. ana ire, differ
from the majority opinion. Nc should
\ like "a have some discussion of The
u question, however, from a Viewpoint
\ ~ he relationship between The Sclopl
! SUDDEN, and the parent
The public school system is intend
ed 10 b- purely an educational sys-
Z tenn Toe system - supposed 10 pro-
mole good morals along ethical lines,
! hat mus, severely let alone any ques.
! lior Of good morals alonc the reilly.
] !aus lin. The bible is such a dan.
| serous thing tor poor, ignorant hu-
! manitv that il must remain a closed
! book except 10 the elect Eut the
Gance-that j. he ohaperoned hisk
school parry a constructive IN raj
iorce that Is developing ana moIding
| boys and girls into better and more
| Intelligent citizens better equipped
Tor the business Of life than they
would otherwise he This, We assume,
Is the position which Editor Russell
takes.
Now there il vast numher Of peo-
ole who are 50 far behind the times
that they are opposed 10 dancing
either public or private. And tncco
are parents who are trying To- inslil
he same opinion into The minds =
their children These parents must
send their children 10 school 10 Ice
educated, else the truant officer and
~ state law will have something to
Say 10 them. The logic % IN" situa-
ton, then. is this: The law II the
lana foTbids religious instruction in
the pubic schools: the law compcls
Uarents 10 send their children 10
Srhool-the. same children who are
Icing instructed al home as part Of
their religious training. tina: dancing
q wrong; at the school where r@lig
on is forbidden these children, Who
are relig!ousN instructed at hom" that
the dance j. wrong, are instructed
10Th by precopt and by example that
N" dance Is tho proper thing. Ani,
unless The children give wa 10 the
school influence and ignore the HON"
training and religious instruction,
they become practically social cat
casts 50 far as school life IS con.
Cerned.
Therefore. Brother Russell. LAYING
aside al dispute of the many phases
OF he dancing question, we come
down to this simple proposition: Has
q school board or has a school faculty
an legal or moral right Ia establish
or permit dancing in the schools, and
thus force children to a decision be-
tween home and parents ana social
Cstracism in school life
And coming down 10 your con-
stru,tiyc proposition: Is it not pos
siblr to have social entertainment
where all IN" children can meet on
rhc same social level, ana where the
question of right or wrong cannot 10
raised"
And supposing the school dance
question were put squarclr M TO the
supreme Court for a decision, would
the court permit it?
We doubt il, very much.
After all is said and done, the
dance is a moral and religious uu"S-
tioi. AND where question is 20
dcbatable the law should compel the
schools to let it alone.
American parents should have the
, light to train their children in good
morals without interference on the
par, Of school officers and school
teachers.
That H. the .ssuc, and that alone.
In replying To the above. the Mining
journal says
Discussing tho question of the Es-
canabl Journal. reaches this concln
sion.
After all is said and done, the dane"
is moral and religious question. Ana
where = question Is 50 dcbalable the
law should compel the schools To let II
alone.
The Mining Journal can hardly agro"
with this conclusion. The dance may
be moral question. but obviously 1t
is not always such n question. The
dance L. just what the dancers make
IL. Many dances are no more phases
of moral question than game OF
checkers between the editor of the
journal and one of his friends would
be. on the other hand many dances
are unquestionably moral questions.
and moral problems, too, Of great seri-
BUSINESS. And that is just why so many
clergymen who believe in lighting the
devil fonstructivcly advocate public
dances IN wholesome environments
including the environment of III"
school-that public dancing may, at
least in that degree. lose It's aspect "a
n moral problem.
And Is the dance a religious ques-
ton? which is the great religious dc-
domination that so pronounces IL? The