El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-07

FIN and nations have come to be-
/ M Ueve that some form Of demo-
4V1 cratic government is best for a
-oon1e after they have passed the
cbildbood stage OF development. In
-, aa,,ocracies all the people are eX-
-,ectad TO take an intelligent interest
n their own social, economical and
Governmental development. we nave
come to believe that IN OTueI 70 W
tbis these peOple must be trained 10
tt-i-1- ri@bt and to act in accordance
,ritb sr,cb thought Lately we are coming
to realize that each lnolEluud' Llust y
trained to do his own thIIItIIs llls1J 80, ~
a--S- fo1loU-inr leaders. Men arc break
i1- e1vay, from sbossism" and irora all torms
NAT have tended toward the suppression ana
degradation Of the indiFluuai- a. -.
decade we have developed new conceptlolls
OF the functions Of puohc eu9 5-1.i III d
that 1t existed for the purpose CT Ial''il ~
do~rn from one generation to the next the
Standardization knowledge Of the pasr, bus the
later conception OF pupIlc s-uSts s IN - -
It should prepare each emo, an d., ~ VI az
fi1at eocietv social political, AMI economic,
Of which he or she viii form Fart
All Cities Strive for ideals.
Every progressive city in this country ana
abroad TODAY is doing its utmost 10 attain
these ideals. During the past Ee1erltlon the
educational problems OF me 'slty Lltte oe
too as our DolitfcaI Industrial, commercial.
and social life has become bro acer ana more
guidance, and intelligent cholce instead OF
haphazard drifting, haze auSe ieeoile
necessary to prepare the lnGlvlauaI Ior m J.,
telligent and successful participation IN II.
Now let us apply these principles to the
city Of El PasO Are we training the chill
dren Of this city to take an active and tr-
telligent part. citizens on great
democracy, in the affairs Of this country?
Task in FL Paso Difficult
WaA al nnHTrHnn
task Of making citizens in III Paso Is a
peculiar and difficult one There IS prob
United states where the task is so difficult
especially at this time But are we doing
an that we can and should do in this direc-
ton? How near do we come to educating
all the children Of all the peopleE
Last spring there was a scholastic census /
taken Of all children in the city between !
the ages OF and II years, and the total
was found to be SOC. OF whom 1902 were I
Americans 5G9I were >AIexicans. and 213 /
were negroes. Since that time IL is reason
able to suppose that the number has been I
considerably increased, but for lack Of more /
,onl parisons- Now found that on January /
- last there were enrolled in private and ]
yes mentioned; ana IN puoilc schools 1888, 4
lr a total in all schools of 66S2. OF course !
here was a larger number than this enrolled, /
jut some hundreds were under or over II {
ears, and the scholastic census does not in /
Jude these in the 9706 Deducting 66S2 from (
zee We find that the total number not in !
astic census. OF this humber q were ne /
sroes. $50 were Americans, and 2467 were I
IeXicGns- That is, Il percent Of the negroes F!
rere out, IS percent OF the Americans. and 4
= percent OF the MeXicaus. (In the figures (
IeXicaus are included. but the numbers OF
'ther foreigners are too small TO be consid-
Should Not Be Ignored
Now the. people Of FL PasO evidently he
.eYe in universal education for they have
rov1ced schools and teachers for all the
aces; and there is doubt in my mind 5
hat If those who are now growing IN in !
ignorance should ask for additional school I
ABILITIES they would get them The parents /
+ these children are Indifferent to their
ItUre welfare. But can EI Paso and the state
ems? This year 81 Paso received from the The
tate Of Texas for the education of these {
ead, or a total Of SE1.O00 This amount will
spenr on the others who are in the puD-
C schools Now these children are entitled
, the instruction that this money would 4
urchase, at least. this much instruction
nose tapl IS 1t that they are not get
ng their share2 Certainly it is not theirs /
II most Of them are not Of an age 10 be I
bic to Judge Of the value Of an education. /
nd the rest of them probably did not begin
arly enough TO form the habit or going 70
,hQol- Part OF the blame must. Of course. I
e borne by such parents as know the need
ca afell themselves OF II; but by FAR the
reater blame must be borne BY the state (
Texas which has not yet fully realized :
ie necessity Tor educating all OF its citizens,
IL mas no laws requiring the attendance s
chlldren at school All progressive for {
gn nations have such laws. Even Mexico . {
as an attendance law. and there are INF z
ur states IN the union now without some : I
ch legal provision for safeguardinr fbe J <
5hts OF childhood and citizenship /
What FL PasO Is Doing. I
Next. let us consider what Ell PasO is do
6 to prepare her citizens to be efficient I
orkers' producers and homemakers. So /
7 as the schools are concerned. we must / e
course leave out Of our considerations [
= olUV VINO are not In any schools, and , S
nat 1 shall say on this head applies only ! t