Weekly journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1908-1929, 1914-05-27

when our public and high school
libraries are a disgrace as far as
their volumes are concerned.
wish educators would cease their
fussy-wussy idea that duty and
work must be accompanied by a
sense of play, pleasure and fine
surroundings. Rather than have
my children get their education by
doses on silver spoons, l would
prefer that they dig trench
through solid rock, by the sweat
of their brows to the foundation
of knowledge, and thereby decrease
the army of idlers. There is les
son TO be gained in the life of ev-
cry one of those young men who
went to their doom in the electric
chair for the death of Rosenthal,
the New York, gambler. Those
boys had been taught that duty
must be accompanied by pleasure,
and the easiest way was the best.
Accordingly, at 70 they had worked
for the last time at honest employ
ment because it gave them no plea
sure and excitement and began to
prey upon the rest OF the world.
Every one knows the story.
I repeat, that dancing has no
place in the curriculum of pub
lie high school. No doubt nothing
that l could say would be conclu-
sive on this question and | do not
class as unintelligent all those
whom my experience fails to con-
vince. Perhaps it would be bet
ter to let this whole matter drop.
But. even if we were otherwise
willing to, we could hardly do 50,
because, as we have seen, it is not
an academic question, for there is
this matter of the home pressing
for adjustment If the school is
right in instituting things that are
questionable and against home in
fluence, then the home is the worst
enemy of our schools. And if this
is true, we ought to know i and
eliminate all home influence and
accept the moral standard set by
our schools.
We have no complaint to make
against our Board of Education.
We think they are doing the best
possible under the circumstances.
We do wish, however, that they
could understand the anguish OF a
mothers heart as she watches her
boy slip away from her influence,
that she through her love, her de-
votion and through patient teach
ing has tried to exert upon him,
through the spring and summer of
his life. We wish they could un-
derstand the distress of that which
seems TO us the cruelist of injuries,
a robbery committed upon our
dearest possession, by an influence
over which we have no control,
and must by necessity submit to.
The Spectacle by DeQuincy" of a
lady floating over the sea in a boat
and waking suddenly from sleep to
find her magnificent ropes of pearl
necklace by Some unavoidable &c
cident detached al one end from its
fastenings, the loose string hang
ing down into the water, and pearl
after pearl slipping off forever into
the abyss, brings before US the sad
ness of our case.
We are not ;r the habit of TAX
ing all our troubles to the Lord in
prayer. In fact, we have been rath-
er Indifferent to religion. But the
abuse that has been heaped lately
upon some of our good church peo-
pie has set us thinking. We agree
with Mr.. Fisher. that there is no
doubt that i'll this age there is a
certain flippant tendency to under
rate those of Puritanical views.
That is because we do not under
stand them. We are too materia,-
lstic; too worldly TO understand
them. Did it ever occur to us that
the Puritan was right and we are
wrong: In spite of what we in orr
superior way term his fanticism. he
was ruled by principle. He was
moved by a powerful influence. 50
powerful that it has been felt IN
the world from that day 20 this
1t drove Charles ! from the throne
and gave the world d Cromwell. a
Milton and d lIampden. 1t finally
resulted in transferring the govern
ment of England from the crown
to the parliament. 1t sent the Nav
flower across the sea. 1t generated
the spirit that threw the tea into
Boston Harbor and fought Lexinp-
ton and Bunker Hill. And we hope
its work is not yet done.