The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-13
CHAPTER OBSERVES
FOREFATHER'S DAY
Continued from page 81

FOREFATHER'S DAY
Continued from page 81
church life and worship. From 1923
to 164O between thirty and forty thou
sand OF the very flower Of the Eng
lish middle classes emigrated from
England to America and founded the
Puritan colony Of Massachusetts, bay,
adjacent to the Plymouth colony.
These Puritans, however, had no
thought OF separating from the Eng
lish church. One Of their number,
Francis Higginson, on sailing from
the mother country, is reputed to
have said: 1--WE will not say. as the
Saparatists were wont to say at their
leaving England, Farewell, Babylon!
Farewell, Rome!' But we will say,
Farewell, dear England! Farewell,
the Church OF God in England, and
all the christian friends, there!' New
ertheless when the Puritans reached
New england they found that they
mad so much in common with the Sep
aratists who had preceded them that
they fashioned their churches after
the Plymouth model and 1t came to
pass in the process of time that the
two streams, Pilgrim and Puritan,
were mingled in common current en-
riching not only this country but the
life Of the world.
The Heritage Of the Pilgrims.
Having considered the Genesis and
Exodus OF the Pilgrim movement. let
US glance briefly at the heritage
which the Pilgrims and Puritans have
left us.
"First. religious freedom. The Pill
grim fathers, far In advance OF their
time, were free from the prosecuting
spirit. This was not true OF the Puri-
tans for they prosecuted the Quakers
and the Baptists, but in process OF
time they outgrew their intolerance,
and for a hundred years prior to the
outbreak Of the Revolutionary war
freedom of faith and freedom of wor-
ship in Massachusetts colony were
practically unrestricted. This prin-
ciple found expression in the f1rst
amendments to the American consti-
tuition when 1t was enacted, Congress
shall make no law respecting an es-
Enlistment Of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof
Second, civil liberty, In establish
ing their commonwealth some form
OF government was necessary for our
Pilgrim fathers. On board the May
flower they entered into a solemn
compact to form civil body polite.
This compact is recognized as the
legitimate .forerunner Of the American
constitution and was but the applica-
ton OF the government OF their
church to the government OF their
state. In their church life they OBJ
served the simplest form Of pure de-
mocracy in which every member had
an equal voice and an equal vote.
This principle they applied to the
state. The old New England town
meeting was the church convened for
the transaction Of public business. 1t
elected members to the general court
or assembly and so originated the
principle of representative govern
ment which forms the basis for our
state and, national governments.
Schools Come from Thorn.
Third, public schools. The Boston
Latin school was founded in 1895, and
Harvard college in 1886. Other schools
were established about the same
time. In 1912, the general court pass
ed a law for the encouragement of
education and Ave years later passed
an ordinance which is known as the
mother of our school laws This or
dinance provided for common schools
in every community of fifty house
holders. and grammar or college pre-
paratory schools in every community
OF one hundred householders. These
schools we're to be supported at pub.
lie expense. To these beginnings the
public school system OF our country
may be traced
'eThis then is the heritage which
! We have received from the Pilgrims
and the Puritans-religious freedom
civil liberty, and the Beginnings OF our
system of public schools. These are
Of far greater worth than any monu,
ments Of marble or bronze that might
| be erected. We may best observe
Forefathers day and commemorate
most acceptably the service rendered
| to the American people by our Pill
grim fathers in maintaining and per
petuating the principles and tradi
lions which they have left u.s.
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