Evening journal., 1914-11-20
SUFFRAGE QUESTION
BEFORE THE GRANGE
National Body Feels Change
Should Be Made By
States
NO INTERFERENCE
WITH RIFLE CLUBS


lie schools and colleges and the ques-
tion of improved public highways
were among the big problems dis
cussed by the National Grange this
morning.
Mrs. Florence Bayard Hilles. who
represented the Congressional Union
of Woman Suffrage. was permitted
to address the grange for five minutes.
resolution introduced several days
ago by II. larland, of Idaho. favoring
laws TO prevent the ignorant, dishonest,
vicious and physically defective from
coming into this country, and predict
ing that an attempt would be made at
the close OF the European war 10 dump
an immense number of people on this
country, was adopted.
A resolution was adopted approving
the course of the last years legislative
committee in indorsing the Shakleford
road bill, now in Congress, and commit
ting the National Grang, TO any bill
chat viii be presented to Congress that
will carry out the policy Of the grange.
The question of states rights
figured largely in the discussion on
woman suffrage by Federal amend
ment. Those who spoke in favor of
the Federal suffrage amendment we're
c. b. kegley, of Washington: J.. ID.
Ream, Of Nebraska: A. +. ReardOn, of
Kansas; j. A. Peckham, of Rhode
Island; T. c. Atkeson. of West Vir-
ginia; c. r. Spence, of Oregon; J. c..
Ketcham Of Michigan. Those who
opposed the Federal amendment
were: II. NJ Culbertson, of Wiscon-
4 of H. .frts
G. w. f. Gaunt, Of New Jersey; w. II.
Vary of New York; c. o. Raine, Of
Missouri.
While all the speakers favored wo-
man suffrage. the majority of the
grange members felt that 1t was bet
ter TO let Il come by State enactment.
The position Of the grange on the
question of education is we'll set forth
in the report of the committee ON
education as adopted today, which
was as follows:
"Facing the duty of making a report
upon education that is TO stand for one
year as the official utterance of this
body and which in the coming years
may be consulted to determine the trend
of educational thought from grange
standpoint at the time It was written,
your committee feels its responsibility
and requests your careful consideration.
Interest in education, particularly in
those phases OF it that relate TO rural
! life, has never been a more vital them,
/ of Grange discussion than at present
and the grange still retains its prou,
| position as a strong factor in moldin,
and shaping rural educational policies
I 1t has seen clearly and spoken truly an,
c0urageously in behalf of better an,
greater educational advantages for The
/ boys and girls of the country in the pasi
and with equal courage and confdenc,
it faces the problems that are just
ahead. Grange workers are sometimes
confronted with the statement that
there is no work for it to do, now tina,
so many of the battles of the grange
/ fathers and mothers have been won. IN
reply to this challenge one has but to
/ glance at this one field of grange inter
est and simply name the problems that
confront us in rural education TO find
one eiiectual answer TO all such Qucs.
tions. The shifting population, tn,
growth OF the tenant system, the rapid
/ Improvement of roads and the wide
I spread use of motor vehicles are daily
bringing TO view new phases OF tn,
question, and every thinking member oI
the grange knows that in all these mat
ters there is call for his best en-
deavor.
1--WE reaiiirm the position of last year
committee in stating that a good edu-
cation is the birthright OF every boy
and girl in America, and we pledg,
ourselves to keep steadily ON this coursJ
until there shall be equal chances fol
the boys and girls of the open country
to secure at least high school education
without leaving their home cOmmunitie,
to get it.
"The problem of determining the
proper size of the unit OF school admin.
istration is one of great Importance. II
Is clear that in many sections the small
local or district unit so familiar to us
all, is too small for economical and sue
cessful administration. The conditions
of area, population and travel, are s,
diverse that no hard and fast rule car
safely be laid down as a standard for all
sections of the country. In this con
nection we call attention to the report
of the special committee ON highwayi
so far as it relates to administrative,
units. We believe that in schools az
well as in highways the unit of admin
istration should be large enough Tor th'
highest efficiency, but small enough (,
secure the largest possible interest an'
co-operation of the people most directl,
concerned. I'm all legislation designed I,
change the units of administration. how
ever. we demand that the provision
shall be optional rather than mandatory
in each case.
"The course of study for rura
schools is another problem for care
ful thought The old conception o
the course was that it should hayl
culture as its aim. Later, eficienc,
became the watchword and use an,
practical were the terms most fire
quentlty used in describing the idea
course of study. In these later day
the standard seems TO be culture ant
efficiency rather than culture or eff
ficiency' and to this standard we civ
our cordial sanction. We object 4
reducing our rural schools to tn
level of trade schools on the one hani
or to mere college preparatory inst.
tutions on the other Rememberin
that two-thirds of our men are en-
gagged in agriculture or in mechani
arts and that S5 per cent. of our won
en- eventually become homemakers
we affirm that our courses Of stud
should be so balanced as TO send ou
our graduates equipped to live a lif
Z as well as to make a living.
"In the preparation Of teachers TO
. rural schools we are pleased to not
the large attention now given by nor