Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-20
SAYS AMERICA LEADS
IN DIVORCE AND CRIME
Would Bring Up Children to
Be Better Than Their
Fathers and Mothers
ToNloHT's PROGRAM.
7:46-Hiph school audltoriuwA
Muslo-smsIser' Juvenile o.
chestra.
Address-"Soclal Aspects OF the
currlculum"-Dean w. A Jeseup
Of State University.

l OF 0SAS0 OuuvSSOssys x
"The United States leads the world
In divorce, crime, irresponsibinty q
public service corporations. rotten city
government, serious character OF the
race problem, unequal distribution OF
wealth and scores of other evils. They
are cancers eating at our throats,
lleprosy shattering our social fabric. II
we can not wipe out this list then, -
sure as the generations roll on. longer
and blacker will 1t grow until. finally,
the United States will have It's monu-
ment inscribed in the cemetery of the
centuries. There Is but one answer to
this question. That is Christian edu-
cation In our public schools. Bring up
the boy and bring up the girl to be bet
ter men and women than their parents
are. It is slow gradual process but
It will result in the absolute certainty
of it's AIM"
The foregoing was emitted by Dean
w. G. Wilcox, OF the college of liberal
arts at-the state university when he
spoke to the teachers Of Wapello cOun-
ty on "The Present Crisis In American
History" at their institute In the high
school building Thursday evening. His
was the first OF the evening sessions
and a very fair crowd heard him, a
few city teachers being present. The
first part Of the program was handled
by Mrs. N. B. Blish, who sang two
solos. The university dean was intro
duced by City superintendent Black.
mar.
In comparing the good things and
the evil things In which the United
States excels, the speaker discussed
them from the standpoint of the unique
advantages which this country has had
| In it's development, such as il not
found in the history Of any other ma
ton. He said there are today 100000
| 900, people living in this country all
speaking, reading, writing and under
standing the same language. But, he
said, 1t Is such common advantage
that 1t is not appreciated. Three
thousand miles Of open frontier with
out fortress or q guard, nothing but
the surveyors lines to mark this coun.
try from Canada and similar border
to the south which for the most part
Is unguarded, are two other examples
OF advantages which citizens Of this
country enjoy Canada has only -
many people as are living in New
IOTk BLdl6 dlOuc dIlu VHOAlSO CdlA OnAy
count as many as there are In New
York and Pennsylvania.
I'm Europe such supremacy II fought
for by blood and iron; In ours It has
come to us with the passage Of time.
We began a civilized country. Europe
sent only her very best people here.
William Brewster or such women a.
l~Y, ~~l Nor <H~S A9s
then we had a beginning upon which,
we cannot fall. Our agricultural states
feed the world it's breakfast give It
It's dinner and are almost serving It's
supper. Last year In this country the
value OF the output from American
manufacturing plants was greater than
the capital stock OF the factories. They
all paid for themselves and q good
margin over. There are more people
employed in manufacturing plants In
this country today than were living In
the entire United States on the day
that Thomas Jefferson wrote the Dec
laration of Independence The United
States leads the world In corn, with
Argentina second; in wheat with Rus
sia, second in tobacco, with Russia,
second; in cotton, with India second:
III COdi, VIII SIcdL DliInlu CCCOAu3 IL
petroleum, with Russia second; In
steel with Germany second and In cop
per with Mexico second.
"But - we also lead in divorce, and
these are the things which make the
crisis and the worst Of 1t - that We ar9
leading ourselves each year over the
previous year. Statistics taken for the
decade 1900 to 1910 show that nearly
every marriage in ten In every one OF
our forty-eight states results In de
vorce Back Of that list is a still lar
ger one representing those In which
there is only separation and back OF
that greater one yet OF those in.
which there is strained relation but
| because Of the church or fear Of social
iostracism there Is no outward manfs
festation made Of actual conditions.
There never was time In the history
of our country when young man was