The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-11-26

Puritans came to Massachusetts,, the
Quakers and Mennonites to Pennsvl.
vania, the Lutherans to Delaware,
the Huguenots to the Carolinas, and
the Scotch Covenanters to Virginia
and Pennsylvania, and others else
where. 1t is true that those who
sought freedom Of conscience were
not always ready to confer the same
privilege upon others, but in the pro-
cess OF time 1t came to pass that In
all of the colonies freedom Of worship
and freedom Of conscience were I'M
restricted, SO that when the consti-
tuition was adopted 1t was provided
that congress shall make no law re-
speeding an establishment of religion
or prohibiting the free exercise there
ga free state On board the
Mayflower the Pilgrim fathers enter
ed into solemn compact to form
"a civil body polite in which they
covenanted to live together in peace
and harmony, with equal rights to all,
and in obedience to just laws enacted
for the common good. This docu-
ment has been regarded as the fore
runner of our American constitution.
In accordance with it's principles the
early New England town-meeting was
the simplest form of pure democracy
in which each freeman had an equal
voice and an equal vote. When it
became necessary to set up gem
eral government, the various town
meetings elected representatives and
so was born the principle Of repre-
sentative government which lies at
the basis Of our civil affairs
3'--Free schools. The first school
In this country was opened In New
Amsterdam in 1888. The first school
In New England was established at
Boston in 1885. In 1642 the general
court or legislature OF Massachusetts,
enacted a law for the encouragement
OF education and Ave years later
passed a law which Is known as the
for common schools in every commune
ity of fifty useholders and grammar
schools in every community Of hun
dred householders. Harvard college
was founded in 1886. William and
Mary in 1893. and Yale in 1901 Since
then schools and colleges have multi
piled almost without number. Today
in the public schools of America
twenty million pupils are enrolled,
more than half million teachers are
employed. and these schools are main.
tanned at an annual cost OF three quar-
tiers of billion dollars, that every
boy and girl in this broad land of ours
may be adequately f I'd and trained
for the duties and r. possibilities Of
life.
Solution Found in These.
TT is custom. l know, in Thanks
giving sermons to deal with the prob
lens which affect our national life.
We have avoided these today. not
because we are disposed to ignore
such problems, but because In these
landmarks which our fathers have
set. in our free churches, our free
schools and our free state we shall
find the solution for all Of the prob
lens which may affect our body poll
tic. A citizenship that is Intelligent,
God-fearing and patriotic is capable
and competent of solving all Of the
problems which confront us as ma
ton. Then on this Thanksgiving &C.
casion let us not only thank GOO for
bountiful harvests, and a nation at
peace, but let us cherish, those insti-
tutions in which the hope Of this re-
public rests, our free churches, our
free government and our free schools.
ever remembering the admonition of
our text, Remove not the ancient
landmark which thy fathers have
set"