The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-25

1.-THE graduates of our common schrofa
become Ecod citizens-nor yet OF our
universities; but statistics assign
Grim mi inal:ty oNerwh elmingly to the
iclas OF ltliterates. We do not teach
tsoun5 humans reading in order that
1 ihey may read the constitutions; their
4 ll1 dersta nding might conflict with that
LOT, the supreme court: but ne teach
1 them reading that they MAJ share
me thoughts and observations OF
4 peonie Of othe1 places and olher times.
j ana SO be delivered from slavery to
the immediate vision, and to all the
i pfeJudfce and Ignorance and n1a1-judg-
II ment which such slavery involved At
the basis Of orderly living; which IA
moral living. rests the power to dis
terminate asto what belongs here and
4 What belongs there; next cones the
4Nli to classify accordingly We cam
mot therefore omit the equipment and
training Of the intelligence from the
training that prepares an individual
to live his life in community with
totHei. peoples lives That means NOR
al training. Moral training is all
lays implicit in all tile work of the
common school. though the command
fl:seitts be not stated or the code re-
Ehearsed Obedience 10 tho public
laws is latent in the discipline that.
the school eaacts. though cfvics be
4 not taught and the flag be not saluted.
The real democracy Of equa! oppor-
/ tunityt fair and give and take. and a.
scratch start. ancestors barred. is In
VOWED In the asSemblage from many
door yards upon the benches OF the
4 common school. and the indischi1ni-
mate tunbling of future citizens OF
Nariegated fates during recess in the
tschoolhouse yard. The democracy is
there. waiting for you. though JEFF
ferson and the fathers be not named.
No. the people OF the nation have.
made no mistake in their confidence
Lin the public school as a training for
democratic citizenship or as. a guar
iantee Of the continuance or free in
EstitutiCns. Their one sclicitude must
be lest changing conditions or social
\ life dislodge 1t from its place and
Throw IL out Of tune with the deTGc-
tracy it was set to represent and sup
port
Equality Of Opportunity.
| Our democracy involves no propo-
sition Of equality of achievement. but
straightiv and supremely equality of
/ opportunity 1t was devised in the
protest against the privilege Of class.
| RI anticipated the modern doctrines
/ OF heredity and trusted men, in the
d ~
strength Of Their. divine inheritance.
TO rise as individual creations out or
the disease and thra ldon Of their par
Icntage and the limitation of class and
crafts and caste. 1t meditated NO
crime against nature: IT bandaged no
/ feet and strapped no skulls. 1t es-
tablisllcd no standard size of foot or
brain; ii set no bounds upon spirit
tual vision. upon intellectual reach.
upon inventive Imagination, upon
Icreative skill. or upon the acquisition
Gof substance, except as the rights and
free opportunity of others might be
imam a free chance TO make the most
possible out Of his single liz. IL was
conceived as a gospel of self relliza-
ltion for the sons of men.
i is as faithful counterpart 10
such a democracy that the public
school must be kept. But if you have
called it the common school. as the
nursery Of a hopeless mcdicfcrity. and
II With the name YOU have thought
such thought, OF devised such
Iuse. YOU have torn it away with
Itreacherous violence from the very
spirit and life Of the democracy in
which it had its birth. Tt IS and must
he kept the school Of the best nul-
'ture In the best things.
We too often hear the remark tina
the teaching and studies Of the pub
Lie schools must be shapen to the
needs OF the children Of families OF
moderate means. or OF no means, or
the children of the masses, or Of GER
tain classes: and that IL wealthy par
cnts want 10 give their children Al
better education or one that leads to
higher station they must send them
Ito private and special schools. All
this is the
Voice OF a Spurious Democracy.
1t IS no democracy at all. II lis a re-
version to the notions or the IRA eyed
school, 1t is the voice OF class spil'-
fit Tt contemplates the classification
of helpless. children according To con
ditions cf birth, and deliberately pros
poses to rob them OF full and free OPP
portunity. Who knows that the chill
dren of the poor or loNFly do not need
to study certain things? Who knows
That they Mill not make full nse Of the
.best. instruction and the best courses
Of study. Experience seems to show
that a larger percentage OF them make
better use than do the offspring
of the mighty.
The children Of the rich labor al
ready under disabilities enough with
ont being Isolated in private academ-a
lies and being inevitably limited ior
their later mountaineering IN life.
Ito those whose scope OF vision and
range ot action Is hedEcd about with
Tan the paraphernalia o. yachts and
motors and mlthiplcx homes, cluhs.
assemblies, Wallets and innovation
trunks. Both b. the limited associa-
ltion In school and b. that OF after life
lthese children Of the rich. arc dis
.ablel for largest sef,ilhcss through
their Inability to know the mind ct
the great body Of the people among
whom, they are to live. Their sep
1aratinn is also q loss TO the cnm1nun-
15ity and the creation of q. flxed caste
| adetrincnt and peril to society. We
i.snrely ought TO beware lest we are
ldp:ng anything TO drive such pupils
Efrcm the public schools or emitting
to do anything that should hold then,
| For pupils who require special treat