The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-25
Declares the President of the
University of California IN
a Timely Address.

Benjamin i. Wheeler. president of
the UNIVERSITY Or california. recently
made timely address before the
state teachers association CT his state
on the public schools as follows:
We CLAIR 10 be getting more demo-
cratic Til Sc DAYS and talk much about
iii! u I've my doubts. We are prid-5
ing Ourselves on various new mechan-.
sisma Tor the realization or democracy.
S.dii doubt whether we arc in spirit.
growing more democratic. think on
rhe contrary. J have noted in recent.
years an inCTeeptnE Of tire spirit of
1aste. We have heard the millionaire
assert and defend loyalty 20 hts class.
We have heard representatives Of the
Industrial Workers Of the World
preaching the saving value for their
people or the class spirit and class
consciousness This is certainly not
democracy. IT flies in the face of the
old democracy Of the New England
town meeting: wonder il thiz cmer-
Eence Of the caste spirit may not be
one indication that We have Of late
years been receiving more material
of men and ideas from Europe than
We can in a brief time assimilate and
digest. At any rate onr retrcatinG or
advancing democracy as the case may.
be will have TO be measured not in
terms OF Tnechanisns for voting but
in oBr attitude toward things like
caste. TT is 3 trAstter not SO much Of
the political machinery as Of the So
cial feeling and organization which
lie back Of politics.
The spirit of our public schools is
fundamental TO democracy Let us.
apply the test there. r. the ca Ito
spirit showing itself there? Are the
sons Of the rich tending to forsake
the public school for the private
schnol2 IT. they are 1T is bad for SO
cfety, bad for the state. But il is
also bad for the sons or the rich.
They have a hard enough time and
heavy enough handicap at the best.
am wondering too whether this
most recent zeal Of vocational train
ing" with all it's possibilities Of good
may not respond to the spirit Of caste
and minister to it. At such it surely
bears within II the
Seeds Of Sin and Destruction.
Il7essit propose that the life occupa-
ton Of child Shall be determined
for it early in life? That means that
children shall follow mainly the
Crafts OF their parents. It's the old
device Of monarchial aristocratic En-
rope for committing the young to
manual and industrial pursuits. 1t is
Inc fOlQ $LGeFallfnS& SW1Lfn WHICH can
he relied upon to .5hunt the children
Of the labnriEs classes Out into the
labour field at the age of twelve and
shut them off from the open road to
highest attainment. even though they
have the talent and the Will for il.
That is not democracy 1t is just the
opposite. Democracy is matter OF
free opportunity, a fair field, and
equal chance.
The reaching of a vocation to young
children, furthermore. does not pro-
,-;de them with an equipment which
will be available in the tandicrafrs
and industries Of real life. 1t Is mis-
leading in making them tn ink it does.
The instruction Of later years in an
other thing
Our Faith in Free Schools.
At the very heart of the present day
belief in education is our peoples
faith in the common schools They
have developed par passu with our
democracy. Our people are persuad-
ed that the maintenance Of our PEE
clrliar Institutions of popular govern
ruent is dependent upon their exist
cncc. and tho full and successful
working OF these institutions upon
5theil. efficiency. There has appeared
no competent reason for impugnins
theHwisdum OF this decided and in-
.crcasinS popular conviction, Not AL!
iyB