Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-11-26

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the country a desert?
knowledge is power. The more
available knowledge we possess, the
greater our power. The skilled
sgordsman in the days of knight
hood had a superior advantage oyer
the man unused to the sword. In
this age of reason the learned has
the best of the battle in business. If
this advantage is important in bust
ness, it is vastly more important in
the affairs of government.
If knowledge is power, it is wrong,
it is a crime. to withhold that knowl-
edge from some and give it to 9th
ers. That wrong has been done to
the country youth. Country schools
are limited to eight grades and coun-
try children are rushed through
these grades on high pressure and
turned out an unfinished product,
neither qualified for business nor for
citizenship
knowledge is power. The child
coming from foreign lands, whether
his nationality be Greek or Slav,
whether he be Ethiopian, Caucasian
or Malay; whether he be yellow or
red, yet he may from his adopted
home in your city attend your COM
mon schools, high schools and col
lcges and qualify himself for the
high offices and positions of state,
while the child of the farm only OBJ
tains eight grades in his home
school.
To secure the equal educational
opportunity with others these youths
are leaving the land of their fathers
and crowding into your cities, and
they are making good at the expense
Of the country home. Their homes
have lost their help, the community
has lost their presence and the coun-
try has lost tillers of the soil and
home builders.
Fellow farmers, brighter day is
here. An aroused people have de-
termined to do what we long ago
should have homework out our
own problem for better rural
schools. We have said, Either the
schools must conform to our needs
or we will build schools that will
serve us and ours
Today we hear a call from $780,
600 country homes, summoning to
action. There is a mighty wave of
determination as irresistible as old
ocean setting in from country places,
and the burden of this call is Bet
ter rural schools" Rural schools
controlled and directed by rural peo-
pie schools that prepare for citizen
ship, fit for duties of life and sur
round the country home with hap
piness.
We are building them nowA In
Dodge, in Platte, in Merrick, in
Saunders-in every county in this
great state-the country people have
turned to the joyous, hopeful task
of building for themselves and pos
terity centers of learning and places
of pleasure.
Everywhere we are organizing for
the task and the duty is self
imposed. The scattered footballs
have become a steady rhythmic
tread, and from every school house,
every home and every neighborhood
these men of the soil are coming on
in platoons, in regiments and bril-
gades-a great peace army march
ing to the melody of childish laugh
ter and youthful singing, thus over
coming the song of the siren with
the sweet music of the home. These
men are invincible, unconquerable
and mighty in this m ovement.
The crusaders sought a holy land
afar, but these men would build
anew the shrine of home and school.
Cooperation is their watchword and
education their slogan, and the
Golden Rule their motto. They are
builders, not destroyers; they would
build of their own and not tear down
yours, and l believe that in the CEN
turtles to come it shall be said, The
cooperative age was fruitful of the
greatest good to mankind that the
world ever saw"
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