The Gem worker and the Idaho labor herald. (Boise, Idaho) 1914-1917, 1916-05-25

1hS SSHOOlS OF America nave never
been in as great need of clear think
ing as now, and have never been
threatened by more skillful and dan
gerous appeals to the prejudices Of
those within as we'll as without the
school system.
Revolutionary changes in our pub
lie schools are inevitable, are already
partially launched. The lack of hold
ing power, the failure adequately to
realize and meet community needs,
has qualified Americas unquestionL
ing pride in her schools. And in the
resulting condition of unrest and ex-
perimentation the teachers must put
forth the most determined and united
effort known in the history of their
profession, to secure for themselves
an effective voice in the reconstruc-
tion. For the powerful reactionary
interests opposed to real democracy
are seizing with all their vigor this
tempting opportunity to fasten more
securely upon the children of the
country an autocratic educational
system, designed through an army of
subservient teachers to turn out a
servile generation ripe for exploita-
ton. And the teachers, cowed as
they frequently are, must De aroused
to sound the alarm and lead the fight.
They alone have the necessary init
mate knowledge of conditions. But
they must align themselves with the
most powerful forces making for
democracy.
This statment of threatening dan
ger is not overdrawn. Illinois has
twice narrowly escaped dual sys-
tenn of vocational education (and only
through the combined efforts of the
teachers and organized labor, and
New York City is now in turmoil
over various large scale experiments.
But most significant of all is the un-
mistakable, countrywide attempt by
the Interests" to gain control of the
educational system of the nation The
dismissal of Scott Nearing from the
University of Pennsylvania for oppos-
ing child labor, of Brewster from the
University of Colorado for testify
ing before the Federal Industrial Re
lations Commission, of a professor
of English from the University of
Utah for allowing a senior to deliver
a progressive oration, are not isolat'
ed instances. They mark campaign
against free speech And now the
teachers of Chicago are bearing the
brunt of a fight to extend that same
vicious conrtol down into the elemn-
tary and secondary schools. Presi-
dent Gompers has phrased it "an eff
fort to stop, if possible, the dissent
nation and cultivation of the prin-
ciples of democracy and cooperative
action"
One must admit the wisdom of Sc
lecting the schools as the most effec-
tive point to check the growing tend
ency toward popular government. If
the interests" succeeded in their ef-
fort to stamp out freedom of speech
and of assemblage from the elemen-
tary schools through the universities,
they will have nothing to fear The
university men have recognized the
danger, and have organized the Amer
ican Association of University Pro-
fessors along approximately union
lines, with a membership of about
eight hunderd.
Scott Nearing, who has established
his position in the number of men and
women in this country who are de-
termined to "give democracy one fair,
square trial before they put It in the
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