Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-11-09

lation is another big danger, taken especially in
relation to the presence here of the outsiders.
Many of the Industrial towns and cities in New
England and in other parts of the country have
populations almost half foreign. There is fire.
quent rioting with attendant loss of lives and de-
%struction of property. The spirit of mob lawless-
ness of this sort seems to be spreading in many
communities.
On the other hand, we find dishonest govern
ment-plain graft, lax administration Of law, rep
resentative officials who do not represent the mass
of taxpayers-in practically every city and state
in America. Many agencies have sought the
cause of this state Of affairs and are hunting a
remedy.
The chief cause of the foreign unrest and law
lessness appears to be ignorance. Only very
small percentage of the rough labor which has
come to us from Europe can speak or understand
the language Of the country. Practically none
has any idea whatever Of our laws, our standard
of living, our governmental methods.
And the great cause of dishonesty in govern
ment In our towns, cities and states appears to be
the Indifference of the great mass of intelligent.
prosperous American citizens to what goes on
right under their noses. They don't take the trou-
BILE to vote. They don't take the trouble to nar-
tticipate in primaries and conventions and see to
1t that good men are nominated for office. They
leave 1t all to the politicians, who are in the gov
erning business-so called-not because of their
fitness to administer laws, spend public money
deal out justice, ETC., for the good of the com
munity, but strictly and purely for what they can
get out of 1t. Just graft for themselves and their
friends.
Civic Training in Schools.
In a recent article in the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, Prof. Wilson L. Gill, who was put in
charge of the school system of Cuba during the
American occupation of that island after the Span
iish-American war, offers a single remedy for both
these dangers to the peace and happiness and
.well-being of the United States. -
Educate" he says. Build citizens by giving
them civic training in the schools. Beginning with
the tots in the primary grades, teach the boys and
girls how their school, their town, their county,
their state, their nation is conducted. Teach them
to vote and decide the little problems of their
daily lives in the schoolroom by methods en-
ploted in government.
Make each schoolroom, for instance, q little
town. Let the pupils under the teachers super
vision elect a mayor from among their number
and have all the others compose a board Of coun-
cilmen. Put up to them problems of school, town,
county, state, national management, to be de-
cided on the principles of justice and the safety
and well-being of the majority.
"a proper appeal must be made to the pupils,
Professor Gill says, land they must be enlisted
heartily.
'This is easily done, for we have good material
to work with. Nearly all boys and girls are essen
TALLY good. This Is true, even If, by reason of an
unfortunate environment, q child has developed
some very bad habits, even those Of dishonesty
If the appeal is properly made to them. they can
be counted on definitely to stand for that which is
honest, fair and square, clean, generous ad
right.
Teachers Part of the Plan.
personal and printed assistance must be giver
to them for carrying on their government In the
spirit of American institutions and in accord will
correct civic forms, to maintain order and develop
cooperation and efficiency for every good purpose
They must be shown how to solve the problems O.
their daily intercourse, and, as their teachers hell
them to become Independent in solving the prob
lens in arithmetic, so their teachers must hell
them to become independent in solving their dali.
problems of social and civic relations. The teach
.er's part in the use of this laboratory method o
moral and civic training is the same as in mathe
matics. The teachers authority and responsibility
In both cases are to encourage and help the pupil
to keep up enthusiasm, to become Independent
and judicial in thought and to arrive at clear-cu
decisions. At that point the old educational proc
ess, as in mathematics, ends, but in this neN
laboratory work, dealing with the actual practice
problems of daily moral and civic life, there
another most important step, which Is imnedatel
to put these decisions into execution and to CT
operate for the good Of all.
"What Is needed for introducing democracy |
schools7
"First-The right method-there is one, III
laboratory method, and there cannot be anothe
"~Second-Practical plans-there cnn be but or
right general plan, but Of this there may be II
Vulnerable variations.
>"Tllird-A person skilled In Introducing Il
siethod and supervising the use of 1t.
enthusiastically for such introduction an
Supervising.