The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-11-11

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. rem
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 n
remedy.
The chief cause of the foreign unrest md 1ow.
lessness appears to be ignorance. Only n 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 povern-
ment In our towns, cities and states appears IN he
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 tn mar
tcipate in primaries and conventions and see 70
1t that good men are nominated for Office. 7,bov
leave II 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 cono
-'N-N'' D"H NAh~h ohA Dui1g " hnnI q oar
get out of it. 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 nut IN
charge of the school system of Cuba during fine
American occupation of that island after the Span
ish-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 bows 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 schoolrooms by methods en-
ployed in government.
make each schoolroom, for instance, a 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, I"
Professor Gill says, "and 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, n 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 and
right.
Teachers Part Of the Plan.
personal and printed assistance must be given
to them for carrying on their government in the
spirit of American institutions and In accord with
correct civic forms, to maintain order and develop
cooperation and efficiency for. every good purpose
They must be shown how to solve the problems OF
their daily intercourse, and, as their teachers help
them to become Independent in solving the prob.
lens in arithmetic, so their teachers must help
them to become independent in solving their daily
problems of social and civic relations. The teach.
er's part in the use of this laboratory method OF
moral and civic training Is the same as In mathe-
MATES. The teachers authority and responsibility
in both cases are to encourage and help the pupils
TO keep up enthusiasm, to become independent
and judicial in thought and to arrive at clear-cut
decisions. At that point the old educational proc
ess, as In mathematics, ends, but in this new
laboratory work, dealing with the actual practical
problems of daily moral and civic life, there Is
another most important step, which is Immediately
to put these decisions into execution and to Co
operate for the good of all.
"What is needed for introducing democracy In
schools7
"First-The right method-there is one, the
laboratory method, and there cannot be another
"Second--Practical plans-there can be but one
right general plan, but Of this there may be in
Vulnerable variations.
"Third-A person skilled in introducing the
method and supervising the use of it.
"Fourth-Authority for such Introduction and
supervising.