The sun., 1916-09-02
own the name "private school"

principle. condemn II without a hear
ing. 1t Is said to foster class distinc-
ton. which Is foreign to our natural
ideals; 1t Is %patronized by the rich.
who are able to buy for their petted
darlings a royal road to learning: and
1t Is eagerly sought by social
climbers who hope that their daugh.
tiers through a%ristocratic friend
ships. may gain for themselves an
entrance, which their parents have
never been able to force. to this
privileged and much enriched class.
1t must be acknowledged that some
or all Of these accusations are. in a
measure. just. The daughters Of the
newly rich will boast that they are
not compelled to associate with the
rank and fle" to be found In the
public school. and thus they help to
create an American class distinction
Of wealth. for which our country IL
already too famous. The royal road
to learning Is too often opened widely
to the pupil by the private school be-
cause 1t Is paved with the gold from
papa's mine or oil we'll, and many So
called fashionable finishing schools
advertise. openly or covertly, that
they furnish introductions to polite
society, the compensation included in
the tuition fee OF $500 or : 1000 a
year.
The appearance Of this type Of
school In u country has been COM
paratively recent. as our wealth has
been recently gained. The demand for
quick. newly bought culture has Gre
ated the supply. and We must consider
this only a passing phase Of new civil.
zation-unavoldable in a land where
fortunes are made in a day.
Those who decry the private school.
however. make a mistake when they
place this type in the great educa-
tional system OF Ii country. 1t ex-
lists, and in large numbers. and we
can but lament its far reaching and
weakening effect on American woman
hood. but II IL not the typical Amer
lean private school Of the future nor
Of the present. It Is not the private
school which our nation needs. and
not the school which Is destined TO
tak- its place rs an integral part OF
our national education.
The demand has come for private
Va 10 "
the girls OF America, and. because the
law OF supply and demand Is fixed.
they are springing up In yearly in
creasing numbers. These schools are
not founded on the a~ristocracy Of
wealth. on an easy road to learning
or on opportunities for social advance
ment. but on scholarly attainment.
human understanding and sympathy
and the broad general culture which
will, in the end. make the whole
world kin. These private schools ad-
here carefully to the intellectual
standards OF the public schools. give
credit and honor only when they are
earned by earnest EFFORT and p%erscver-
ance. and yet because OF the intimate
relation possible between teacher n
pupil and the understanding Of per-
sonal characteristics. they are able to
develop n degree OF individual excel
lence where the public school must
fail.
We do not want an aristocratic
class. for We are ranidly learning tina
the highest ~aristocracy is the aris-
tocracy Of service. We do not want to
find places where childhood and youth
can De Wtuhly ttiAIlCd' WhS W Nao"
that life will demand strength: and
the struggle for social leadership Is
so out of harmony with our national
ideal that We can have confidence
that II will gradually subside: We do
want. and need, individual excellence
and IL Is here that the good private
schools are doing and will continue
to do great national service. We
want leaders In literature. music and
art. We want men n women who
can organize and direct great educa-
tional, philanthropic and charitable
work; who can turn the national tide
OF thought through the press and
platform, or who. by their strong per
sonality, can raise the moral and In
tellectual standards OF the towns In
which they live. and the private school
with it's opportunities for individual
DEVELOPMENT can and does furnish
these leaders. whom the multitude
will follow.
We are justly proud OF our public
school system. 1t is giving us "a mass
Of people strong in intelligence. 1t
il taking the ignorant. almost animal
like. peasant of Europe and so mould
ing his children into the principles OF
our national life hat they are be-
coming an integral part OF the
strength of our country. 1t Is inter-
esting to watch them as they pour
forth from the doors of our public
school buildings at 3 o'clock on a win
ter afternoon-black, white. brown,
yellow; the Italian with big express
slye eyes and graceful limbs: the
sturdy Swcde and Norwegian moving
heavily and slowly: the frank, merry
little cmigrant from Firms Isle: the
serious, sallow Spaniard II Mexican +:
the Noravian, the Armenian, the Hun
gariar, the Russian and the Jew: from
all lands and climes. with various re-
lirions, dress and customs, and yet all
having "A certain underlined resem-
blancc, certain characteristics, which
make you feel that they are American
AS they stride forth swinging Il book
strap over II shoulder, "A lunch bas-
kct in the other hand and their faces
flied with the joy of tasks finished and
freedom from school restraint. Their
very of walking down the
street SAYS to the observer. Watch
mo, | have taken n more step to.
day towards successful manhood OF
womanhood,"
They are again interesting in theil
assembly room feet firmly and evenly
planted by rule, each right arm or
tho desk with pencil in hand. and
each face uplifted in anxious atten'
ton for the first word that may fal