The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-10-31

not, If we allow our own schools to
deteriOrate and the educational en-.
thusiasm Of America to Wane.
Schools First to Suffer.
when taxes get high, when costs
mount up, when anything unusual
transpires, the schools are the first to
be attacked and to be neglected. Wit
ness how some leading daily news.
papers have been calling attention to
the fact that it was mistake in our
CONSUMPTION law to fix the minimum
age limit at 81 instead Of Is or 10.
am thankful it was fixed at 81, the
age when boy becomes man, legal
ly. It is not yet necessary to rob our
schools to obtain soldiers, and it
should not be for long time.
Sinister Influences.
"lf anyone doubts that sinister infiu.
ences are at work to attract atten-
ton away from our schools and to
undermine them through neglect dur
ing the war, just recall that every pub
lie school building in New York city
has been measured for army hospital
purposes; just recall that the manu-
facturers who have under the protec-
ton of law been employing little boys
and girls recently went into the
courts and newspapers to get the fed
eral child labor law suspended dur
ing the period of the war, and that
in at least one state federal Judge
was found who rendered a decision
which will make it ineffective in that
district until passed upon by the high
err courts. Recall, also, how the pass
age of this law was fought in con-
gress. But we can be thankful that
it did pass and that it now is in effect,
100000 children of tender
age from manual and intellectual slav-
cry.
Stress of War.
"The stress of war will give these
enemies of children's rights-these
craven wretches who think more high
ly of dollar than of child-the pow
erful few who are money and profit |
MADAM opportunity to curtail expen.
ditures for education and to make
more children the slaves of ignorance
and thus undermine our citizenship.
What Will Win War.
"'rhis greatest and most altruistic
war ever fought thrusts upon us the
absolute necessity of safeguarding
ideas and furnishing ideals as well as
of war. AerOplanes,
armies, huge expenditures
of money cannot make the world safe
for democracy. Democracy is a sys-
tenn of ideas, a body of ideals, an at
titude of mind. Its sanctuary must be
an institution, social, political, educa
tional, devoted to the fullest cOnserva-
lion and preservation Of this attitude
and these ideals. Such an institu-
lion is and must continue to be the
American public school system pr0vid-
ing fully for the complete training of
and young people from the
through the university
and technical schools. go taHI,f -.
,.., Fighting Tor IDEALS yea, %,
Thousands and thousands ofsAmer-
cas- noblest young men are now on
heir way to fight for these ideals and
more are preparing to go.
They are the sons of rich and poor
alike. Many an eastern college pat
ronized by rich mems sons is on the
verge of closing because the students
have gone to Europe to aid in the
great work of making the old world
safe for all mankind. Many of those
going will never return. This will be
a loss sad beyond Imagination; but
even such tragedy will sink into in.
significance beside greater catastro-
phe ii, while they are dying from the
bullets and the atrocities of the TWEEN
;ieth century Huns and yandals, we
who are here. fail to do our part; fail
% keep our Schools and colleges, our
universities and other schools not
only as usual, but better than ever
md more efficient than ever that the
deals for which we as a nation are
lighting may be inculcated in the
hearts and minds of the youth of our
and who must because of the terri
ole exigencies of this war, bear the
burden of citizenry at an earlier date
han was expected"