The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-03-25

schools. This is just exactly what we
have been doing to a large extent in
the United States. If the French peo-
| pie are awakening to the situation,
don't you think that it is at least time
for the United States to open her eyes?
In our zeal to keep out sectarian in
struction from our school, we have
gone to the extent of barring religion.
We have contented ourselves with say
ing that this must be left to the home
and church. A very free examine
ton of facts will show that the child
is receiving very little moral instruc-
/ lions through the church. and any one
who is familiar with home conditions
will know that moral training is neg
lelted to large extent there.
The entire discipline Of the school,
if right in spirit, exercises a power
full influence in molding moral habit
Science teaches us that if we think
about thing very hard that thing
will plough rut through out grey mat
! ter and if you still keep thinking OF
this, the rut becomes deeper and deep
err, so that it is impossible to turn out
of this rut This is the real fOunda-
ton of habit What if that thought
is, evil, do you not have an evil rut?
If instead of letting you think of that
thought, the school had been teaching
you morals and ethics, would there
have been that rut.
Sow thought, reap an act,
Sow an act, reap habit,
Sow habit, reap character,
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
So we see that in our desire to get
results in the intellectual side of life,
we are prone to forget the ethics. In
teaching history and English are we
endeavoring to paint out the practical
illustrations of moral courage? AS Mr.
Holster says, do we, by our teach
ing and by example, inculcate love for
the TRUTH respect and tolerance for
the sincere opinion Of others, just deal
ing in all of our relations with Others
There is a great deal Of dissension
as to the use of the Bible in the school
We must remember, however, that
much of the Bible may be very profit
ably taught as literature. Such q
study may be free from all discussions
Of the doctrines and may be used to
benefit the general welfare Of the pu-
pill. In order to understand and ap-
preciate much that is found in litera-
ture, painting, and sculpture, since the
Christian era, we must know the lit
eraturo and history in the Bible. The
history of the Jew cannot very well
be appreciated without the records
in the Bible, yet they play an import
ant part in the history of the ancient
world
Humboldt tells us that "Whatever
ethical teaching we wish to see intro
duced into the life of a. nation, must
be first introduced into the schools"
If religion develops moral growth, and
if moral training is essential for good
citizenship, can we afford TO omit any
Of them from our teaching.
The state is supposed to see to edu-
| cation of the youth and see that he
sets the right training. Let the state
authorities answer the question wheth-
er the moral training should be in
serted into the school course.
The keynote of moral culture is
love and duty, in first Corinthians we
find, "Now abideth faith hope love;
these three; but the greatest is love. >
The keynote of religion and moral ed
ucation is the same as one,
"If our love is deep, obedience is
an instinct if not a religion
Let us, now, sum up these argu-
ments in few words. Let these prin-
ciples be taught in our schools. If
on account OF some conscientious scru-
pies some person may object to the
study of the Bible. let that person
drop the study. Don't deprive the
many on account of the few. And in
teaching morals let US lay stress up
on the principles of righteousness.
Justice, and charity.
JAMIE MATTHEWS.