The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-12-20
Keep the School fires Burning


cit makes little difference what
the trade, business or branch of learn
ing, in mechanical labor, or intellectual
effort, the educated man is always
superior to the common laborer.'
One who is in the habit of applying
his powers in the right way will carry
system into any occupation, and it will
help him as much to handle rope as to
write poem.
We do not know who wrote this
sentiment and care less. Like Billy
Sunday we believe that the modern
man has a right to appropriate any
thing that is good and use it for greater
good. We believe that quotation marks
are in order, but that real sentiments
are strong enough to stand out above
copyrights patents or the claims OF
publishers to vested rights.
This appears to us to be an excellent
answer to the suggestion that the
schools Of Kenosha be closed part of
the winter in order to aid the move
ment for the conservation of coal.
| Coal is a necessary thing for the COM
fc,t of the nation and the conserva-
ton of coal is one of the really great
features in aiding the nation in win
ming the war, but there are so many
other ways that coal could be con-
served that we believe that the last
| thing that should be done is to inter
fere with the program for the educa-
ton of the children Of Kenosha or any
other community. Education is the one
thing that we can give sthe children
and the necessity for it is not to be
| forgotten because guns are booming on
! a battle front Time will come when the
battle cry Of world war will be stilled
!! but the time will never come when the
boy properly educated does not have
| better chance than the boy who has
failed to have this opportunity or who
has refused to accept the chance to bet
ter himself. Education Of Kenosha
boys and girls costs money. The city
council has just appropriated more than
100000 for the education of the chill
dren of the city and the door opportun-
| ity which the city has offered to the
children should not be closed for a
single day.
| Rather let us take away the coal that
heats the pool rooms, saloons and other
places of economic waste.
Rather close up the City Hall and
take care of the business of the city
in the back room of some store. If
we must sacrifice to save coal let's
sacrifice the right things.
We have no right to seek to limit
the opportunity of the children when
we fail to recognize the fact that saw
ings may be made in other ways.
Conservation is necessary, but it is
also necessary TO conserve the coming
man power and make that man and
woman power just as efficient as pos
sible.
Many parents in Kenosha have been
forgetful of the value of the education
of their children. They have been will
ing to allow this to be public question
and have been just little skittish
about impressing their own PERSONAL
ties into the educational system. Many
of them have thought that they were
entirely within their rights when they
suggested that the boys and girls had
education enough when they were four
teen years old. Such people would vel
come the conservation which would
close the school rooms for months in
the winter and they would hail it as
a chance to capitalize the working
possibilities Of the children.
Just as the state protects the weak
against the strong so must the state
protect the child against the desires of
the thoughtless parent.
| Keep the schools open not only dur.
ing the winter but if such a plan can
worked out keep them open the whole
year. The people, and this includes
the children, have the right to ask for
the maximum service out of the 100000
appropriated by the city for the schools
If there is any "vested right" in Ke.
nosha it is the right Of the children
to an education. They should have
that other vested right Of protectioa
from the pitfalls of childhood, but SC
long as they do not have this they
must have the right to all the educa
! tion that the law allows.
| If we can conserve coal by utiliza
tion of the heated school buildings fol-
more hours in the day, well and good
| There are so many places where we
can start conservation of coal without
/ robbing children of their opportunity
that even the discussion of any plan
to close the schools at this time is
unwarranted
! Kenosha is one of the nation s great
est "melting pots. The entire future
| citizenship of the city is dependent IN
the education of the children. MANY
of the older men are past that point