The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-18
Keep Hands off in Matter Of
Governmental Educational Work

understanding or being able to CRAP
pie with. The whole scheme is ap-
parently for the purpose OF getting
early impressions made on the minds
Of the children under the idea that
when once these Impressions have
been fastened upon the plastic mind
of the child they can never be re-
moved.
Questions such as are presented in
these books are wholly unsuited for
deed, the immature mind OF very
large proportion of college professors
is unequal to grasping the truth In
regard to these questions. The great
majority of teachers, unfortunately,
have had no business experience
whatever They know absolutely
nothing about the problems Of bust
ness and of labor. They imbibe false
notions from the socialistic teachers
or professors of immature minds, and
then go forth to prey upon childhood.
With all due respect to the pro-
fession of teaching. one OF the highest
in the world in its possibilities. 1t is
a lamentable fact that our colleges
and universities. as well as our lower
grades Of schools, are full Of incom-
petent teachers who are wholly in
capable of training the children other
than in the mere routine of the three
RS. When it comes to teaching about
the great social and economic prob
lens of the day, they know as little
about how to solve these questions
as would the wild man of Borneo.
Nevertheless, through its bureau
of education the federal government
is putting into the hands Of the
teachers of the country with its en-
dorsement these three books carry
ing questionnaires which not one
teacher in a thousand is capable of
intelligently understanding, much
less of presenting to his or her
scholars.
In a letter to the Manufacturers
Record bearing on some of these
questions, Mr. c. Edwin Michael,
president of the Virginia Bridge and
Iron company, Roanoke, Va, writes:
/ am opposed to the acceptance
Of federal aid for educational
purposes, or to distribution OF
federal documents in the public
schools Of our country. until the
methods of expenditure of such
money and text OF such docu-
ments have been passed upon and
approved by those who are re-
sponsible for the educational
work of our several states. /
understand that, under the consti-
tuition, our government cannot
attempt to control the several
states policies in any respect,
but / am informed that the de-
partment of education at Wash
ington, the department of labor
and other governmental depart
ments frequently send such lit
erature direct to the teachers
themselves, and thereby, to some
extent, in great many instances,
influence the viewpoint and ex-
pressions of the teachers who
come in contact with the youth
in the schools.
l am prompted to call your at
tention to this matter at this
time because there Is pending in
congress at the present time
bill providing for large federal
appropriation for the establish
mept in the cabinet of a secre-
tary of education, with wonder
full appointive provision and fabu-
lous sums Of money under his
control and expenditure.
/ am opposed to the passage OF
such federal provision, unless
the several states are required to
match dollar for dollar of such
federal appropriation, and that
the states have absolute control
of the expenditure of such funds
for educational purposes.
I am in entire harmony and
sympathy with many of the pro-
gressiye movements of the day
for the protection and advance
ment of workingmen, but | am
unwilling for any government Of
ficial to reach conclusions upon
mooted questions. and then have
unlimited funds or means for the
widest distribution Of such con-
illusions, which are not shared
by many of our ablest patriotic
and progressive citizens.