New-York tribune., 1919-12-17
Not Fit to Liue In
A Gloomy VieW Of Our Ruth
less, Unscrupuious World

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: am teacher of children.
teacher by choice and, as my superior
officers say, born teacher. All around
me see efforts to nullify the teach
ings OF great teachers Were l n.
MY own classes to adopt the same
philosophy, these supporters Of the
philosophy Of force would be the firs-
ones TO demand my impeachment and
punishment. AS a teacher I am sup
posed to control my body through my
mind. ! am supposed TO be SO well
versed in the science and art Of
pedagogy that in case any one OF M
pupils, always the son of some uD-
holder OF the force idea, becomes un-
ruly, maintain my physical poise
through the control Of my mind.
That the Republican and the Demo
cratic parties have forgotten all this
If they ever knew it. is nothing new.
Greater commonwealth than ours
have gone down in The dust Of the
ages because Of the neglect Of eternal
truths. The present emphasis upon
the philosophy of force, in contradic-
tlon of the spirit of our so-called
Christian religion, as we'll as in d.
rect antagonistic attitude to all known
facts of science, is. of course, realY
nothing else than the Towering Of al
the stupidities Of the past. The same
colossal neglect of the most ele
mentary principles OF humane conduct.
which produced industrial condition
so horrible that it created that de-
fenslve organization known as the l.
W. W. and others is again manifested
IN the fearfully stupid policy of ruth
less determination of all these defen-
slve organizations.
That these stout defenders OF the
philosophy of force do not succeed
have never before succeeded and will
never succeed in the future IS some
thing these blind men and women will
never learn. It establishes the fac
that we are still savages in mind snd
in heart We Will De that as long as
we continue in the adoption Of meas
ures that are opposite 70 all sane
views OF life.
The end is in plain sight. for as
Tar as can see there is 10 hope what
ever Those who know that con
cillatory policy, sclf-cxamination, is
imperatively necessary are too few in
number to make any impression Ne
arc Volces IN the Wilderness Teachers
VINO through their daily conduct with
the most valuable part OF any com
munlty, the most lovable part of them,
retain their sense Of youthfulness be
cause of that contact with youth, re-
tam their idcalism because OF their
daily contact with believers in jus
t'ce, falr play and hatred of sham
could be Of enormous help in the
building up of rational practices IN
the industries, the arts and related
sciences, IS we'll as in the domain o.
religion and politics But this com
paratively we'll educated part OF the
community is silent, kept silent by the
sinister forces of blind reactionary
part of the community.
am Glad. my wife is glad. that we
nave but one son, educated out West
III special school, ready and able to
weather the storm. | am sorry for
the fathers and mothers with house
1uii OF children. This world is not
hs for children to live in. II is fit
only for the ruthless, the physically
strong. the bully and the brute, and
the INSCRIPTIONS.
LEW G. ISLAND.
! New York, Dec. 15. 1919. =