Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-02
THE ART OF. CITIZENSHIP
By DR.. Frank Crane

The difference between an art and a
science, as often has been pointed out is that
a science may be learned from books and by
| instruction while an art can be mastered only
through practice.
There is some attempt in our high schools
and colleges to teach the science of govern
ment. AS a rule this attempt is highly inef-
fectual. 1t is hard, dry subject. There are
few if any interesting textbooks upon it, and
| the impression so prevalent everywhere in
this democratic world is not absent from the
school room-that politics is something re-
moved from the concerns of ordinary self
respecting people; that it is tinged with re-
proach and that it is followed onIy>by those
VINO wish to hold office or secure graft.
r. The salvation of democracy depends alb
solutely upon the salvation of politics. For
democracy is politics. Unless the body of
Inc people can become interested in politics,
their government surely gravitates into the
hands of the bosses and grafters.
Instead of the science of government be-
ing taught in the higher grades of our edu-
cational institutions, the art of citizenship
should be taught in every grade from the kin
dergarten to the university.
That is, children should have not only in
formation about the theory of self-govern-
ment, but, far more than this, they need
pfGCLlce III S6lL-SOVernment.
There is no way to attain this end except
to substitute democracy under instruction for
the ordinary monarchical school government
The teaching world should get it into their
head that children. are not sent to school to
accumulate facts, to learn languages, to fit
themselves for a career or to acquire ac-
complishments They are sent to school for
training in citizenship.
The supreme business of the school is to
develop a sense of justice, the power of in1-
tiative, independence of character, correct
social and civic habits, and the ability to CO.
operate toward the common good
The curse of democracy is Indifference to-
ward the duties of citizenship. 1t is stated
that in Philadelphia from thirty to sixty per
cent of the men habitually refrain from vot-
ing in local elections. In a recent election
of members of the constitutional convention
in Massachusetts more than eighty-five per
cent of the men refused to vote, and in one
wealthy and highly educated election district
in the city of Newton ninety-six per cent re-
fused to vote.
And this is a common story. The educated
intelligent class are disfranchised by their
own Indifference and by the pernicious no.
ton that politics is unclean.
The Philadelphia Rotary club recently
passed resolution to the effect that it de-
clared it's belief "that one of the prime pur-
poses of education is to prepare boys and
girls to become good citizens and to this end
some definite training in the forms and pro-
cedure of voting and electing officers should
be provided by the public schools of Pennsyl-
vania.'
There is such a thing as saving at the
spigot and wasting at the bung. 1t will do
little good for us to wage wars and make
treaties to preserve democracy if we neglect
to teach the fundamental elements of de-
mocracy to the rising generation.
Copyright, 1919, by Frank Crane)
->--
Grandma was of the old school; she didn't
like modern manners at all.
'"There is one thing I notice particularly
about that young man who comes to see you,"
she said to her sweet young granddaughter
''He seems to have Unborn, instructive re-
spect for women He treats every woman
as though she were a being from higher
sphere to be approached only with defer
ence."
Eyes, he's horribly bashful isn't he?"
said the eighteen-year-old miss.
The Kaiser has purchased country
home. International law was observed in
this case, the Kaiserin selected the place,
and assume they will move in the first
g hNn