The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-11-08

| four different languages. over 49,
100000 of our population have been
born in foreign countries. In Massa,
chusetts, the cradle of liberty ana
1.-The home of our American Ideals, 81
percent of the people are foreign
born. We have dressed these lmmi'
grants in American clothes and gwen
them naturalization papers, ana
Thought they were American citizens.
'The late selectiye draft revealed
1.-THE fact that we had 1,243,S01 men
between the ages of Il and 35, not
lowing allegiance to this country, and
/ to their everlasting glory, 1921 did
mot claim exemption. But the draft
also revealed that 81 percent OF the
aliens drafted did not speak English.
| At one time a whole company was
reported in which not a single man
could understand the commands
given In English. To these people
America has been new Eldorado.
| the home of liberty and equality
they came and found social and
political liberty, but also found them
selves in the midst of an industrial
system, the like of which they had
never known.
where these people could learn Amer
lean ideals of American institutions.
There has been no common shrine
of worship. The public school is the
only possible place where all these
people can get together without re-
gard to race, color, or previous con-
dition of servitude, and learn the
story of America and become real
American citizens.
Thomas Jefferson pointed out
the necessity for the great American
public school when he declared him
self in favor of universal education.
Lincoln recognized the problem when
people, by the people. and for the
people, He might have added, the
public schools Of the people. By the
people, and for the peop,e.' But you
notice that he emphasizes the gov
eminent, not mob OF the people.
The Teachers Duty.
THE teacher in public school to-
day should understand this new prob
lem, the problem OF creating Amer-
can citizens, the problem Of making
a stable government, because the
things these children are learning to-
day will be carried out In the lives
of the citizens a few years later.
THE citizens Of the state Of Iowa
realize the necessity for this kind OF
work when they go down into their
pockets and invest $50, o00, 900 in pub
lie school buildings in iowa. They
understand the problem when they
are willing to empty their pockets
inside out and use their last dollar
to pay $15,000,000 for the support of
the public schools.
THE thirty-eighth general as
sembly realized the necessity for this
great Americanization work when
they provided for the teaching
of patriotism, and the planting OF a
flag upon every school building in
Iowa. They realized this necessity
when they placed the minimum wage
law upon the statute books in order
Ito hold the best-prepared teachers
for this state. They realized the
necessity Of helping to Americanize
every section of our state when they
gave $4,000 for the improvement of
the schools in the mining camps of
Iowa. They exemplified the neces.
sity for better instruction when they
gave 100000 to help srandardize the
rural schools. They understood the
problem of education ana IT'S relation
to good government when they
planned the new consolidated school
law. They understood the relation of
education to our government when
they planned for vocational work and
its relation to our entire educational
system.
Teachers Problems.
THE teachers in the past have
done their duty, and nave reduced
iilliteracy in Iowa to 1 percent, the
lowest point known in the United
States. But the teacher has many
handicaps IN the work which she
wishes to do. She attempts TO teach
the dangers Of stimulants and mar