Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-06-25

govern themselves the few Will edu-
cate themselves to govern and possi-
bly, to enslave to exploit the short
sighted. There is not choice except
that between universal education and
aristocracy; and aristocracy leads to
monarchy and to autocracy 1t has
been said of old time, that "eternal
vigilance is the price of liberty.
Better, possibly, to say that universal
education is the price Of libtery.
The Public School System is the
first born and best beloved child of
the American democracy; but like
many other parents, America has not
always been careful of the character,
the personality and the preparation
of the persons into whose care she
has committed the health, the in
tellectual life, growth and the morals
of the child as she might have been.
We are often amazed to read that
cultured Greeks and Romans often
intrusted the care of their children
to slaves. We are often amazed on
the streets and in the parks Of our
own country to note the kind and
character Of nurses to whose care
many wealthy and intelligent people
intrust the care Of their children.
What we think and say then of the
wisdom and justice Of a city, coun-
try, or state which has been and is
even now intrusting its children who
are to make or mar its future to in
competent and unprepared teachers
or what of those communities which
are daily exploiting men and women
who are giving their lives in train
~ k14 ~ 10
from work they love by denying
to live decent and comfortable lives ?
All that have said now brings me
to the truth that the greatest need in
education today is trained and pro-
fessionally prepared teachers.
Americanism cannot live except as
a democracy; a democracy connot
endure without universal education;
universal education cannot be had ex-
cept through public schools; public
schools cannot do their work except
they have sufficient and continuous
supply of trained teachers; and such
a supply of trained teachers is inn
possible without two things: equit-
able salaries and the right kind of
training schools for teachers. I put
salaries first, because inequitable and
pauper salaries are now and will
continue to empty the training schools
of many of the best and brightest
students.
Apart from the settlement of the
problems of war, there is no more
urgent problem now before the Amer
ican people than that created by the
threatened collapse Of the teaching
profession. Collapse is an extreme
word, but so is the emergency lit
describes. The drafting into other
work of large numbers of the most
capable teachers, the continuous
opening of new doors of opportunity
to thousands Of others, the utterly
inadequate financial provision for the
majority of the remainder all tend
toward a collapse of the profession.
These matters are no longer deba-
table; they are facts; facts that are
ominous to the nation. If the Ameri-
can people cannot be made to see the
situation and supply an early drastic
remedy, W shall run the isk-though
we have won the war-of losing all
that made the war worth winning.
For, as have said, our schools are
the source and origin of democracy.
Of what avail to spend billions in de-
Tending the forms of democracy if the
spirit of it be lost as it will be lost If
4 our schools continue to suffer. 1t is
foolish to think of these matters as
things of the future. If the war has
taught us everything, it should have
4 taught us that the future rapidly be
Il comes the present; and that failure
Il to prepare for the future is criminal
The American people now have
1 another chance to exercise foresight
j in the matter of their schools. viii
they exercise it, or, will they kill The
goose that lays the golden egg? The
war just closing was war of ideas
and of ideals, of cultures. 1t was
i literally war of school masters; MOI
lis it ended yet. The roar Of cannon
lis hushed, but the final victory will
depend upon whether the ideas an6
/ ideals, of cultureos f. oe,
i ideals for which we fought be kept
pure and free flowing. For that
il deeper war behind the other is boune
Il to go on for years to come. The fina
] good, or bad of the. war will depenC
upon what the nations dc as a result
Of it, and it lies largely with the vii
! and intellect of the next generation
and this will and intellect depends
largely upon the kind Of teachers the
Nation will furnish now. It is truisn
that the Germany of today is the pro
duct of the Grman school masters oi
i yesterday. Just as truly will The
u America of tomorrow be the pro
4 duct of the Americon teachers today
Il What will then be the result of the
Il American teaching force of today
comes to consist of a selection from
Sf no spsca ssa9Hl tgannr S
1 temporary tenure and only a a passing pass '
Interest in the work? America mus
! not delude herself into believing thai
i she can put her children into thu
hands Of such teachers and expec'