The Irish standard., 1919-05-17
National Educational Association Tire
lees in Efforts to Abolish Free
dom OF Education.
Smith. .To~ner Gill Has a New Number
But Nature 10 Un.
changed.

0uI NdSOt0 u OU'
changed.
I.
The extensive, yea tremendous prop
uganda carried on in favor of the
Smith -Towner education Bill not only
has for its object the curtailment and
even the abolition of freedom of edu-
cation, but also bears all the ear
marks of fanaticism. One can not
fail to note the cocksureness and air
of infallibility in the promoters con-
cerning the absolute correctness of
their plan, and the consequent utter
disregard for objections and criticisms.
Says the most recent circular of the
National Educational Association
(April 1919, p. 1919:
"Our N. E. A. Bill received much
attention in both the Senate and the
House of Representatives of the Six
ty-fifth Congress, but, together with
hundreds of other important measures,
was buried in the congested legisla-
tion of the short session. The bill will
be carefully revised and perfected, and
reintroduced in both houses at the
opening of the next Congress, which
will probably convene in special ses-
sion early in June" Then follows a
brief analysis of the bill.
Purpose Of the Bill.
The purpose of the bill is stated in
the title: "a Bill to create Depart
ment of Education, to authorize appro-
priations for the conduct of said De-
partment, to authorize appropriations
of money to encourage the States in
the promotion and support of educa-
tion, and for other purposes" Whilst
the language admits the fact that the
bill has been revised and perfected"
the N. E. A. circular does not take in
to consideration at all the numerous
objections directed against its very
purpose, viz: educational control oi
all schools through a Department of
the Federal Government in Washing
ton.
Meanwhile the revised bill has been
published and copies spread all over
the United States by the N. E. A.
Father Blakely, s. j., valiant cham
pion of the freedom of education, has
analyzed this bill in America" (April
19). He says: Instead of 1887 we
have now 8 5635, differing from the
October brew mainly in its number.
Four main reasons are given why it
should be rejected. First, it costs too
much; second, it establishes at Wash
ington political bureaucracy domin-
ating the free schools of free peo-
pie; third, it tends toward the sup
preston Of private initiative in edu-
cation and consequently is opposed to
public policy; and fourth, 1t is COM
plete reversal of the relations which
have hitherto existed between the Fed
eral Government and the schools of
the respective States. "This is the
case in spite Of the glib assurance that
all the educational facilities encour.
aged by its provisions shall be organ.
lied, supervised and administered ex-
clusively by the legally constituted
state and local educational authorities
within the several States" No one
should be deceived by the fact that
the bill now has a new number; it is
still as dangerous as 1t was under the
former.
High Aims Named to Veil Real
Purpose.
To this cocksureness and air of In.
fallibility there is added good deal
of hypocrisy, VIZ, by yelling the real
purpose of the bill by the advance
ment Of high and desirable aims, such
as removal of illiteracy, promotion OF
, health, Americanization, improvement
Of teachers salaries, provision of equal
opportunities for education for all. The
latter phrase is susceptible of many
different interpretations, changing It's
i significance, chameleonlike, whenever
occasion demands. One need not be
Z q genius to realize the desirability OF
these things, yet at the same time to
perceive that Federal control of the
schools and far-reaching paternal
ism are not the means by which this
\ end is to be obtained. Intelligent peo
D pie can not be duped by this evident
and dishonest camoufage, practised by
( the N. e. A., which has been ex
/ posed so frequently that that organ
3 ization should finally speak out frank
Il " and squarely in answer to the OBJ
I jections advanced against the bill
References to the example of France
! and Italy, such as have been made b,