Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1919-06-19
- IT NOT WORTH WHILE .

Dear Editor 50. Mary's BEACON:
Your editorial last week signet
"Veritas" was sn evidence Of the alert
] ness OF the BEACON, of its advance
and correct thinking and Of its fear,
less expression Of view even Ia opposi.
ton 20 Q measure that has gained
mHch popularity In the Southern
States. and which Is being doomed II
every way possible by professional
educators every where. They, like
professional milltarists in another
sphere, see IN the bill opportunities
for extending and perpetuating their
hold on the mind and money aud poll
ties of the entire country.
BY creating Federal Educational
Department NJ Washington, with cabi-
mes members and all the subordinate
ofbcials in the states, counties and
cities OF the Republic, and by assum-
ing arbitrary powers regarding what
shall or shall not be taught IN the
schools, colleges and universities Of
the country, 10 Is easy 70 see how the
fashioning and molding of thought.
not merely national. but political.
ethical and religious, would pass into
the power Of this educational machine.
This party of educators will also he
assured Of comfortable berth and
good salary for themselves and their
army OF servants; they will have con-
troll OF an enormous amount of proper
~ and buildings flor they will absorb
all State and corporate or private
education nov In existencel at an ex-
pense that will make most other items
OF public expense look like q pea com
pared TO pumpkin. This, as Veritas
rightly complained, will mean an enor-
nous increase in the national tax bill.
We are about to Jose the immense
revenue hitherto derived from the Ia x
on liquor; we are facing the war bill
OF twenty-five and more billions of
dollars; yet, even in normal times, an
increase in taxes like that which come
with the Smith-Towner proposition,
would be enough to merit its rejection.
10 eXaggerates almost ridiculously the
ne, d Of characterization among our
children, and claims fictitious advant-
ages over the present system of educa-
tional control
To illustrate the first point, it is a
matter OF experience that in Jewish
and Italian settlements where they ex-
list, the tendency Of the children and
young people is decidedly away from
The language. customs and manners of
their parents; they wish TO learn
American songs. games, customs and
loyalty To the Stars and Stripes. OF
course there are Bolsheviki among all
the foreign elements ofour population,
but they are beyond the reach of any
except the pol!ceman's club
or the machine pun.
We said that the Federal Education
the politics of the country. because
their Opportunities to seize and hold
control OF political power would be
vastly greater than the opportunity
possessed at present by officeholders
in the legislative or executive depart
ments OF the government. This is
clear from your editorial comparing
the aims and results of this American
(?) bill with what actually existed un-
der PruSsian rule In the old German
Empire. For this, IL for no other rea-
son, the obnoxius Smith-Towner Bill
should be promptly rejected, and
Maryland voters should take a firm
stand for State rights in this sacred
matter OF education, and still more for
parental rights. e., the right OF par
entS TO regulate the education of their
children and TO place them in any
school or university, public or private
that is up TO American standards OF
and patriotism.
The country has been very much up
set by the passage of federal prohibit
ton under the pretence of wartime ne
cessity. and by the extremes to which
prohibitionists would now 90 in in.
and enforcing the 1aw-con-
trary 70 rights written by the Almighty
In the constitution of human nature
ages before our own constitution could
have been thought of. Let US see to 1t,
therefore, that no such educational
rs the Smith Towner bill
would foist on the nation be made law
under pretence Of Americanizing our
people. Is would mean the sacrifice of
State and parental rights that mean
vastly more than the dollars and cents
involved. Let US insist with our Con-
gressmen that IL Is not worth while.
Truly yours,
JUsTITIA.