Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1919-01-24

| lnllueuId mas COSl Iue lives VI iHOiV
of our splendid boys just ready to
take upon their shoulders the priv
ileges and responsibilities of citizen
ship, than have the bullets of the
Hun.
Third, the public school is consid-
cred by all authorities to be the
Cradle of Liberty and Democracy.
Surely it becomes the duty of the
| teachers of the State of Kentucky
to so widely and thoroughly compre-
bend the relation of the citizen to
the state that they may teach the
principles of true Republican Gov
eminent to 'ihe rising generation in
such a way as will create an abid
ing interest in their government and
realization that no Democracy can
be better than the average of its
citizenship.
/ We teachers and school officials
must learn that before we can take
our rightful position in the forward
march of happening events we must
get the people who are the power
to understand that right education
is the biggest, best and hottest bus
mess in which the state is engaged;
and that we can not. if rightly ex-
pended and directed. put too Inuch
energy, life and money into the
training of the boys and girls who
are to mold the future destiny of
the nation and of the world; and
that we must bring to our work and
leadership IuChJ a degrbe of eff
fCiency and wisdom as will com
mand the respect and cooperation
of the people with whom we are
associated; that the teacher and the
people who administer the business
of education shall be adequately sup
ported commensurate with the val
ne of heir service to society. All
citizens who have the best interest
of tie future citizenship of the
state at heart must begin to get the
electorate of the state to under
stand that it is a tragedy upon JUS
tce to pay their chauffeur more
han they pay their teacher; to build
house to shelter their cattle ata
greater expense than a building to
shelter their children during five
days of the week, six or more
months of the year at cost of 100
per cent less.
In a Republic the people get,
through their Legislatures and Ad-
ministrative Officers, what they
want llpst. The thing that we
school people are obliged to do by
the very nature of our position is to
bring the people to want the right
thing, and then get it in the right
way. In order to do this we must
begin the training of the child at an
early age in the laws of Govern
ment and proper living.
/ desire to call the attention of the
teachers to Section 24a of the acts
of 1918, School Laws, which de-
subject of Elementary Agriculture
,hall be taught in the Common
Schools of this State, except in cities
of the First, Second, Third and
Fourth Classes" We all realize the
fact that this law is a termination
of long fight to have Agriculture
put into our schools, and it marks
an era in our school system.
do not think a more important act
has been passed in recent years.
Therefore, l am urging, yea, de-
handing, that the teachers of Knox
County thoroughly prepare them
selves upon this subject as the law
requires. This law applies to the
rural schools in a very extensive
way There is no question that if it
be wisely administered and enforced
that it will result in great good to
the country schools. On the other
hand If this law be not wisely admin
istered and enforced, II Agriculture
be taught unwisely and impractical
lly in the country schools, the re-
suit will be that the farmers will
become so disguised with the whole
thing and the law will be repealed,
Or, If it be taught in bookish way,
or by teachers who do not under
stand the subject themselves, the
law will become dead letter il is
a ruling of the Department of Ed
ucation of this State that the teach
err who fails to pass an examination
productivity on the subject of Sgri-