The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1922-11-09


special articler rfffen for TIE Ansrs-
can Legion By Nicholas Murray Bat
Ter. president Of Columbia Unirersity-
John J. Tigsrt. United States oomnls-
siOner Of education. and the Sstional
Education Association are cooperat-
ing With the Americanism conuis-
sion Of the legion in making the ueek
a success. Presiden; Harding VII
issue . natiOnsl proclamation uhich
VIII be followed By prOclzmatiOns by
governors and mayor
Education Week should Be . time
for Strengthening our understanding
Of the foundations Of Asmr5can edu-
cation Dr.. Butler says the article
which follows:
From the beginning the interest
in educsfion Of the founders and
makers Of America has been unique
Harvard College vss established in
Massachusetts, Bay only sixteen years
after the Pilgrims landed AZ Ply
mouth The common school kuiclziT
grew up in View England and spread
over the whole United States a.
typical American institution Hor-
ace Mann and Henry Barnard put
new life and higher ideals into the
American school system nearly
century ago. The Ordinances for the
government Of the northwest terri {
tory. made in 1877. out Of which ter
ritory 80 many Of the middle west
ern states have been carved. contain !
ed eTpres provision for the support (
and Development Of public education Z
Long ago il became established pUO- 4
lie law that an American state or sub
division thereof might maintain by a
public tax any type Of instruction /
that II saw ft. however advanced.
This principle underiies the public
high schools and the unsupported
universities and technical schools.
1T is American doctrine. fortunate
Iy. that while education is a proper
state function, il is in no sense a state
monopoly. Schools, colleges and uni
yersities flourish and are encouraged
TO flourish in the field Of liberty as
well as in the field of government
The former are not supported by pub
lie tax, although frequently their
property used directly for education
is exempt from taxation. This is the
states way of encouraging private in
itiatiye TO develop educational insti-
tutions in the field Of liberty. By this
happy combination of tax
supported schools, colleges and uni
versities. every public interest is met.
while provision may readily be made
for every shade of opinion and belief.
In this way the American people
keep their educational system free,
elastic and adaptable to their every
need. and avoid the hard and fast
government-made and government
regulated educational systems of con-
Europe.
Every American who understands
the fundamental principles which un-
derlie American education and justify
the faith of the American people in 1t,
will resist all attempts to break down
those principles, to substitute federal
control or central regulation for local
initiative. to displace elacticity for rig
idity. or TO compel conformity in Prus-
sian fashion instead of upholding lib
erty in American fashion.
Prom one point of view the faith
Of the American people in education is
sublime, while in another il is pathetic.
II is sublime in that 1t shows the
American people at their best in the
full expression of their faith in the
progress of mankind, in their unshak-
able confidence in the power of intel
ligence and disciplied character. Their |
faith is pathetic in that schools, col |
leges and universities. do what they |
WILL ldii SO idi ohOiN III lhci OWH
deals and of what the American peo-
pie ahye right to expect OF them.
Education Week should be a time
for reexamining the foundations of
American education, for increasing our
understanding of those foundations, for
strengthening our confidence in them,
and,for resolving to do all in our pow
er TO make them our schools, both
higher and lower. better able to justi-
fy the nations faith In them and their
influence. Schools, colleges and uni
yersities cannot be made by money,
but only by personalities; must live,
and the economic basis Of schools and
of the teaching profession must be
sufficiently broad. sufficiently stable
and ample to invite and TO retain the
consecrated service OF the highest type