The Washington herald., 1922-09-26

clearly Lincoln understood this. He
was a true mixer and . great demo-
crat. His leavening power Amounted
to genius"
Regarding the sort of school we
must have to produce these leaven-
Ing spirits in the nation. the writer
says:
There is such q school. II there
were not the first thing for this
nation to do would oe to create one
II IL is true. as Galsworthy claims,
that Education is the most sacred
concern, indeed the only hope of a
nation'-true of England. how much
truer of America. II the hope of
England is not in her fleet. but in
her schools. then the hope of France
can hardly be in her army. but In
her schools: and this must be so
with America
Armies and navies are not the
hope OF the nation, but the curse Of
the nation. Yet this common
knowledge 10 poverless to save US
from war Industry. commerce and
wealth are not the hope OF the ma
ton. They both bless and curse the
nation under the prevailing social
and economic conditions. This Is
common knowledge, but IL. too. ..
powerless to save: for like the
knowledge of war II has as yet had
no part In our education.
We must be educated. not merely
informed: and We must have .
school where such subjects can be
made the material for universal and
national study. Interpreted and
taught In the large spirit of democ-
raey. We have such a school. The
trouble Is. we lack both the ma.
tonal course OF study and the ma
tional spirit to put II through"
The National Spirit.
A clearer understanding OF the
real purpose Of the public school ..
who writes:
MY child IL first a national child
He belongs 20 the nation even he
fore he belongs to himself. his edu-
cation Is first national. and after
that personal. We parents can
hardly see this. 1t is q particularly
difficult point OF view for the highly
individuslized. sssertiv. Anglo
Saxon whose political weakness is
his undeveloped sense Of social
solidarity. Every Northman was a
soaking or a Vi-kins-king Of a
creek or bay. We look upon our
child as having his only end in him
self. and upon his education as a
means to that end.
"Eut the whole history Of Amer
lean education proves that the pub
lie schools were founded for the
defense Of the nation. and not for
the beneflt of the child. Tho Fed
eral government leaves the school.
in the hands of the States. and
every State has chapter in Its
constitution plainly commandinc
the legislatures to provide the
schools. seventeen of The states pre-
ambling their educational chapter.
wherein they justify the enormous
cost Of education as national
necessity-as the only safeguard
FOR the rights and liberties of a free
peorIo"
Declaring that the national task
of the public school is the making
of tho true American mind, the
writer says in conclusion:
Must speak One Tongue.
"Rut it cannot do this until we
fully rcaliz" the national need;
until We make the school a national
school. tho child national child,
and his education the chief con-
Germ. indeed the only hope of the
nation.
when VIC realize this. then We
shall overhaul and fit the public
school and give IL national courss
OF study. bottomed upon the Eng
lish literature, but built up Of uni
versal history. elementary science,
geography and economics, studied
and taught in the pure light OF
democracy.
"A democracy must needs speak
one tongue and speak il well. Give
us all the same language, and all
of us the same good grade Lam
suage, and you have leveled at once
the greatest Of social and political
barriers. Good language is more
than a hallmark. There IL no truer
test of culture. no securer sense Of
social safety than in good language:
but there is alse no possession in
common. no single touch OF nature
more certain to make q whole ma
tion kim"