The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-10-20
K. P. CONDEMNS
SCHOOL BOOKS
Adopts Resolutions at Grand
Lodge Meeting Against Use of
Certain Text Books.
LOCAL LODGES GET COPIES

LOCAL LODGES GET COPIES
At the recent meeting of the Grand
Lodge of Knights of Pythias, held in
Trenton, a special committee was ap-
pointed to consider complaints made
concerning the teaching of certain
text books in the public schools. The
committee recommended the following
resolution, a copy of which has been
received by Phil K~earney Lodge, of
this city:
Resolved by the Grand Lodge
Knights of Pythias of New Jersey in
convention assembled, that,
We would be unworthy sons of such
fathers if we have not the spirit and
strength to retain in ink what they
wrote in blood.
We would be unworthy of our birth
right and untrue to our principles as
a great American Fraternity did we
mo- condemn the use of histories and
text books in our schools that teach:
That Washington and his fellow
Colonists were proud that they were
Englishmen;
That patriots were drawn into the
Continental Army by money, bounties
and promises of land;
That the Boston Tea Party was a
lawless destruction of property;
That the Revolution was a contest
between German Tyranny and English
Freedom;
That the Declaration of ~Independ-
ence was plagiarized from an English
man; and our Constitution copied after
that of the Britains:
That John Hancock was a smugglef.
Jefferson deserved a halter;
Patrick Henry was a gay, unpros-
porous country lawyer;
That Hamilton's conception of the
people was "a great beast;
That the great victory of John Paul
Jones was an accident;
That Lawrence did no say Don't
give up the ship;
That belittles the achievements of
the patriots and teaches that Benedict
Arnold was treated unfairly.
That because they laud the Tories.
censure the Patriots, belittle the ac-
complishments and impugn the mo-
tives of those heroes who by the sac
riice OF their precious blood. won for
US our National Freedom, We condemn
the use in our Pubic Sch a-lsMafasngaz
,boozg as
School History Of the Q. s.. 81
Albert Bushnell Hart.
School History OF the L. s." (1919)
by John F. O'Hara,
"Burk's Speeches on Cancellation
with America" q919) by c. H. Ward.
American History" Revised 1920
by D. S. Muzzey,
Builders of Democracy" by Edwin
Greenlaw.
Our United States" (1919) by VIII
lam Backus Guitteau,
Mclaughlin & Van Tyne's History
of the United States for Schools"
Revised 1919,
History of the American People"
for High School use (191S) by Willis
Mason West,
Short American History by Grades"
and later condensed into one volume,
American History for Grammar
Grades" (1920) by Everitt Barnes.
That we pledge our ~unfagging sup
port TO. the Patriot League for the
preservation of American History in
its plans to drive from our schools all
treason texts that have a tendency to
deprive the generations yet to come Of
the sacred heritages that were won by
the unmatchable sacrifices Of our fore
fathers.
We further recommend that copies
of this resolution be forwarded TO ev-
cry Subordinate Lodge with a letter
from the Grand Chancellor. directing
them TO appoint Immediately a Com
mittee on Education; said committee
TO investigate the character and kinds
of histories and textbooks dealing with
American history and traditions in use
in the public schools in their vicinity
and if il be found upon investigation
that any of the histories and textbooks
condemned in the resolution adopted
by the Grand Lodge are in use, that
action be taken by said lodge TO have
them thrown out and their use pro
hibited; that said respective commit
tees report to their subordinate lodg-
es, who in turn shall report TO the
Grand Chancellor without unnecessary
delay, and that the Chancellor Com
manders be directed by The Grand
1 Chancellor to make it their special
business 10 see to II that the commit
tees so appointed function promptly
and properly.
And we further recommend that
these resolutions be furnished 10 the
newspapers for publication, that a
copy be sent TO the State Board Of
Education and that the Supreme Rep
resentatives be instructed TO present
the matter before the Supreme Lodge.