Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-09-21
SUMMARY OF TALK
ON CONSTITUTION


A fair sized crowd attended the
community meeting held at the Bap-
fist church last Sunday evening. The
meeting was presided over by Rev
C. E. Mason of the Congregational
church. The speakers of the even
ing were Superintendent H. H. Nix
on and r. w. Beckwith, Post Com
mander of the local American Lee
gion. Fine music was rendered by
the choir from the Congregational
church under the direction of VIM.
Talley, with Mrs. G. H. Stewart at
the piano. This was a worth while
meeting and we regret that so many
of our citizens were unable to be
present on this special occasion. R.
w. Beckwith, post commander of
the local American Legion, very ably
presented in skeleton form the U. S.
Constitution. Mr.. Beckwith endeav-
ored to impress on the minds of our
citizens the necessity of familiariz-
ing themselves with the constitution
and to respect its laws and usages.
He stated that it would be wise for
all who had never read the consti-
tuition by all means to get a copy
and study it. His remarks were to
the point and we'll received.
Mr.. Nixon's remarks in substance
were as follows:
In recent years, especially since
the world war, we have had a re-
vival of interest and respect for our
great constitution. The National
Convention of the American Bar as
sociation which recently met at Min
neapolis recommended that a week be
set aside to study and become more
familiar with this document. In ac-
cordance with this wish schools,
churches and our many patriotic or
CARNATIONS have planned to observe
the week from September II to Sep
TENDER "a This is the one HUNDRED
thirty-sixth year after the making
of the constitution and the same
week in which it was completed by
the body which made it. 1t was not
adopted and put into affect for al
most two years after this, however.
Since attention has been called to
the observance of this week by a
body not closely connected with the
schools it may appear to some that
we have been negligent in our duties
or that history and government are
not sufficiently emphasized. For
this reason a brief summary of our
course of study is given. We begin
the study of these subjects in the
fifth grade and continue it through
the other three grades making four
year course. Before the student can
complete the eighth grade he must
have a course in Idaho Civil Govern
ment and also one in the general
government of the United States. A
large part of this work comes as low
as the sixth grade so that only very
few students escape without having
some training along this line. In
high school Senior American History |
and Civil Government are compulsory |
courses for graduation. Here the
course is sufficiently well advanced |
to give any student an intelligent
working knowledge of our govern
ment.
What concerns all of us even more
than knowledge of our constitution
is respect for it and for our laws, To-
cal, state and national. We should
understand and know our constitu-
ton and laws as well as possible but
what is more important is that we
should obey them one and all. If
some parts of our constitution do
not suit the majority or if some laws
may seem to be unfair or not wise
to the majority that majority has
the power to change them in peace
full orderly manner under our form
of government. Many fail to appre-
ciate this great principle that we
have in our fundamental laws, our
state and national constitutions.
Too many imagine that a minority,
no matter how small, constitutes a
and want our laws and con- ]
situations changed to fit their per-