The Minnesota fiery cross. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1924-19??, 1924-02-22
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us that there was a six per cent ii.
literacy I'm America. The army tests
revealed that 34.9 per cent OF the
drafted men were "unable to read
and understand newspapers, and write
letters home I'm the English Ian
guage."
Remember that a majority of these
young men were less than a decade
removed from their educational days
This evidence is of failure, not re-
mote, but almost Immediately relat-
ed to the MISUNDERSTANDING in
adequacies of the present public
school system.
Today, in the United States, there
is thirty times as much absolute IL
literacy as in Germany and Denmark;
there is twelve times as much illit-
eracy here as in Switzerland; six
times as much as in Norway and
| Sweden, more than three times as
much as in England, Scotland and
Wales.
At the present rate of diminish
ment, it would take eighty-four years
to eliminate illiteracy in this coun-
try, taking absolute illiteracy fig
ures, instead of the more depressing
army tests. If we accept the latter
as basis, fully five hundred years
would elapse before illiteracy were
stamped out of our national life.
In the face of such facts, main
tain that no citizen can oppose demo-
cratic education in America unless
he be an un-American enemy of our
institutions.
There are in this country approx
mately 25,000,000 boys and girls of
school age. Were those of university
years to be included, the number
would reach above 100000. In
1920, according to census statistics,
we had 25,042,637 children between
the ages of seven and seventeen. The
grade and high schools, then, should
be providing the best of educational
opportunities for at least that num-
Der.
In 1920, 4,4O5,4 37, a total of nine
teen per cent of our children between
the ages of seven and seventeen,
were not attending any school.
Between the ages of seven and thir-
teen, no less than 9.4 per cent were
not attending any school.
| AZ thC dkCo Va II dhb Az GO.4 PSi
cent were not in school.
Among those 16 and II, 571 per
cent were not in any school.
The teachers in the public schools
of America number 555,586. Fifty
four per cent Of them have not had
normal school training. In the ru-
raj schools, % per cent Of these
teachers have had less than two years
of education above the elementary
grades. Thousands have had no train
ing beyond the eighth grade.
The Hierarchy Opposing Democratic
Education
1t is apparent, then, that from ev-
cry point of view, except that of
selfshness, the educational doctrine
of Horace Mann should be written
into the laws and into the life of
this nation. Patriotism demands it.
common sense sanctions it, every
consideration of individual and ma
tional welfare pleads it's necessity.
Why, then, has this fundamental
program not been adopted.
1t Is because of the opposition OF
one of the oldest and most powerful
special interests I'm the world today.
The hierarchy of the Roman Cath
Ollie church stands against America
on this issue, the public school, in it's
every phase, aspect and result is re-
pugnant to the Pope and all his
priesthood. After a most thorough
and unbiased examination of the
forces for and against this program,
| can say to you with absolute GER
tainty that excepting only civic self
ishness, the Roman Catholic Hierar-
chy Is the one influence that Is sue
cesSfully Obstructing adequate pub.
lie school education In America. 1t
is pursuing that course because the
hierarchy that has both its govern
mental and religious headquarters at
Rome is now, always has been, and
perhaps always will be, opposed to
the public sponsorship of institutions
of learning. From its point of view,
education is prerogative of the
church. 1t refuses to accept secular
control or to cOuntenance any re.
suit that can or may subordinate the
recruitive objects of parOchialism.
Therefore, through it's political pow
err, this alien hierarchy says to Amer
lea, "You shall not establish an edu-
cational system that sets up in that
field an exclusive authority higher
than that of the church; public
schools shall not be legalized into a
standing superior to those of the
church"
The hierarchy does not openly, hon
estly and frankly define either it's OPP
position or the objects of that oppo-
sition. Instead it resorts to camou-
fage. What it really says to you is
that our educational program for
America would be unconstitutional;
that national aid to public schools
would violate states rights; that such
system as we propose would be at
tended by bureaucratic and politi-
cal perversions. What the spokesman
of the Vatican in America really
mean is that the further advance
ment of democratic education with
in this republic would be an insur-
mountable impeachment to the papal
dream of worldwide temporal do
minion.
1t is not possible to find single
intelligent citizen, whatever his or
her preferences, who does not un-
derstand that the hierarchy is unal-