Askov American., 1934-03-22

thought much along the lines Of party
politics and economics it Is a gentle
reminder that conditions are not
changed by merely switching labels.
The system may need to be changed
but the greatest improvement for
better conditions will come through
the improvement of the individual.
The city of Milwaukee is run we'll by
Socialist mayor, the state of Wis
consin has run along we'll for years
under progressive Republicans. Ne
braska has Jared well under a Demo-
cratic governor and Minnesota is
forging ahead under the Farmer
Labor banner. And those various
leaders were born and raised in this
democracy-under the best form Of
government to date-but they used
their heads and worked.
Coming back to the school. The
children there should be taught to
read and write. so that they can an
swer as to whether India Is near
China. Africa, or South America,
and as to whether 1t has between
300, 100000 and 4OO.OOO,OOO popula-
tion or between 10000 and 100000;
taught to do things neatly, thoroughly
and completely, write legibly, spell
correctly, and without capitalizing
every other wOrd-thOse are import
ant things in school.
How much can we expect children
between 13 and 18 to know about
economics and party politics when
their parents, 35 to 60 are wObbling
and switching? We can feed it into
them so they leave the home ard
school with the same party politics
as the parents. as is true of religion.
But is it we'll to push 1t so? III
another three weeks parents may
change.
Book knowledge is one thing but
practical experience is quite another.
Let the children have good school
ing so they can read and understand
for themselves. Then with later
practical experience in life they will
be better fitted to choose.
For some school board members
to tell the others that a man like
Frank Crosswaith who spoke before
the adult club here recently would
appear in the school to talk about
the Virgin Islands where he was born,
was just stringing them along. Such
promises in behalf of the speaker to
dwell on history of the former DAN
ish possessions was of course to Sc
cure the consent of the three other
board members to his appearance in
the school. The school column in
last weeks Askov American told of
the speech. Of course it was parti
san politics. What else was to be
from a man who is touring
the country in behalf of a political
party, a man who edits publications.
organizes unions, speaks, lectures,
and lives in a political atmosphere
all the time?
If we are to maintain the public
school non-sectarian and non-pOlit-
ical we will either have to mix it
up little and bring in speakers from
other political parties-nOt all from
one party-or eliminate that partial
wasting of time and excitement to
the children-their being told that
true democracy is non-existent in
etc.
This newspaper has time and again
advocated public ownership of public
utilities, but we would not think of
going to youngsters between 13 ami
that subject. With their limited ex-
perience in life, how much can they
judge between which method is best
private or public ownership? If there
are text books in the school that lead
the young minds astray then stir up
in that, but don't run youngsters down
a blind alley into some political party
before they know what it is all about.
1t might make for an interesting dis
cussiOn at the next school board
or at some meeting of the
Parent Teachers Association.
The act of ringing in Socialist
speakers in the local public school
might properly have been discussed
at parent-teacher meetings before
jamming it down the throats of the
youths. Now it is quite sure to be
discussed and likewise the three
members of the school board Who
have in the past consented to speak
ers on the grounds that economics,
history, and such would be discussed.
will likely be on guard. But as stated
at the outset, these matters can and
will be criticised locally and will be
settled here.