Part 2 (2/2)
Children can be taught the dangers, not only to their principles, but their worldly fortunes, of office-seeking and ofa profession of politics The child of wealth should be especially instructed in his duty to look after the affairs of his on, county, state and nation The man whose powers are strained to the utmost in order to support and educate his fa out of civic wrongs and their reive all the hbor
Children can be taught, too, so of the protean for votes; the duty of every voter to vote and do jury-work; the need of looking at every question fro blind partisanshi+p; and much of the rest of the eleain, it is upon the mother that this patriotic duty , she may often feel that the work is slow and uncertain, but shewords of the poet:
”Thou canst not see grass gro sharp soe'er thou be; Yet that the grass has grown, thou presently shall see
So, though thou canst not see thy work now prospering, know The fruit of every work-time without fail shall show”
Jacob Riis used often to say that the apparent corruption of our politics was largely due to crass ignorance There are, too, s who are born moral idiots, who cannot be made to understand ethics, any more than intellectual ”subnormals” can be made to understand proportion and international law But we know that up to the ability of every being he should be taught We know that the appalling illiteracy of Mexico, Russia and China renders a stable republic in any one of them almost impossible Education is a slow business Generations of it will be required to ht to be; but it is the desideratuuard our public schools
But again it h school discipline should be of the best, yet the real education of your child depends more upon his ho around there? What azines? Do you patronize salacious plays? Do you exalt in your conversation the prize-fight and the automobile-race? What sort of people visit your hooes on at your table? Is wine or beer served there? Is the air in your parlor or study often thick with tobacco-smoke?
The father ishes his children to become pure-minded and unselfish patriots, must ask himself many questions like these Remember that the boy is influenced by your words only to a certain degree Our seer of Concord never uttered a more i of his father, ”How can I hear what you _say_, hat you _are_ is thundering so loud in irl, the responsibility of us all for good ho issues in their hoes, one part of the city or townshi+p is jealous of another part, will not vote for ienerally suspicious and contrary
Explain to your children how conteuments on both sides, and ht to vote Make the girl, especially, for of influential citizens In fact, she ress or a United States Senator!
Are the roads bad in your town? Are the taxes ied by politicians? Is the town poorly policed? Are the back yards unsanitary? Are the town officers inefficient?
Explain to your children how the taxes are laid,--how a town has to spend a good deal to keep itself up, so to speak; and how important it is that its tax-money should be carefully spent
Particularly should we ily or unhealthy place, it is not the fault of a vague, for, called ”the town” or ”the city,” or ”the state,” but of each and every one of us; and especially of every separate voter who fails to be on hand at the town-ood oodin a cab through the streets of Vienna, so his mail As he finished with certain letters, he tore thean to notice as going on, left his box and picked up the torn papers Then he put his head in at the , and cried, with a passion which seemed to the careless and untidy A up our beautiful streets in this way? Where do you come from? Have your people no pride in their country? Do they wish it to look all over like a slum?”
He actually reported the matter to the police The man was thereupon haled to court and had to pay a considerable fine
Although son ones, carry civic pride to an alood fault Children should early be taught to regard the neatness and beauty of their town
If they coive them to understand that patriotism is not easy Few virtues are easy to practice, and perhaps unselfish patriotisraduated froreat American university where it is said that citizenshi+p is ht, and where he had certainly imbibed a lofty desire to do his duty by his country He lived in a great city and presented hiraduation at the door of his ward political organization There he entleman, plethoric and red-faced, welcolad hand” At the same time, he showed a spice of suspicion
”Are you a Republican?” he asked
”Yes”
”I suppose you have always voted the straight ticket?”
”Well,--I have been voting only a year or two I think I have voted the straight ticket so far”
”And I suppose you intend to vote the straight ticket right along?”