Southwest High School - Roundup Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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the fundamental principles of Naziism, Fascism, Communism, or even Social- ism. It is necessary, therefore, that our people be informed as to the beliefs and objectives of the various political philosophies in the world today. This can be done only by alert, questioning students, under the guidance of well-trained, conscientious teachers whose passionate devotion to truth is their lirst allegi- ance. Under such a system, democracy has nothing to fear: its fundamental truths will become increasingly apparent. Then, too, it falls upon education to point out unceasingly the flood of propaganda that has been loosed upon us in recent years. Half-truths are more dangerous than falsehoods and much more diflicult to detect. This is especially true when they are uttered in thundering tones by the demagogue to the accompaniment of hysterical, subservient applause. All that is printed is not truth. Our educators must be calm, and must insist that every statement be true before accepting it. The public must be shown the tricks of propaganda and how to sift truth from falsehood. The oft-repeated challenge of ex- Governor Al. Smith of New York, Let's take a look at the record, might Well be our slogan in picking the facts from the propaganda we are subjected to. Finally, education may render an inestimable service to democracy by keep- ing ever before the minds of our people the need for constant re-evaluation of our institutions. As in the natural world, that which has ceased to grow has already begun to die. Those whom we call our greatest statesmen speak often in a critical vein. But it is not criticism armed solely at destruction: it is rather criticism of outworn practices coupled with constructive advice for improvement. The Americanism of such rare public servants as the late Justice Holmes of the United States Supreme Court and the present Senator Norris of Nebraska is no less admirable because they have found much with which they could not agree. These men are of the type sorely needed today in education-men who Work diligently in pointing the Way to the ever more perfect America. Democracy today needs the aid of real education as it has never needed it before and may never need it again. Education must now repay its early debt to democracy which brought it forth in order that, in the words of perhaps our greatest American, government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. Twenty-four

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them these hundred years. Learning has brought disobedience and heresy and sects into the world, and printing has divulged them and libels against the best government. God keep us from both! Gradually several states passed laws requiring towns of iifty families to support an elementary school, and towns of one hundred families to support a Latin grammar school to prepare boys for college. During this period some of our famous colleges of today were established. The first three were: Harvard, which was founded in 1636, followed by William and Mary in 1690, and Yale in 1701. All the colleges formed during this period were originally limited to the training of ministers. The well-rounded curriculum of the present College of Liberal Arts has been a slow development through the years. After our independence from England, free public education became much more extensive. The influence of the new democracy was the chief factor in this progress. In the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, provision was made for public schools in the Northwest Territory, and sections of land were set aside for their support. These public schools were to be further supported by public taxation, one of the first steps of this kind. Although these schools were often taught by school masters who knew little more than their pupils, they were at least a start toward our school system of today. As a further result of democracy women gradually obtained the right to receive an education. In 1841, Oberlin College gave the first college degree to a woman, and the long, slow struggle for the recognition of the social and political equality of women had gained another victory. And so it is clear that only under the democratic spirit of American institutions could education have made such a tremendous advance. ln many of the countries of Europe today, the educational system is rigidly supervised by the government. The text-books have been so changed that their teachings are worthless in the search for truth. Propaganda has, in those coun- tries, universally replaced education. Now, at a time when democracy is so challenged by threats of oppressive and radical systems, it is the supreme duty of education to come to the aid of democracy. There are several ways in which education can be of invaluable assistance to democracy. In the first place, the masses know very little about Twenty-three

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The world will little note, nor long remem- ber What we say here: but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished Work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remain- ing before us-that from these honored dead We take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion: that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain: that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedomg and that government of the peo- ple, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth. From Lz'nco!n's Gettysburg Address. iiii l .l A r .I .,At pVp,i , I . ,4 V: I . iv' I . i Q. Jack Haisley Twenty-Hu