The Record Union

INSTRUCT THE INSTRUCTORS

Good Plain Talk About Treasonable
Teachings.

[From the Evening Bee, August 2d.]

The Bee has asserted that it has been
rumored around that treasonable utter-
ances have been used by some of the
teachers in this city in the presence of
the school children, and this paper has
stated that the Board of Education should
look into this matter with a view to dis-
missing from the schools those found
guilty, if any such there be. After read-
ing the report of last night's meeting
of the board we are forced to the state-
ment that we trust the subject will be
dropped, for there is danger of adding
avowed sentiments of treason by the
board to the whispers concerning treason-
able views put forth by teachers. In open
meeting the President of the Board of
Education last night stated that he agreed
with the views expressed by Mrs. Eliza-
beth Purnell in a communication to the
Bee, and not a single member of the
board even so much as protested. In
that communication the pivotal point
was this:

"Is the massing of troops in this city in
harmony with the principles enunciated
in the platforms, or do the acts of the
Administration show a complete de-
termination to uphold the monopolists
and reduce the laborer to a condition of
slavery?"

The old Valerian law of Rome, which
was enacted at three separate times dur-
ing the history of that republic, gave the
right of appeal to the people from the de-
csion of the Chief Magistrate. That law
is the kernel of every republic. It is the
right of the people of the United States to
thus appeal, and the ordinary place is the
ballot-box, and the time an election, but
as the people give to an executive extra-
ordinary powers in time of unexpected
emergency, so they reserve to themselves
extraordinary powers under like condi-
tions."

The President of the Board of Educa-
tion should know that the troops were
called here to uphold law, to protect
property, to preserve the principles of the
Constitution. He should know that, had
they not been brought here disorder
might have run riot and anarchy ruled.
He ought to know that to preach the doc-
trine that rebellion is at any time to be
approved because the people do not in-
dorse the acts of a particular Administra-
tion, is to spread abroad the rankest and
most pernicious of treason. It is to assert,
as a fundamental principle, not only the
right but the duty of any portion of the
people to shoulder rifles against the Gov-
ernment at their own sweet will. Such
teaching would have approved and ap-
plauded Colorado had she gone out of the
Union in open rebellion during the dark
days of the silver infamy. It would have
patted on the back the actions of the Com-
monwealers had they marched armed to
Washington, captured the National Capi-
tal and overturned the Government. It
would have cried "bravo" to the yells of
the mob in Chicago, when it destroyed
property and shrieked out: "To hell with
the United States Government!"

Following right on the heels of this un-
rebuked approbation of treasonable ut-
terances by the President of the Board of
Education, the capable and scholarly edi-
torial writer of the Record-Union ad-
dressed the board with a plea that some-
thing more of system be introduced into
the Friday afternoon monthly patriotic
exercises in the schools. The Bee would
suggest, as an amendment, that addi-
tional patriotic exercises be held weekly
for the instruction and coaching of the
school teachers and for the kindergarten
drilling of the President of the Board of
Education in the elementary principles
of loyalty.

The children of the public schools will
be loyal enough if the school teachers and
the President of the Board of Education
do not seduce them away from love of
country and fealty to the flag, and into
the nasty by-ways of treason and anarchy.

Let the instructors be instructed!