The day book. [volume], May 09, 1914, LAST EDITION, Image 5

About The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

                
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ONE MAN'S OPINIONS
BY N. D. COCHRAN.
Teaching the Young Idea. The
school teachers of Chicago are sup
posed to teach the, Young Idea how
to shoot, and the members of the
school board are supposed to teach
the teachers how to teach the Young
Idea how to shoot.
, I have- watched the political antics
of the members of thatschool board
for a long time now, and I wonder
just how the Young Idea will shoot
when the wise men and women on
that board get through teaching It
how to shoot.
And I wonder what kind of an im
pression the Young Idea will get of
representative government for we
must assume that if we have repre
sentative government in Chicago the
members of the school board repre
sent the people of Chicago.
The council is a standing object
lesson for the Young Idea in repre
sentative government So is the coun
ty board. So is the police force. Like
wise the election board, the board of
review and all of the various boards,
commissions, Individual public serv
ants, etc.
Certain members of the schqol
oard for what they think Js right
There is a scrap. Some members are
canned by the mayor. Other mem
bers are appointed to. take their
places. The canned members rush
before a two-legged human being
called a judge. The judge isn't a mem
ber of the school board. But he tells
the members what they must do.
They rebel, and refuse to do it The
judge gets hot under the collar for
judges are men and wear collars, and
sweat and eat and drink and sleep
like the rest of us.
The judge represents the Law
something that nobody knows much
about But the Law is dignified. So
is the judge. The dignity of the I4W
vmt be upheld, &!wJjg&4Knii-z of.
the judge." Has life got any? I don't
know. But anyhow, he sentences the
members to jail. ' They get scared
They quit fighting. sThey obey the ,
orders of the judge. The judge wins.
He has his way. The dignity of the
Law and the dignity of the judge:,
are upheld.
What does the Young Idea think
about it all? The Young Idea knows ,
that the teacher bosses the pupils, the J
school board members the teachers,
the judge bosses the school board t
members. Who bosses the judge? Is
it the Law? Who said so? What is
the LAW? Who knows?
Suppose it goes to a higher judge ,
one who gets more salary. And sup-
pose the higher judge says the lower
judge was wrong, and that the law,
instead of being thus and so is so and
thus. What then?
The Young Idea knows baseball. It,.,
knows that if a player misses the,
third strike and the catcher doesn't
drop the ball the batter is out It,
knows that if the batter knocks a fly
and the fielder catches it the batter ,
is out It knows that the. pitcher puts j
four bad ones outside the plate the
batter takes his base. T
There is something scientific about j
baseball. Also something human.
The Young Idea knows the rules of
the prize ring. It knows something ,
about prizefights.
The Young Idea knows how to j
dance the tango how to kiss, and
lots of -other things worth while
and human. But how is it going to -know
about representative govern
ment and the thing they call tlje .
LAW? '
Really, when you come to think
about it, you can't blame.the Young 3
Idea for thinking that Joe Tinker,
Mordecai Brown, Roger Bresnahan, j
Christy Mathewson, Hans Wagner.
Ty Cobb, Eddie McGoorty and Bat
tling Nelson are greater American
heroes than Gov Dunne, Mayor Hai j
ris'on, Dean Sumner and all the restj
of our senators, governors,, judges
.aidpjpgrjiuroa together,