the americanization of edward bok-第93部分

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ed　public…school　system　which　the　United　States　had　borrowed　from　my　own　country；　and　then　had　rendered　incompetent…either　by　a　sheer　disregard　for　the　thoroughness　that　makes　the　Dutch　public　schools　the　admiration　of　the　world；　or　by　too　close　a　regard　for　politics。

Thus；　in　her　most　important　institution　to　the　foreign…born；　America　fell　short。　And　while　I　am　ready　to　believe　that　the　public　school　may　have　increased　in　efficiency　since　that　day；　it　is；　indeed；　a　question　for　the　American　to　ponder；　just　how　far　the　system　is　efficient　for　the　education　of　the　child　who　comes　to　its　school　without　a　knowledge　of　the　first　word　in　the　English　language。　Without　a　detailed　knowledge　of　the　subject；　I　know　enough　of　conditions　in　the　average　public　school　to…day　to　warrant　at　least　the　suspicion　that　Americans　would　not　be　particularly　proud　of　the　system；　and　of　what　it　gives　for　which　annually　they　pay　millions　of　dollars　in　taxes。

I　am　aware　in　making　this　statement　that　I　shall　be　met　with　convincing　instances　of　intelligent　effort　being　made　with　the　foreign…born　children　in　special　classes。　No　one　has　a　higher　respect　for　those　efforts　than　I　havefew；　other　than　educators；　know　of　them　better　than　I　do；　since　I　did　not　make　my　five…year　study　of　the　American　public　school　system　for　naught。　But　I　am　not　referring　to　the　exceptional　instance　here　and　there。　I　merely　ask　of　the　American；　interested　as　he　is　or　should　be　in　the　Americanization　of　the　strangers　within　his　gates；　how　far　the　public　school　system；　as　a　whole；　urban　and　rural；　adapts　itself；　with　any　true　efficiency；　to　the　foreign…born　child。　I　venture　to　color　his　opinion　in　no　wise；　I　simply　ask　that　he　will　inquire　and　ascertain　for　himself；　as　he　should　do　if　he　is　interested　in　the　future　welfare　of　his　country　and　his　institutions；　for　what　happens　in　America　in　the　years　to　come　depends；　in　large　measure；　on　what　is　happening　to…day　in　the　public　schools　of　this　country。

As　a　Dutch　boy　I　was　taught　a　wholesome　respect　for　law　and　for　authority。　The　fact　was　impressed　upon　me　that　laws　of　themselves　were　futile　unless　the　people　for　whom　they　were　made　respected　them；　and　obeyed　them　in　spirit　more　even　than　in　the　letter。　I　came　to　America　to　feel；　on　every　hand；　that　exactly　the　opposite　was　true。　Laws　were　passed；　but　were　not　enforced；　the　spirit　to　enforce　them　was　lacking　in　the　people。　There　was　little　respect　for　the　law；　there　was　scarcely　any　for　those　appointed　to　enforce　it。

The　nearest　that　a　boy　gets　to　the　law　is　through　the　policeman。　In　the　Netherlands　a　boy　is　taught　that　a　policeman　is　for　the　protection　of　life　and　property；　that　he　is　the　natural　friend　of　every　boy　and　man　who　behaves　himself。　The　Dutch　boy　and　the　policeman　are；　naturally；　friendly　in　their　relations。　I　came　to　America　to　be　told　that　a　policeman　is　a　boy's　natural　enemy；　that　he　is　eager　to　arrest　him　if　he　can　find　the　slightest　reason　for　doing　so。　A　policeman；　I　was　informed；　was　a　being　to　hold　in　fear；　not　in　respect。　He　was　to　be　avoided；　not　to　be　made　friends　with。　The　result　was　that；　as　did　all　boys；　I　came　to　regard　the　policeman　on　our　beat　as　a　distinct　enemy。　His　presence　meant　that　we　should　〃stiffen　up〃；　his　disappearance　was　the　signal　for　us　to　〃let　loose。〃

So　long　as　one　was　not　caught；　it　did　not　matter。　I　heard　mothers　tell　their　little　children　that　if　they　did　not　behave　themselves；　the　policeman　would　put　them　into　a　bag　and　carry　them　off；　or　cut　their　ears　off。　Of　course；　the　policeman　became　to　them　an　object　of　terror；　the　law　he　represented；　a　cruel　thing　that　stood　for　punishment。　Not　a　note　of　respect　did　I　ever　hear　for　the　law　in　my　boyhood　days。　A　law　was　something　to　be　broken；　to　be　evaded；　to　call　down　upon　others　as　a　source　of　punishment；　but　never　to　be　regarded　in　the　light　of　a　safeguard。

And　as　I　grew　into　manhood；　the　newspapers　rang　on　every　side　with　disrespect　for　those　in　authority。　Under　the　special　dispensation　of　the　liberty　of　the　press；　which　was　construed　into　the　license　of　the　press；　no　man　was　too　high　to　escape　editorial　vituperation　if　his　politics　did　not　happen　to　suit　the　management；　or　if　his　action　ran　counter　to　what　the　proprietors　believed　it　should　be。　It　was　not　criticism　of　his　acts；　it　was　personal　attack　upon　the　official；　whether　supervisor；　mayor；　governor；　or　president；　it　mattered　not。

It　is　a　very　unfortunate　impression　that　this　American　lack　of　respect　for　those　in　authority　makes　upon　the　foreign…born　mind。　It　is　difficult　for　the　foreigner　to　square　up　the　arrest　and　deportation　of　a　man　who；　through　an　incendiary　address；　seeks　to　overthrow　governmental　authority；　with　the　ignoring　of　an　expression　of　exactly　the　same　sentiments　by　the　editor　of　his　next　morning's　newspaper。　In　other　words；　the　man　who　writes　is　immune；　but　the　man　who　reads；　imbibes；　and　translates　the　editor's　words　into　action　is　immediately　marked　as　a　culprit；　and　America　will　not　harbor　him。　But　why　harbor　the　original　cause？　Is　the　man　who　speaks　with　type　less　dangerous　than　he　who　speaks　with　his　mouth　or　with　a　bomb？

At　the　most　vital　part　of　my　life；　when　I　was　to　become　an　American　citizen　and　exercise　the　right　of　suffrage；　America　fell　entirely　short。　It　reached　out　not　even　the　suggestion　of　a　hand。

When　the　Presidential　Conventions　had　been　held　in　the　year　I　reached　my　legal　majority；　and　I　knew　I　could　vote；　I　endeavored　to　find　out　whether；　being　foreign…born；　I　was　entitled　to　the　suffrage。　No　one　could　tell　me；　and　not　until　I　had　visited　six　different　municipal　departments；　being　referred　from　one　to　another；　was　it　explained　that；　through　my　father's　naturalization；　I　became；　automatically；　as　his　son；　an　American　citizen。　I　decided　to　read　up　on　the　platforms　of　the　Republican　and　Democratic　parties；　but　I　could　not　secure　copies　anywhere；　although　a　week　had　passed　since　they　had　been　adopted　in　convention。

I　was　told　the　newspapers　had　printed　them。　It　occurred　to　me　there　must　be　many　others　besides　myself　who　were　anxious　to　secure　the　platforms　of　the　two　parties　in　some　more　convenient　form。　With　the　eye　of　necessity　ever　upon　a　chance　to　earn　an　honest　penny；　I　went　to　a　newspaper　office；　cut　out　from　its　files　the　two　platforms；　had　them　printed　in　a　small　pocket　edition；　sold　one　edition　to　the　American　News　Company　and　another　to　the　News　Company　controlling　the　Elevated　Railroad　bookstands　in　New　York　City；　where　they　sold　at　ten　cents　each。　So　great　was　the　demand　which　I　had　only　partially　guessed；　that　within　three　weeks　I　had　sold　such　huge　editions　of　the　little　books　that　I　had　cleared　over　a　thousand　dollars。

But　it　seemed　to　me　strange　that　it　should　depend　on　a　foreign…born　American　to　supply　an　eager　public　with　what　should　have　been　supplied　through　the　agency　of　the　political　parties　or　through　some　educational　source。

I　now　tried　to　find　out　what　a　vote　actually　meant。　It　must　be　recalled　that　I　was　only　twenty…one　years　old；　with　scant　education；　and　with　no　civic　agency　offering　me　the　information　I　was　seeking。　I　went　to　the　headquarters　of　each　of　the　political　parties　and　put　my　query。　I　was　regarded　with　puzzled　looks。

〃What　does