EDUCATION OF RURAL PEOPLE 113 



man race better learn to gain wealth, honestly and effi- 

 ciently and distribute it fairly and at the same time live 

 together in a more friendly way? Unless these themes 

 are put into the schools, democracy does not get its 

 proper education. Much the same thing may be said 

 in regard to literature, also to art, especially music. 

 How the war has emphasized the value of music as a 

 stimulus to the soldier and how the great movement for 

 community singing that has swept over the country has 

 developed patriotism and common purpose! 



It is clear that all these reforms and redirections of 

 our rural school system will cost money, a great deal 

 of money. But we must regard schooling as not a 

 luxury, but a necessity. A good schooling may cost 

 twice as much as a poor schooling, but is worth ten 

 times as much. There is no better scheme of national 

 bargaining than to spend money needed for a good 

 school system. Let us also recognize the fact that 

 these improvements in our rural school system cannot 

 be made if the local farm communities are left to do it 

 alone, or if they alone are obliged to pay the bills. The 

 farmers must give up some of their cherished " rights " 

 in respect to the management of the little local school, 

 not because we want an educational autocracy, but be- 

 cause in this day of scientific efficiency all school systems 

 must yield to the management of wise, trained, broad- 

 minded experts in education. We need a larger 

 amount of state aid for local schools. The super- 

 visors of our school systems, both county and state, 

 should be taken out of politics at the first opportunity. 

 These educational positions should no more be political 

 in character than the pastorates of the church. It is 

 one of the most mischievous mistakes of democracy 

 to suppose that a Democratic or Republican county 



