The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., January 01, 1927, Page 9, Image 9

January 1927
Page Nine
THE UNITED AMERICAN
“Character Factories”
By J. L. S. in “The Pacific Woodman”
OTWITHSTANDING there may be room for differences
of opinion as to just what agencies best promote it and
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what bounds properly marks its domain we cannot deny that
tive needs of education or administering some of its allied
agencies.
• It is idle to scold ourselves or others for a condition which
is fostered by practically all citizens, especially those able to
spend freely. But we may survey the situation calmly, sensi­
bly and in a measure of good nature give it serious, attention.
Many so-called luxuries are considered necessities to our
mode of living, and people will have and should have some
of the tonic of exhilarating entertainment. However, it
should be possible and practicable to somewhat overcome this
startling balance against education. Our mass sense of pro­
portions in this respect is not only badly warped, but posi­
tively irrational.
The bright side of the problem lies in the confidence that
every time the “charecter factory”, cost shows a substantial
increase the average fellow will register surprise and irrita­
tion, meditate over an extra cigar, give vent to his feelings
by a declamation upon the state of the country, a few things
in particular and many in general, and end the scene by tak­
ing the family to the movie to drive the matter out of his
mind — but he will, after all preliminaries have been exercised,
pay the bill in full and feel proud and glad he is able to
do so. Mr. Average Fellow is true and square even if he has
to get a little out of plumb or run in circles at times to prove
it. He will carry his share of the load, whatever it may be,
to keep up the “character factory,” either rebelliously, reluct­
antly or cheerfully, but he will always carry it and carry it
proudly. However, he will insist, and has a right to insist,
that the results show in the “character contents” of the pro­
duct, whether the total bill is 23 times less than that for
luxuries or 23 times more.
education is the cornerstone of our republic—the unfailing con­
servator of the ilberties of the people. In its broadest and
truest sense, education is character culture.
Literacy
and learning, far from being the greatest aims of education,
are only its greatest means.
In keeping with the current trend of thought and popular
terms, educational institutions may be called “character
factories” and the product judged from the standpoint of char­
acter contents.” The home will always be the primary
character builder. Schools occupy a secondary, though
scarcely less important position. Far too many schools stress
efficiency at the expense of character. Our modern1 systems
are so stimulated and tuned«so high in efficiency that em­
phasizing plain moral precepts is apt to be considered unduly
monotonous or even old-fashioned. There is a marked inclina­
tion these days to quit plain problems requiring tedious ap­
plication and persistency for something less burdensome that
will supply the desired stimulation popularly styled “kick”,
for which there seems to be a general craving. In formal
penitence we could say: “We have left undone those things it
was hard to do, and done those things it was easy to do, and
there is no ‘kick’ in us.”
This general public complex naturally reflects itself in our
educational institutions. On the whole our schools are very
good. They can be kept up to present standards. They can
be made better by puttng the idea of character building fore­
most. The “character contents” of the products will manifest
itself. Permitting young citizens to escape from school with
GOOD CONDUCT
the fancy that obedience to law and regard for constituted
Good
conduct
is
not
a matter of intuition and impulse,
authority are trivial matters, or that modesty is oldfashioned,
but of thought.
or that manual labor is degrading, places a dangerous and un­
Good conduct doesn’t mean living a restrained life, de­
just burden on society, no matter how deeply they have drunk
void of all pleasure and joy, with every emotion in check.
from the fountain of academic learning. There is too much
Politeness, due consideration of others, proper attention
of that condition abroad in our land today. The school may not to one’s own welfare, thrift, reliability, conscientiousness;
be so much at fault. The influence of personal example, in­
these are elements of good conduct.
adequate recreation facilities of the right kind, or other things
Good conduct merely means doing to one’s self as well
outside the school may be responsible for a greater part of
as to others. .
the blame than instantly supposed; but the school is never­
theless obliged to face the problem presented.
Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein; And he that rolleth
It is a trite saying that people will have just such institu­
a stone, it shall return upon him.
—Proverbs of Solomon.
tions as they deserve which leads to the gist of this inquiry,
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namely, that probably our schools are better than we deserve.
It costs more to construct, improve and operate schools. Per­
haps we are getting more and better results from our schools
than we pay for. It will do us good to take a comparative
account of annual expenditures — in fact to do so may shake
some of the dust from our mental rafters. According to sta­
THE-SUCCESS OF MAGAZINE ADVERTISING
tistics, apparently reliable and authentic, our people spend each
DEPENDS UPON RESPONSE FROM READERS
year for candy alone over 3x more than for grade schools,
22x more than for public high schools, 15x more than for
l?IRMS THAT ADVERTISE in the United Ameri-
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colleges and professional schools, 88x more than for either
can do so because they have faith in its readers
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normal schools or church schools and colleges.
—who are American’s by choice, Americans in the
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Our annual bill for cigars, cigarettes, tobacco, snuff, etc., is
making, and those who are ardent supporters of the
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Americanization program, to which this magazine
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practically as large as for candy, while our outlay for cos­
stands dedicated.
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metics, perfumes and scented toilet soaps, is a close third — I
there is not much difference between any of these three
A S BROAD-MINDED men and women we owe
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classes. We spend one half as much for chewing gum as for
it to ourselves to patronize the advertisers who
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public high schools, nearly as much for jewelry as for grade
through their patronage have become co-builders
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schools, 66x more for races, jey rides and pleasure resorts
with us in the cause of Americanization, tolerance
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than for either normal schools or church schools and colleges,
and adequate citizenship training for immigrants and
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illiterates.
2x as much for furs as for colleges and professional schools,
and for movies alone we spend as much as for all education.
Y PATRONIZING our advertisers you will
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In short, we spend nearly 23x more for luxuries than for all
strengthen their faith in the Americanization
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education. We pay more every year to see a clown put on
work, the teacher, and the foreign born as factors
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an idiotic stare and appear to hang by his heels on the edge |
in American life.
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of a steeple than the total salary pay-roll of our representa­
Tell the advertiser that you saw his ad in
tives in congress, and flout the idea of paying any public of­
ficer any more salary — frequently less — than he requires
to live — usually for no better reason than that he would be
earning more than we think he ought to be earning. He is the
man we charge with the responsibility of studying the legisla­ F.iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiii»iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuin>MiiH:iiniiiiiiiiiiii:iiiiiiiiiiiiiiitii l=
Place Your Orders With The United American Advertisers—and Tell Them Why
Do You Advertise?
B
The United American
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