the iron puddler-第32章

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griculture。　For　extra　work　in　the　fields　the　boys　receive　pay。　They　save　their　money　to　buy　the　tools　of　their　trade。　The　bandsmen　when　they　graduate　go　out　with　fine　instruments　bought　with　their　own　earnings　during　their　school　years。　〃Preparation　for　life〃　is　the　one　aim　of　Mooseheart。　Therefore　at　Mooseheart　the　boy　or　girl　will　encounter　every　problem　that　he　will　encounter　in　his　struggle　in　the　wider　world。　Nothing　is　done　for　him　that　he　can　do　for　himself。　He　is　taught　no　false　theories。　But　every　fact　of　life　is　placed　before　him　in　due　time。　The　first　wealth　of　facts　comes　to　these　city…bred　children　when　they　are　set　down　in　the　middle　of　this　great；　busy；　beautiful　farm。　John　Burrows　says：　〃No　race　that　does　not　take　to　the　soil　can　long　hold　its　country。　In　the　struggle　for　survival　it　will　lose　its　country　to　some　incoming　race　that　loves　the　soil。〃　Already　the　Japanese　farmers　in　California　have　shown　that　if　we　should　let　them　in　they　would　take　this　whole　country　in　a　few　years。　They　drive　the　American　farmer　out　because　they　have　a　passion　for　the　soil；　and　they　turn　their　whole　families　in　to　till　it。　What　is　the　answer？　Teach　our　young　to　love　the　soil　and　to　till　it　well；　or　else　an　alien　race　will　take　away　their　heritage。　The　first　lesson　in　Mooseheart　is　to　till　the　soil。

But　in　addition　to　being　a　farm；　Mooseheart　is　a　town。　The　young　folk　live　in　cottages　and　do　their　own　cooking　and　house…keeping。　There　are　no　great　dormitories　where　hundreds　sleep；　and　no　vast　dining…room　where　they　march　in　to　the　goose…step。　We　are　preparing　them　for　a　free　life；　and　the　only　place　they　use　the　goose…step　is　in　the　penitentiary。　Mooseheart　is　a　town　instead　of　an　institution。　All　〃institutionalism〃　is　cast　away。　In　each　cottage　is　a　group　of　boys　or　a　group　of　girls　living　under　family　conditions。　They　are　not　all　of　the　same　age；　some　are　big　and　some　are　little；　and　the　big　ones　look　after　the　little　ones。　Each　cottage　has　its　own　kitchen　and　orders　its　own　supplies　from　the　general　store。　The　girls'　cottages　have　each　a　matron　（sometimes　a　widow　who　with　her　little　ones　has　been　admitted　to　Mooseheart）；　and　she　advises　the　girls　how　to　do　the　buying　and　the　cooking。

In　the　boys'　cottages　there　is　a　proctor　to　advise　them　and　usually　a　woman　cook。　The　boys　who　care　to　can　learn　cookery　and　household　buying　under　her　supervision。　All　the　boys　do　their　own　dishwashing；　sweeping　and　bed…making。　Once　three　boys　about　fourteen　years　old　went　on　strike　because　the　proctor　asked　them　to　scrub　the　dining…room　floor　on　their　knees。　They　thought　this　work　would　degrade　them；　and　they　started　toward　the　superintendent's　office。　On　the　way　they　met　me　and　told　me　their　troubles。

〃I　think　it　is　all　right　for　a　young　man　to　scrub　a　floor　on　his　knees；〃　I　said。　〃I've　done　it　for　my　mother　many　a　time。　I　have　been　a　bootblack。　But　it　didn't　hurt　my　character。　You　are　going　to　the　superintendent　for　his　opinion。　He　is　a　Harvard　man；　but　he　worked　his　way　through　school　and　one　of　his　jobs　was　bellboy　in　a　hotel。　Had　he　been　too　proud　to　work　as　a　servant　he　would　never　have　gotten　the　education　that　makes　him　head　of　this　great　school。　Didn't　you　ever　scrub　a　floor　on　your　knees？　You　can　see　the　dirt　come　out　with　the　suds　and　you　can　watch　the　grain　of　the　wood　appear；　where　before　it　was　hidden　by　dust　and　grease。　If　you　never　saw　that；　you　have　missed　something　that　I　have　seen　many　a　time。　To　know　how　to　scrub　a　floor　is　as　much　a　part　of　your　education　as　to　know　how　to　sandpaper　a　floor　and　varnish　it。　We　could　hire　this　work　done　better　than　you　can　do　it；　but　that　wouldn't　be　giving　you　a　chance　to　learn　the　work。　Now　I'm　not　telling　you　boys　to　go　back　and　do　the　work　if　you　don't　want　to。　Use　your　own　judgment。　But　fellows　that　balk　on　a　job　never　go　far。　A　balky　man　is　like　a　balky　horse；　everybody　gets　rid　of　him　as　quickly　as　they　can。　A　quitter　is　never　given　a　good　job。　They　always　keep　him　in　a　place　where　it　doesn't　make　any　difference　whether　he　quits　or　not。〃

The　leader　of　the　boys　said：　〃Aw；　piffle；　cut　it　out。　We　might　as　well　be　scrubbing　the　floor　as　listening　to　this　talk。　Come　on；　fellows。〃　He　led　them　back；　one　of　them　protesting　that　he　would　never　scrub　a　floor　for　any　man。　He　went　ahead　and　scrubbed　the　floor　still　saying　that　he　wouldn't。　That　lad　was　weaker　than　the　leader。　He　went　wherever　he　was　led。　The　leader　was　a　boy　who　made　his　own　decisions。　He　was　ashamed　of　calling　off　the　strike；　but　he　did　it　because　he　felt　the　strike　was　wrong。

This　is　the　Mooseheart　idea　of　education。　Every　boy　must　use　his　own　judgment。　He　faces　every　fact　that　he　will　face　in　life；　and　by　the　time　he　is　eighteen　his　judgment　is　as　ripe　as　that　of　the　much　older　average　man。　The　Mooseheart　boys　are　not　selected　students。　They　come　from　the　humblest　families；　from　homes　that　have　been　wiped　out　early。　But　the　training　at　Mooseheart　is　so　well　adapted　to　human　needs　that　these　orphans　soon　outstrip　the　children　of　the　more　fortunate　classes。　They　become　quick　in　initiative；　sturdy　in　character　and　brilliant　in　scholarship。　Visitors　who　come　from　boys'　preparatory　schools　where　the　children　of　the　rich　are　trained　for　college　are　amazed　to　find　these　sons　of　the　working　people　so　far　ahead　of　the　young　aristocrats。　The　Mooseheart　boys　as　a　group　have　the　others　beaten　in　all　the　qualities　that　go　to　make　a　young　man　excellent。　We　have　prepared　them　for　life。



CHAPTER　XLVIII

BUILDING　A　BETTER　WORLD　BY　EDUCATION


And　so　the　great　dream　of　my　life　has　been　realized。　In　youth　I　saw　the　orphans　of　the　worker　scattered　at　a　blow；　little　brothers　and　sisters　doomed　to　a　life　of　drudgery；　and　never　to　see　one　another　again。　No　longer　need　such　things　be。　The　humblest　worker　can　afford　to　join　an　association　that　guarantees　a　home　and　an　education　to　his　children。　In　Mooseheart　the　children　are　kept　together。　Family　life　goes　on；　and　with　it　comes　an　education　better　than　the　rich　man's　son　can　buy。

As　individuals；　the　Moose　are　not　rich　men；　but　in　cooperation　they　are　wealthy。　They　have　a　plant　at　Mooseheart　now　valued　at　five　million　dollars；　and　they　provide　a　revenue　of　one　million　two　hundred　thousand　a　year　to　maintain　and　enlarge　it。　They　received　no　endowment　from　state　or　nation。　They　wanted　to　protect　their　children　and　they　found　a　way　to　do　it。　They　based　their　system　of　education　on　the　actual　needs　of　men。　They　know　what　life　is；　for　they　have　lived　it。　In　mine　and　field　and　factory　they　had　tasted　the　salty　flavor　of　real　things；　and　they　built　a　school　that　has　this　flavor。

The　war　drove　home　a　lesson　that　will　forever　make　false　education　hateful　to　me。　Education　in　the　wrong　direction　can　destroy　a　nation　and　wreck　the　happiness　of　the　world。　The　German　worker　was　taught　that　he　would　get　rich；　not　by　patient　toil；　but　by　taking　by　force　the　wealth　that　others　had　created。

On　my　return　from　France；　where　I　had　witnessed　the　Hindenburg　drive　into　the　heart　of　France；　I　addressed　the　Iron　Workers　in　their　national　convention。　〃I　am　glad；〃　I　said；　〃that　I　was　born　an　iron　worker　and　not　a　Chancellor　of　Blood　and　Iron。　For　the　iron　I　wrought　has　helped　build　up　a　civilization；　while　the　German's　'Blood　and　Iron'　has　sought　to　destroy　it。

〃France　stands　knee…deep　in　her　own　blood　while　the　iron　of　Germany　is　being　hurled　into　her　breast。　Iron　Workers　of　America；　to　you　has　God　given　the　answer　to　the　German　thunderbolt。　The　iron　of　the　republic　shall　beat　down　the　iron　of　the　kings。　Wherever　I　walked　behind　the　battle　lines　in　France　I　told　them　I　was　an　iron　worker　and　I　gave　them　this　message　for　you：

〃'The　American　iron　worker　will　not　fail　you。　We　have　been　taught　to　believe　in　justice　as　the　German　believes　in　might。　We　will　back　up　our　soldiers　with　ships　and　guns　until　Kaiserisim　is　beaten。　We　will　set　the　workers　of　Germany　freefree　from　their　foul　belief　in　murder　and　in　kings。　And　when　we　have　bound　up　our　wounds　we　will　build　a　new　world　that　shall　be　a　freer　world　than　man　has　ever　known。'

〃I　have　dedicated　my　life　to　this　purpose。　We　will　build　this　freer　world　by　the　right　instruction　of　our　young。　Education　is　of　two　kinds；　one　kind　is　good　and　the　other　is　po