The
time may come when the rich man's son will consider it an honor to drive
the car for his impecunious classmate.
=Restatement.=--It needs to be repeated, therefore, that democracy is
the most difficult subject which the school is called upon to teach, not
only because it is difficult in itself, but also because of the attitude
of many homes that profess democracy but do not practice it. To the
influence of such homes one may trace the exodus of many children from
the schools. The parents want things done in their way or not at all,
and so withdraw their children to vindicate their own autocracy. They
are willing to profit by democracy but are unwilling to help foster its
growth. They not only lower the level of democracy but even compel their
children to lower it still more. The teacher may yearn for the children
and the children for the teacher, but the home is inexorable and
sacrifices the children to a misconception of democracy.
=Cooeperation.=--Democracy does not mean fellowship, but it does mean
cooeperation. It means that people in all walks of life are animated by
the common purpose to make all their activities contribute to the
general good of society. It means that the railroad president may shake
hands with the brakeman and talk with him, man to man, encouraging him
to aspire to promotion on merit. It means that this brakeman may become
president of the road with no scorn for the stages through which he
passed in attaining this position.
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