Elements of Civil Government

Elements of Civil Government,
by Alexander L.

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Alexander L. Peterman
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Title: Elements of Civil Government
Author: Alexander L. Peterman
Release Date: February 12, 2005 [eBook #15018]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)
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ELEMENTS OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT
A Text-Book for Use in Public Schools, High Schools and Normal
Schools and a Manual of Reference for Teachers
by
ALEX. L. PETERMAN
Late Principal and Professor of Civil Government in the Normal School
of the Kentucky State College, and Member of the Kentucky State
Senate
New York Cincinnati Chicago American Book Company
Revised to 1916.

DEDICATION.
To the thousands of devoted Teachers in every part of the land, who are
training the boys and girls of to-day to a true conception of American
citizenship, and to a deeper love for our whole country, this little book
is dedicated by a Brother in the work.

PREFACE.
This text-book begins "at home." The starting-point is the family, the
first form of government with which the child comes in contact. As his
acquaintance with rightful authority increases, the school, the civil
district, the township, the county, the State, and the United States are
taken up in their order.

The book is especially intended for use in the public schools. The plan
is the simplest yet devised, and is, therefore, well adapted to public
school purposes. It has been used by the author for many years, in
public schools, normal schools, and teachers' institutes. It carefully and
logically follows the much praised and much neglected synthetic
method. All students of the science of teaching agree that beginners in
the study of government should commence with the known, and
gradually proceed to the unknown. Yet it is believed this is the first
textbook that closely follows this method of treating the subject.
The constant aim has been to present the subject in a simple and
attractive way, in accordance with sound principles of teaching--that
children may grow into such a knowledge of their government that the
welfare of the country may "come home to the business and bosoms" of
the people.
The recent increase of interest among the people upon the subject of
government is a hopeful sign. It will lead to a better knowledge of our
political institutions, and hence give us better citizens. Good citizenship
is impossible unless the people understand the government under which
they live.
It is certainly strange that every State in the Union maintains a system
of public schools for the purpose of training citizens, and that the
course of study in so many States omits civil government, the science
of citizenship.
The author's special thanks are due Hon. Joseph Desha Pickett, Ph.D.,
Superintendent of Public Instruction of Kentucky, for the suggestion
which led to the preparation of the work and for excellent thoughts
upon the plan. The author also desires to confess his obligation to
President James K. Patterson, Ph.D., and Professor R. N. Roark, A.M.,
of the Kentucky State College, Lexington, for valuable suggestions as
to the method of treatment and the scope of the book.
The author has derived much assistance from the many admirable
works upon the same subject, now before the country. But he has not
hesitated to adopt a treatment different from theirs when it has been

deemed advisable. He submits his work to a discriminating public, with
the hope that he has not labored in vain in a field in which so many
have wrought.
ALEX. L. PETERMAN.

A FEW WORDS TO TEACHERS.
1. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.--Every school should teach, and every
child should study, the principles of our government, in order:
1. That by knowing his country better he may learn to love it more. The
first duty of the school is to teach its pupils to love "God, home, and
native land."
2. That the child may learn that there is such a thing as just authority;
that obedience to it is right and manly; that we must learn to govern by
first learning to obey.
3. That he may know his rights as a citizen, and, "knowing, dare
maintain;" that he may also know his duties as a citizen, and, knowing,
may perform them intelligently and honestly.
4. That he may understand the sacredness of