Elements of Civil Government | Page 4

be spoken to in a
polite manner; a right to food, clothing, shelter, and an opportunity to
acquire an education; a right to the advice and warning of the older
members; a right to the respect of all.
DUTIES.--As each of the members has his rights, each also has his
duties; for where a right exists, a duty always exists with it. It is the
duty of each to treat the others kindly; to teach them what is right and
what is wrong; to aid them in their work; to comfort them in their
sorrows; and to rejoice with them in their gladness. It is the duty of the
children to love their parents; to obey them in all things; to respect
older persons; and to abstain from bad habits and bad language.

OFFICERS.
The officers of the family government are the father and the mother.
They were made officers when they were married, so that the rulers of
the family are also members of the family. The office of a parent is a
holy office, and requires wisdom for the proper discharge of its duties.
POWERS.--The parents have power to make rules, to decide when
these have been broken, and to insist that they shall be obeyed. They
make the law of the family, enforce the law, and explain the law. They
have supreme control over their children in all the usual affairs of life,
until the children arrive at the legal age--twenty-one years.
DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITY.--Parents should be firm and just in their
rulings; they should study the welfare of their children, and use every
effort to train them to lives of usefulness and honor. It is the duty of
parents to provide their children with food, clothing, shelter, and the
means of acquiring an education. There is no other responsibility so

great as the responsibility of fathers and mothers. They are responsible
for themselves, and the law makes them partly responsible for the
conduct of their children. Therefore, one of the highest duties of a
parent to his children is to exact obedience in all right things, in order
that the children may be trained to true manhood and womanhood.
[1]To the teacher--Do not assign to the average class more than two or
three pages of the text as a lesson. Make haste slowly. When each
chapter is completed let it be reviewed at once, while the pupil's
interest is fresh.
See that the "Suggestive Questions" at the end of the chapter are not
neglected. If necessary, devote special lessons to their consideration.
Assign the "questions" to the members of the class, to be answered on
the following day, giving not more than two "questions" to any pupil.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
1. Name some of the restraints of home life.
2. Why does the welfare of all depend upon the family government?
3. Why do rights and duties always exist together?
4. Name some bad habits.
5. Why should children abstain from bad habits?
6. What is true manhood?
7. Are disobedient children apt to make good citizens?
8. Should a father permit his bad habits to be adopted by his children?
CHAPTER II.
THE SCHOOL.
INTRODUCTORY.--When children reach the age of six or seven years,

they enter the public school and become subject to its rules. We are
born under government, and we are educated under it. We are under it
at home, in school, and in after life. Law and order are everywhere
necessary to the peace, safety, liberty, and' happiness of the people.
True liberty and true enlightenment can not exist unless regulated by
law.
DEFINITION AND PURPOSES.--A school district or sub-district is a
certain portion of the town or county laid off and set apart for the
purpose of establishing and maintaining a public school. It exists for
educational reasons only, and is the unit of educational work. The
public schools are supported by funds raised partly by the State, and
partly by the county or the township. They are frequently called
common schools or free schools. It is the duty of the State to provide
all children with the means of acquiring a plain English education, and
the State discharges this duty by dividing the county into districts of
such size that a school-house and a public school arc within reach of
every child.
FORMATION.--The limits of the school district are usually fixed by
the chief school officer of the county, by the town, by the school board,
or by the people living in the neighborhood. In most of the States
districts vary greatly in size and shape; but in some of the States they
have a regular form, each being about two miles square.
FUNCTIONS.--The functions, or work, of the school are solely
educational. The State supports a system of public schools in order