Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-06-23

impufatIon OF unworthy mouVes' TOE
what selfish end, lei me ask, can that
man have in view, who procnres me
passage OF law subjecting hin. sell to
the payment of heavy tax Tor the sup"
port OF schools, when, without such law,
he would not be required to pay cent?
But ignorance, in all ages, Is equally
unwilling to resign her dominion. The
same spirit, which, in l45o, led to the
beheading OF a man for erecting gram
mar school, is now seeking, in 1926, to
drive from the public councils every one
who, in the legislature OF Illinois, gave
his vote in favor o! the bill for the esta-
blishment oil free schools. How readily
is this, and every other measure, calcu.
lated to dispel the clouds Of ignorance,
prejudice, and superstition, denounced
as Yankee measure And yet the es.
tablishmenl Of similar institutions is lar
from being confined TO the people called
Yankees. They have been established
in most OF the states ofthls Union. Who
ever will read Horry's Life Of General
Marion, will see how that gallant and
accomplished soldier lamenIed the want
Of these schools in his native state of
| South Carolina. They will find that he
sscribed the great mass of Toryism
which appeared in that state during the
revolutionary war, 10 the ignorance con.
scquent upon the want oil free schools.
And they will, at least they. ought to-
give him credit for sincerity and liberali
~ in advocating the establishment Of
such schools, when they learn that he
was a wealthy man without children.
1t is frequently declared TO be unjust
and tyrannlcal 10 make one man pay tor
educating another mans children. But
do we not pay taxes to supply the poor
with food and clothing Are we not tax.
ed to defray the expenses of building
court-houses and jails, 10 pay the sala-
ries OF Judges, and the other expenses
oil government And why mus, one man
pay tor feeding and clothing another
mans children WY must /, who new
err have any law suits, be taxed TO build
court-houses and pay judges? You will
answer, tina, it is the interest of the COM
munity that all its members should be
preserved from suffering, and that JUS
lice should take place.betw man and
man. True. And it is still more the
interest Of the community that all lis
members should receive an education
that they should be able 10 read The word
| OF God, and The constitution and laws Of
their country! How frequently does il
happen that the father of young and
numerous family is cut off in the prime
Of life, leaving them without the means
OF obtaining an education l.. And what
parent who reflects on the uncertainty of
life, and the fleeting nature of wealth,
will find faul. with the enactment Of
law which secures TO his children the
bic ssings OF education, let whatever will
happen to him or to his estate! The
children Of the drunkard have an equal
claim to the protection OF The STALE
Shall they be lett to vegetate in igno-
rance, to initiate and improve upon their
fathers vices, and become pests and
nuisances to society; or shall the state,
by providing for their education, make
them useful and valuable members Of
community F.? AS the state has right TO
the services Of all all its citizens, so it ia
bound to give them all the means OF fi-
ting them selves for its service. Even in
a pecuniary point of view, it is cheaper
vastly cheaper, for the state 10 provide
the means for giving all its children
virtuous education, than to pay the eX-
pense of Furnishing them for the crimes
into which the want Of such an educa-
lion will naturally lead them. In addi-
ton TO this, what an immense difference
there is between the value OF that citi-
zen who is constantly laboriug to im.
prove the condition OF himself and his
fellow beings, and the value Of him
whose time is spent in riot and debauch-
cry, and who is scarcely restrained, by
the fear of jais and gibbets, from COM
hitting ourages upon the property and
persons Of his fellow men
In the states where free schools have
been established, it frequently happens
that individuals rise from The lowest state
OF poverty and obscurity to the greatest
wealth and the highes, fame. This may
mortify the pride of some who wish to
perpe,ua,e the wealth and honors ofther
families; bu. it cannot be prevented.
Il is the beauty of a republican govern
ment that il acknowledges no superiori.
ty Of birth, no difference of rank, but
what is founded on personal merit. The
progress Of the wealthy youth in the
road to fame, is not retarded by the
more rapid strides Of the INDECENT and