The Democratic pioneer. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1845-1853, 1848-08-04
For The Pioneer.
SCHOOLS NEGLEcTEDBY PARENTS

MIR. EDiTcR:
have just been reading an article IN III
.sVestern school Journal under the abov
caption, said to be the confessions ola school
master from which wish to make a fe,
quotations hereafter, as deem them very ap
plcable to this community. The Importance
of the Subjects of such character that
almost recoil from the task which have as
,sumed; in attempting to otferto the people o
this village and yacinay, few desultary
thoughts upon subject ofso great moment
when there are others Of more experience ant
better able to do the subject justice then my
self. But to the subject. Is it not fact, tina
there is no one subject which interests the
public mind that is so culpabIy neglected by
this people, as the subject of the education o
Their children. There appears TO be uni.
versal spirit Of lethargy prevailing over this
community in regard to this one matter,
which upon the contrary should be otherwise.
They should make it the all inspiring incen.
tive to action; as the moral and mental happi
ness of any people depend upon its acquisi-
,on. Too long have parents of this vicinity
neglected to visit there schools, which is one
great cause of the low state of education
among the youths of this town. They bythus
neglectng the subject themselves, inspire
negligence in their children; and then take il
or granted, that because their children ex.
press an unwlingness to attend the school,
that the teacher is in the fault, and at once con
dem him as unworthy of the station which he
holds, and thus he Is obliged to seek an as
slum elsewhere or turn his attention to some
other avocation; outstanding his qualfca
tons as teacher, may be ever SO good--al be
cause the parents have neglected to visit the
school as they should do, and form their own
opinions, from a personal examination, and
not rely upon the like or dislike of their child
ren; and then the school would flourish; and
that spark of electricity would pass from the
parent to the child; and the young mind would
tbas be set on fire, and the blaze would con
tinue TO burn until it would grow large with
knowledge. and would not be extnguished,
until the palsied hand of death had laid her
weight upon the brow, closing the eyes in
death. But hear what the experienced can
say, and then Judge whether these things be
SO.
Experience had long before this slime taught
me, that one great cause of the low state Of
common schools and common education ere
q want of interest on the part of parents
They had, indeed, a confused sort of idea that
they must have something in the shape of a
school; and that they must send their children
10 it, unless they had some apology for keep.
ing them at home. They were indeed gratfied :
perhaps once month when a son came
ioms with some badge of distinction for
cholarsb' 'Ps as we'll as some dissatisfied, when
leff children SO excellently did rney penave r
home-I mean in their own estimation- t.
ere censured or punished. But these were :
My seasons of interest. In general the cur p
ent of their thoughts ran on something else a
han the Improvement of their children.
"The more common and absorbing motive
action was the love of money. Respecti- b
'illty in society stood next. Distinction in 81
ivi office, though open to all, in theory was il
ct IN practical life rather distant, except 10 a Il
lvored few. Attention to the fashions in re.
ara to dress, house, furniture, equpage, as
le means of respectbility- and some times
ealih-occupied nextto ney.making, y, ~
n
e most important place in the minds ofmany '"
'rsons' and IN by far the majority engrossed " 81
'arly all their waking thoughts and CONVEX !"
tion." &C
Ihls we hnd the great majority of the in =,
oitance of this rich ana fertile country. ~,
graved in the acquisition of money by traf =.
or mechanical avocations. or perchance -,
y are engaged in the cultivation of the soil ~
while others seeking to hand their names 20
wn to future prosperity, are too busily en-. -
ged in political strife, to pay any attention =.
the education of their children. But lust ~,
ID on say they, until we have acquired =,
tain quantity of the dross of this earth. or '''
til we have attained to the topmost round '''
the polit,ca, ladder. a -, ha,
"'~ P"h'ieoi iauueIi anu tnen we VIII de.
End, and after we have retired to the shades i''
lceful quletude, We will then attend to the Pa'
ication of our children and the examination the
he Schools. But alas! it will then be too OF
}; the sands Of their existence will have oe
lnlgh run out-and their children-where Ion
they! Stupid in the depths of crime or
'auchlng--or groveling along In the mists ties
ignorance and obscurity! of
ignorance is the vaporous poison, which of
ds its arrows of moral death into the hearts red
my people, who neglect the cultivation of 1s4
mind. Has it not been so in all past time! pas
experience of past ages, answer that il has, Hui
N, will we, blessed as we are, with all the the
llties requisite to the acquisition of general allie
Wedge, lay upon our oars and let the cur. Ta,
bear us and our posterity to the graves of
all because we neglected to an. O