The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-10-18
Education of Farmers' Sons and
DaughterS.

of Farmers Sons and
Daughters.
IL is now almost universally admitted
that Agriculture stands at the head OF the
great industrial interests Of this ceunRy..
And as business, or rather as profes.
sion, it al this moment, in the. estimation
Of all enlightened persons, stands second
to no other. The farmer, in this land of
equal rights and privileges. where the peo-
pie are the only sovereigns, and God'Ewidu-s
is their undisputed inheritance,
has no occasion TO hang his head, though
in the presence Of royalty ITSELF He feels
and knows that all other classes are fed =
from his granariss, and kept alive by his
And realizing this, he sees
claims from others an acknowledgement
Of his rights. and due respects los his in
terests. ss. eais.zar adj ,.,.,,. y .rg,
But in one instance, in no other, the
farmers Of this country have hitherto faiied
to do Justice by themselves. They havss
paid less attention to EDUCATION ahsn tlaey
nigh, have done. In common with selheEsst
they have seen the necessity Of having
well educated clergymen, DOCTORS, end
lawyers, but have imagined, OF fsthsf talA
ken it Tor granted, that their own sofis11d.
daughters, if intended for farmers. xDd
farmers wives. might be left 10 trb6sdp
without the advantages Of any other .edu--.
cation than such q one as can be acquired
in the district school, or, al most. in some
Academy in the neighborhood. There
are, of course, exceptions TO this rule
Some have seen the folly Of such nselees,.
and have looked carefully TO the sIbsllH.
iial interests Of their children. Justly Up.
precia,ing the high posi.ion Of ths Sgficlls
turist, and foreseeing the more asing wants,
and imperative demands of this honorsr
BILE calling, they have ayailed themselves
OF the best means within their reach, e.
fitting their children TO discharge, not only
the duties of an intelligent cultivator of the
soil, but OF any other station, to which N
honest laborer may aspire. q But, = TOO
general neglect OF educational matters hss
kept out Of our Legislative halls, and all
other positions Of honor and profit, the
farmers and mechanics of the country
and placed the keeping of ouf privileges
and institutions in the hands Of less Fslia.
BILE and less worthy persons. Tbe'c0nse-
quence is, we have laws which none but
lawyers can understand, and numbeflesS
broods OF especial privileges" lor tho s6e;;
cial benefit OF those who win 'snol Dig,
and who are ashamed to beg. Il Is. to-
day. the great disgrace end folly 0ftkSE
/ nation, that the agriculiusi6ls fana me-
chanics are hardly ut I'll represented in
the councils of Tho StAies, and 0fathsf
Union, while all other cIasses, and pro.
fessions, are deemed worthy OF the honors
and emolumen.s Of high oficiaI pbsisions.
| Why is it so? i is because he labor.
ing, or industrial classes have never tAteu
pains to qualify themselves for pablo ose
fulness; and because . coDsciousne esd OF
this defect has hitherto prevented them
from aspiring TO hardly anything aboyS
the drudgery OF lie. In our very soul we
believe that the farmers and mecRinics 6f
America, SO far as capacity and stetlinR
integrity of cha racter are concerned, are
better qualified for making and admins.
tering laws, than any other cisss-,han
all other classes putiogether. But. q re.
! CARDS education they are deficient, and
we may as well confess i as mol. .o.' -.
It's an important part Of he d6iy 81 Z
conductor Of journal like this, u direct
public attention to these msttefs, ihd to'
urge upon the considerations 81 bls fxsdsi
ers the necessity Of adopting me sores for.
a speedy removal of the evil. This bsinSe
so, we cannot do less than insist upon The
necessity oi some prompt aud fectvs
measures for securing 10 the Children o6f
the industrial. classes an education s6ftsd
to their condition and wants. - s.
In the first place, much more, affenti;ofi
should be paid 10 Common Schools. and
greater liberaliiy should be q ade i1aniiss aniis
fest in their support. These are the COM
mon property of the people. and shonid
be sustained and fostered BY 81, ard abiyy
none with more care and .ciieee etainess
than by the farmers and mecksnic4 81 'the
country. The existing LAD. 81 Ohio wai
doubtless designed ior good. aud may s.iissy
prove itself to be all that can Be visked.-
But it may be found defective in some re-
speets, u 80. the plan should b fetised
and improved, so ,ha; il shsl msst tho
demands Of tho times; and THE should 30
attended 10 BY these whose intsresas aafs
more, immediately involved. Ws have
feared, from the FIRST, that the Law a. il nov
stands would be found too complex u.
practical purposes. but have 3desirsd 10
see it tested by fair experiment Those
who have sons and daughters 10 bs sdiicx-
ted in these humble nurseries Of 1safnihR,
will do well TO look after them. and ses that
the greatest possible bene6ts arc realized
from them. Nor should The psopls ever
be satisfied. until oil OF the useful bs6nch.
es Of q thorough English sduchtiou afs
taught in our Common Schools. s. asfiso
But, the people need soms.hink more.
They, need Literary and Scienii6c fns,i,u.
5 tions, accessible to sll, where The higher
branche can be taught especially such
as relate to the Mechanic Arts, and the
Cultivation, Of the Soil. On,ihis subistt
we have much to say, and shsll often Ysltr
. to it hereafter. The o!jteet 10, 10 secure
for the young an educaiion shst shall iit
them for usefulness Il home, and sddiIi tho
highest stations in ,ll Departments SsS Gov
srnment, and Of Society The aDS2ntp plcr
securing an end 80 dssirabls will 6s men.
iioned in due season - Ohio FGtsjeS.n
II Of. The idea 81 exchanges Rsssss shs
founda Of that vast aaQroesaiou Of en-