Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1858-04-29
Indiana school system.

! Indiana SchOOi system.
| What have our school laws accomplish
el9 What are they doing? The answer
to these questions my reveal some unwel-
come facts; it may lay bare an ulcerous
wound-a cancerous sore that is yearly
spreading itself, anil is even now attacking
the vitals Of the State. In 1910 we stood
/ lowest of the free States in the educational
scale, and since that time We have been go
ing backwards. The number of voters in
| this State unable to read and write incrcas-
ell more than one hundred per cent. between
lS40 and 1880, while the aggregate increase
of the population did not reach fifty per
cent. during the same period. a compar-
ison of the censns of 1910 and 1850 shows
that in many counties, while the increase
in population has been from % to 30 per
cent. the increase of those unable to read
word of their mother-tonguc, or sign their
name to note of hand, has been from IS
to 100 per cent. Ripley Co, in 1910 con-
tained 20S, unable to read and write; in
1859, she contained 2,075. with popula-
ton in 1910 of 10, ,392 AMI in 1850 of a.
SD. But this is not the worst of the case.
This ignorance is perpetuating itself. As
fast the veterans in the grand army of
Ignorance are worn out and discharged the
vacancies arc Immediately filed by young
recruits, drilled under the Indiana School
Law. During the last year there were re-
ported to the Department of Instruction
45S, ,35l children between the ages of 8 anil
2l. At the same time there we attend
ing the free schools 195, ,976. Estimating
$4,000 as the number attending private
schools. aud colleges. and scminaries there
are still more than $50. 900 cadets of igno-
rance in our State. preparing to enter the
grand army at the age of twenty ONE
What an army is therel Rejoice. ye who
make capital out ofthc ignoraI,ce of your fell
low-citizens, rejoice, and hardening in Your
strength glory fol each revolving year
bat brings you nearer the goal of your am
bition. Well may you "shout your infer
nal peans." a rich harvest of ignorance. and
vice, and crime and disgrace, and dishonor.
and shame, and moral death is before ron.
Keep the people ignorant, let ignorance per-
petuate itself, let it increase till like the
fable feline monster of Northern mytholo- !
gy which grasped the earth in its embrace,
it envelopes the entire State in its folds.
and you may well appoint day of jubilee, I
which, under our present laws will be cele-
brated at no distant period IS -es
Il, Whom do we mean by those whom we
have inst addressed? We mean those who
have tried to abolish tho Office Of fSuperinten-
dent of Public Instruction, those legislators
who even at the last session of the Legisla-
ture, persisten. " rejected all attempts to i'm
prove the school law--those who moved to |
postpone its. operation indefinitely We
mean such men as he who Sincerely wish
cd every csntof the school fund" was sunk,
and again warmly wished "that every
College in the State would take fire and
burn up, and he man who has had. high
honors Of the State conferred upon him. +
The honors of the State conferred on such
! man! As Sheriff, he would disgrace the
he was about to hang. isiilo sea
For somc of these, our leaders, we feel
ike praying IS the old Scottish Minister,
who was compelled to, pray for the House
If Stuart I''Oh Lord, we beseech tbee, be
nerciful to our young prince. Charles. and
hough he Is only seeking an earthly crown.
10 thou take kim to thysslf and give him
n heavenly one.'''s We can most devously
AZ OF them; vlor 81 no04 san aeaeeensi
Ctus IN coiun redeanf. ste,e slz,sii
This i what our School Law has done, 9
: has INCREASED the masses Of ignorance y
'ffy 70 one hundred per cent. It has mocksd e
'nd oilghted the hopes of the friends of ed