Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-03

to the sections, respectively headed, Emu
msrstion, Enrolment, Average Daily At
tendance. &c." and HNOn-sttendsnee,
Truancy." Having had some experiences
in school matters, we have enjoyed oppOrt-
unity to notice and reflect upon the fright
ful prevalence Of the two vices, included
under the latter heading. The cOgent con-
alterations, urged by commissioner, and
seconded by his figures, have called vivid
ly 70 mind the results Of such notice and
reelection. We propose to make few OBJ
ssrvstions upon the subject, dseming it
one Of the utmost Importance.
Apart from alI statistics other than his
School Register, no teacher can have fail
ed to notice the disprOportiOn between the
youths, enumerated in any given district,
- -sse in regular attendance upon his
JI No evidence beside his own ex-
ence is needed to show him that the
t. al average Of daily attendance, taking
district with another, is not more than
one-half Of the total enumeration. It is
not to be supposed that the G0era0s citizen
is as familiar with this class Of facts as
the avsrege tesoher, and hence the neces
sity Of calling his attention to the actual
figures.
All statistics are. Of necessity, more or
less incorrect, school statistics as well as
others. The remark has been made by one
competent to pass Judgment "the more
one studies statistics, the more he learns
to distrust them" but, we have no reason
to think educational statistics more i'm
perfect than others.
We gather the following from the Com.
missioner's report:-The whole number Of
youth enumerated, between the ages Of i've
and twenty-one in September 1852 (ths
enumeration for the schOOl-year Of 1859
was 9le, ,874s The number enrolled in the
publis schools was 75O,418, showing that
nearly 1700OO "enumersted' youth were
not senrelled" scholars in the schools
This contrast becomes still more startling
when It is noted that many OF those enrol
led were enrolled twice, thstis to ssy, once
for each term Of school. When we come
to the average daily attendance, the figures
are still more astonishing. The returns
show this average to be only 44O, 1861 We
pride ourselves upon tho excellence Of our
school system, and, yet considerably less
than one.hsf Of the youth Of lawful age
in the State regularly attend the public
sohoolsl Some deductions must be made
for those in private schools Of various
sorts, academies, seminsries, colleges, &C.
yet, with all these allowances, the fact is
that tens Of thousands Of the children in
Ohio never enter school-roOm, and that
thousands more attend so irregulsrly as to
loose most Of the advantages.
These facts may well arouse the we'll
Wishers Of our cOrntry to earnest thought.
Truly, does the commissioner say" In
many cases, these sbsentees from our
schools are such through the criminal ne
glect Of the parents, many Of them rare
worse than orphans, born and bred in NOR
al pollution. They spend most Of the time
in the streets and the fatal perlieus there
Of, and in this efficient school Of vice are
prepsringf for criminals. Here is the fruit
full sOurce-of our cpiPe and rOwdyism. The
sbsentees from our schools are filling our
watch. houses, our jails, and our prisons
they blaeken our criminal records, and
burden the public purse; they are the
dupes Of demsgogues and traitors, the fuel
Of mobs and riots, and the right arm Of
bloody treason and civil war. 1t may be
safely stated that two-thirds of the rebel
hordes, now in arms against their country
are gasehOOlsd. Where the common school
has done its most perfect work, patriot
ism burns brightest" This is calm Ian
guage, and every word of it the truth.
What is the remedy for this state Of
things2 To us it is obvious that the uI-
tiHGts remedy must be lao. We are not
now in favor Of legislation compelling
parents to give their children a common
school education, for the reason that the
State is not yet prepared for such legisls-
ton; but SO soon ss the people can be
educsted up to the point Of sustaining such
Q law, We are in favor of its immediate
passage. Doubtless, it would be objected
that such an enactment is an infringement
upon natural right but no such argu-
ment can be entertained longer than to
show its fallscy. Here as elsewhere, the
safety Of the State is the highest law; and
how, under the American theory, is the
safety Of the State to be otherwise main.
tained7 In some of the German States
education is compulsory; in free America-
II America would be free-it must be com
PUISOFy. How is the government to protect
Itself against the peOplel Not by standing
armies as in the old world, but by a school
SyItsm that ihaH reach eDery child. We can
see no other way Of securing it than the
one proposed; we think, the opinion is
shared by the most eminent educators. It
is time the subject wss attracting more
attention.
"A Good Reform.
No greater danger has impended over
the nation than the crazy extravaganza
for dress, which has reosntly done SO much
TO send euFegold abroad. The good women