The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-02-08
Fraa Schools.

EDS JocHSAL: The importance AM
,i,y Of an!eGtsen, una weiEmanased sy'ten
of public eaasa,ien,. cannot well Be 0E'F:
estimated NOT nm EXCUSE system: s"eA Us
VIC have had in this State heretofore, eu' u
system thu, opens its doors alike 10 rieh and
poor-a system that admits Of, no distinction
a system where poor mans child cah
claim equal privileges with those who may DC
Astounding in wealth. And here would
remSfk, that no OTHER system would coincide
with the spirit and Interest of our republican
government. And further, no republican
government can long exist and prosper, with
out such system. II live, only so long as
the intelligence Of thc'peoplc is such ms Will
induce them 10 give it their earnest anu
serious attention, % nd throw around 1t their
fostering care. This intelligence can only be
disseminated properly among the great mas
scs Of the people. by a liberal free and thor
ongh system Of public education. But We
may have n system Of this kind .ablished
BY law, and yet the people fail TO realize It's
benefits. from the fuct tina; it maY have fallen
into the hands of IN illiberal, p:cayune,
le,hargic, narrow. minded Sc, Of ndInInistra-
,ors. The idea of free public education was
never conceived in the bosoms Of penurituS
mud avariciou, men, but is the offspring OF
mngnanimi,y, and Of great and generous
minds; and it would be extreme folly 10 AXE
L system Ting from this latter class, and
hand it over to the former, with the c,Dcc-
',ution' ,ha, it would he carried forward and
enforced 10 the great benefit Of the masses for
whom it was intended We might ns well
expect that the great principles Of the
Christian religion would be prac'iccl and
enforced as effectively, when put in the hands
Of wicked men mud devils, as though com'
United TO the fostering care Of lis founders
and most enthusiastic vo,arics. :.
1t cannot-it will not work! We believe
tha:'the system Of free schools established 10:
our own West Virginia, comes as near en-
Tbracins within itself all those ideas ind pro
visions that constitute complete "ys;ela
and yet the people may fail 10 realize the
blessings designed for the want Of its being
under tho control Of men who believe in it
and who are willing to spend and he spent III
this. the greatest and srandes, Of all causes
Our system is yet in its infancy. Ii is just
commencing to work. We want schoo houses
and when We .speuk Of school houscs, VI
meup school houses. We don't mean liu'C
10 b. II log huts, with paper windows aud
puncaeon benches, without backs to them, &c.
but we want commodious, wcl!.arranscd
houses, with good seats and desks, and plenty
of hi en- We wan, complete set ofarparatu'
in every house, by which to illustrate 'A'
principles Of every science taught. We wa"'
the hlack board also; and we want men ann
women there who are capable Of using then
10 the benefit Of our children. We wau
these school houses located, as far as possible
with regard to health and atlrnctivcncss. ",
wan; them ornamental internally and eHtcr
nally, mot unnecessarily but with the view
of making them the most pleasant ard dcsir
able spots in all the world, except home, tC
our ;i,t!c ones. We admit this will require
money. Well, we say, let the money got il
the lrs, possible uso to which it can be put
/, goes to educate yeur children, mud non,
pu, rpiscrs and isnoramuscs will object. These
things, We repeat it, We must have before ou'
children will ever realize all tho blessing,
growing out Of the proper aud liberal man
agcmcnt Of our free school system. TO have
this, we must have the right kind Of men t,
run the machine. Tie people will see t.
this. " v. II.
Hartford City, Feb. ], 1865. ..