Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-04-07
Fopular Education,

The people " this country have manifested
most criminal Indifference on The subject
o. popular education. In all the other de-
psrincnls OF social life our people have
shown m much foresight, aud energy, as
any section Of the Union; and II il u little
singular that people SO enlrrprisng and
proud spiriledSs the people Of Texas, should
have ~ long neglected 10 take the proper
steps for the education of those upon whom
must drvolyo the duty of preserving aud
maintaining fee institutions in their he.
loved State. Why IN enlightened aud fec
people, claiming IN ho goyerIied by the splr-
/, Of christianity, Should prefer paying an
enolmuus annual tax for the suppression OF
crime; WHEN half the amount judiciously
expended in educating the youth Of the
country, would remove the temptation TO
coHmt crime, ~ one of the strange anomo'
lies hard to account for.
Tho irmoraliaod condition OF society,
now existing in so mnuy portions oil Texas,
can in the main, ho traced TO the defects in
our old s.sicm Of public insruciion, under
which thousands OF young men are per-
mlied to grow mp wholly ignorant Of the
art Of reading ~ writing. Aud had half
the money, NOW used in the capture aud
bringing to I,ia! the young men charged With
robbery aud other crmcsJ been expended
In giving them good education, we would
not hear OF so much crime and the state OF
society Neuld he very diHcreut from that
which now exists in many parts Of Texas.
Wherever the education OF the young IL
neglected, crime will prevail in an exact
ratio to such neglect; SO cure and certain is
ibis proposition, that a well informed man
can always form reasonable estimate OF
the amount OF virtue and probity in n
neighborhooi by first ascertaining the
amount OF popular instruction possessed
by his neighborS. And We find this stnn-
dard acted upon daily, by those who are
seeking homes in our State. Those neigh.
borhoois in which schoo's are libsrally
patronircd by the parents, is certain to be
preferred by the intelligent Immigrant,
who will pny twice as rauch for land in
such neighhorhool, no he would be will
ling to pay for the same quality OF land IN
h'igh""rh"ou, "he'" ue "o"'" oo 'u'
sounded by ignorant parents WHO re'"se "
send their children to school.
We hope TO see the Legislature take such
steps for the education of the rising gene
ration, ms will secure TO every white boy
and girl in the State, su, h an education ms
will enable them to discharge all the active
duties of social life; none should be per-
mtted to reach the years OF puberty with
ont being able to read and write. Aud 1t
should not be left optional with parents 10
determine whether or not their children At
tend tho public schools, but the strong arm
Of the law should compel the attendance OF
all, for sufficient length OF lime to teach
them to read and write, oven though this
| should be in opposition TO the wishes OF the
parents; for surely the same authority That
exercises the right to cohhne minors Ill Tue
State prison for crimes, without consulting
TIER paren's, can he invoked to send them
TO school, when the parent ncglec's to per-
form this duty.
We know Tint many persons suppose that
the State really has no right to interfere
with the education OF the people, and con-
tend that it is an affair which concerns the
private citizen in his individual capacity
only, and is not legitimate subject for leg
islntion by the State. Those who take this
position would so restrain and curtail the
authority of the Lcgis' allure, MS TO defeat
the very objects for which all governments
are instituted. Every law, the direct de-
sign Of which is to promote the good of g.
ciety-thc civil and criminal codcs-all in
lerfcre and to some extent restrain the &C
ton OF the citizen in his individual ca
pacity; yet the interference with the free
action Of the individual citizen must be
submitted to, in order to secure the greatest
good to society in the aggregate; desire
for the rerpe'u"'ion OF free institutions IN
the State, renders IL necessary that TIC
State should diie't'y' interfere ana gave us
sanction and "id 10 s'ery'hihgl'H'lhihg'o
popular education
A we'll regulated system of popular eiu-
cation, established and aided by the State
would operate on the.minds IF the children
attending the public schools, ut period Of
lie, when the mind Is 100 feeble 10 oFis''
h"'e"ny sohcme OF meh'a' raining LOT IL
self. And the great OBJECT OF Inc STATE
should be- to tram the MINDS oil The you'h
oil the country IN such manner mat "heh
they arrive at the age oil manhood 'hey