Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-11-13

early deaths to the foul air, the cramped at'-
tudes and the wearisone, protracted mental la
bors that characterize too many of our public |
schools.
Besides, the child's attention cannot be held
prohtably through two three-hour sessions Inc
last two hours will of necessity be nearly worth
less. Better three hours brisk, interested, hap
DIV work, than six hours heavy, stupid dawdling
over hated lessons.
But we began to speak ofthe H'lf-Day System
chiefly because we think this to be the proper
system If the State is TO compel attendance. One
half Of the day for study, and the other half for
work or other exercise this seems to he na-
lures law The brain demands regular exer-
else. and so do the muscles. This system pro-
yides for both. The soul has a chance TO expand
at the same time that the body grows and
strengthens. They are able thus to keep an even
pace The Development, instead Of being one
sided and.unhealthy, is normal, and harmonious
But nowadays, how often do we find in the
schools minds without bodies, and in the streets
bodies without minds This last sad result OF
our present - free - system Of public instrue-
ton we believe the STATE ran and ought 70
remedy.
If this system be adopted, il can work no pos
sible wrong to the poor family which needs the
child's labor to aid in its support. The child
ought not to be allowed 10 work the whole day
through He can do all it is safe for him to do,
without laboring twelve or ten or even eight
hours per day. Give him six hours for play and
study, and six hours for such Light work as he
Is competent for. 1t would he not only wise
provision, if the State should ordain three hours
schooling per day for every child in its borders
between the ages Of eight and sixteen Cor SIX and
sixteen), but a mercful provision also, releasing
crowds oflittle operatives and other laborers who
are now tasked beyond their strength, by being
kept at work twice the proper length of time.
If such law as if we have limited at above
could be put in operation at once throughout YER
mont. and thoroughly and impartially enforced,
we are confident that at the end Of twenty years,
the intelligence and virtue combined Of the aver
age citizen would be raised twenty five per cent
at least, above what it is today. Especially is
there need Of such a measure in our larger
towns. The foreign population in these com
munities is getting to be quite numerous a
large proportion of the children especially are Of
alien extraction the fathers and mothers have
but little sense Of the need and benefits of edu-
cation and the consequence is that the intellect
l., g.. 1, 4 4
year by year This, We think, must be patent to
all careful observers. There are reasons and
reasons, as seems to Us, why the state should
take hold Of the matter at once and vigorously
And even if the State as a whole should see fit to
defer still longer the needed reformation, we
could wish that municipal corporations at least
might have power given them to compel the at
tendance at school. for three hours of every
school day. Of every child Of proper age within
their limits. Some such measure seems almost to
be needed for proper self-proteetion.
Is this too great a boon to ask at the hands o
the legislature Would it be too large an in
frinrement On the personal rights Of the citizen,
to say to him, You shall educate your child,
We may punish crime may We not prevent IL
norance. the fruitful mother of crime, We
may fine. imprison and hang shall we hesitate
to DO that which may prevent the necessity Of
these Would it be more unwarrantabe ex-
ercise Of power to put boy in the school-house
and spelling-book in his hand, than to put the
same boy, five or ten years after, in the State
| Prison, because he had never been TO school and
learned to spell Is it more '' constitutional -
TO take away our money for the support Of pau
pers and the maintenance Of courts and jails,
and police officers, than to say to the incipient
street loafer as he j. about beginning his ap-
premiership to vice, You shall not be permitted
to grow up in ignorance, pest to the commun-
itv and candidate for the gallows2
VIII the rights Of the individual " be en-
dancered by such legislation We advocate
Yes the right 90 to be idle and yagrant, the
=. right Sc to be a nuisance and burden 10 society,
the right to be as little of man and as much Of
a brute as possible. The " liberty will be
taken from the individual Of putting himself in
the way Of having all his IS liberties forcibly
taken from him at last by due process Of Grimm
al laws.