New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-09-04
EDUCATION FOR ALL.

EDUCAIION run ann
The City Superintendent of Common Schools
in his last report to our Board OF Education
saws: at has been estimated that JVteea H0u-
"sand children, at least, are daily and nightly
roaming our streets, wholly destitute OF either
"intellectual or moral culture, attending no
"scboOl. and ripening with fearful rapidity Tor
the prison. the pOor-house, or the gallows"
This is startling statement. Ii it be true, what
is the duty of the city authorities In the matter
If parent sends his child out into the street to
beg, the authorities may cause its arrest. III
he sends it out diseased they may send 1t to
hospital. If he sends it out to steal, they may
send it to q house of correction If he sends
it out to roam the streets, to ripen it for " the
prison. the poor house." or "tho gallOws,"
they may take the child from the custody
of the parent, and place it under the care
of persons selected by the city authorities
to aid it to "become useful AID intel
"lgent member of society, and blessing,
instead of a curse, to the community OF
(which it forms part"
so far as education is concerned, we believe
every child is the property of the State; and,
if the parent does not see to 1t that the child
is properly educated, the State should. AS
families are, so will the State be, for the State
is but an aggregation of families. If there is
ignorance and vice and immortality in families,
there will be all of these in the State. III
there be culture, intelligence, refinement,
virtue, in families, so will there be all OF
these in the State; and as public virtue and
intelligence are the Indispensable support OF
a free government, where each man, woman,
and child is an integral and constituent part
of the government, it becomes the duty of
the State not only to provide ample means
for the education of all the children in COM
mon schools, with capable and faithful teach
crs but to see that tho children attend the
schools.
Aristotle says that tie education of youth
ought to cngrOss the principal part OF the
legislators attention. IL more attention were
given to this sound maxim by our legislators
National, State, and Muncipal-it would be bet
ter for the present and the future well-being OF
orr country. There has been too much legisla-
ton for the almighty dollar-for material in
tercsts-and too little legislation for the physi
cal, social, moral, and mental wants OF mankind.
II is a Chinese maxim, "By learning, the sons
"of the common people become public minis
people, by the people, and for the people,
the only road open to preferment and to pub
lie honor should be that of learning and integ
rity. We pay enough for schools-enough to
educate at the public expense all the children
in the State. The estimate of the Board of
Education of this city for school purposes for
this year is S3,l5O,0OO. This is fraction over
Si4 for each youth in the city, according to the
Census of 1865; and counting the average at
tendance of 1868 in the schools, with 10 per
cent LncreaSe for 1869, 1t is S21 s. for each
scholar.
Mr. Randall does not think "the system of
compulsory education which prevails on
"tho Continent consists with the
genius of our free institutions" Now,
while we are for the largest lberty-whle we
would not compel any one to worship at any
altar, to subscribe to any creed, TO pay any
money for the support of any religious society
we also believe in the largest protection to So
cicty and to the State; and, if the parent will
not educate his child, the State should. We
believe in compulsion here, for the benefit of
the child and for the safety of the State. In
1910, Jefferson said, in bill for the better diff
fusion of knowledge in Virginia. "But the
Indulgence of the greater number disabling
them from so educating at their own
Expense those of their children whom
mature hath fifty formed and disposed
"to become useful instruments of the
public, it is better that such should be sought
"for and educated at the common expense OF
call, than that the happiness of all should be
"confded to the weak or wicked" Here it is
tho happiness of all is confided either to the
educated or TO the wicked; to those whose
heads and hearts are educated in our schools,
or to those who are educated in all wickcdness
in our streets. He who would complain because
the State cOmpels him to send his child to
school to be taught in the branches of educa-
ton necessary to fit him for the proper and
intelligent discharge of the daily business of
life or of the duties of the American citizen,
is not worthy of the name Of father, and should
not be trusted with the care of children; IA,
under his influence, they would become weak
and wicked and dangerous members of
the social body, as well as of the body
polite We compel a man TO fill
up his lot, 80 that stagnant water may not
mako tho neighborhood unhealthy. May
not the same power compel him 80 to deal
with his child that he may not become ripe
for the prison, the poor-h0use, or the GAL
lows2 May we compel a man to perform
the lesser and not the greater obligation to
society, to humanity, to the Statef
"a II,,.,A do 20. ln 1al F.N 40