Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1870-02-24
A SAGE PROPOSITION.

Somebody satirically said OF the
Bourbons, that they never learn and
that they never forget anything. But
stolidity in retaining old prejudices is
by no means confined to that fading
family and if obtuseness be a proof
Of royalty, the n%on-royal are far from
being a very large majority. We pre-
sumo that most Of u readers, espe-
cially those who are among the seniors,
can remember the mlSjudging processes
by which they were induced in their
boyhood to hate, if not all learning, at
least some branches, and among those
not the least important. Copying
untold numbers of pages was, and we
fear is, one of the school penalties for
misdemeanors. Whatever class-books
were thus made means of torture were
h~enceforth fervently disliked. And for
some faults we have known pupils to
be sentenced to memorize whole chap
tiers in the Bible. Such a punishment
certainly could hardly tend to the
increase of respect for the volume.
All England just now is discussing the
education of ~pauperlsm. Without
doubt, ignorance is one Of the causes
of poverty, and the love Of learning
tends to economy and industry. The
great desideratum is to make the poor
desire instruction, if not for them
selves, at least for their children. 1t
Is common In the London work-houses
to give "casual" beggars lodging and
breakfast, on condition that they labor
a certain number Of hours at breaking
stone or at picking oakum. This is
called the pauper test, and for aught
We see Is proper enough. But now
comes the "0rganized Relief Associa-
ton" to the Marylebone Poor
Guardians with a proposition In which
Is embodied and preserved all the old
spirit Of making learning hateful.
1t il this-th that the respect
able ~"casuals" should be furnished
with their Cruel and flock beds, on
condition that they should 60 to school
six hours on the next day! 1t was
said in the debate on the proposition
by one Of the astute guardians, "that
Il man who attended school for six
hours, there submitted himself to Sc
vere discipline, we'll deserved the
small relief given to the outdoor
poor" And the motion to try the ex-
pertinent vas adopted. We wish the
Marylebone schoolmaster joy Of his
work. and to the "~casuals" all pro-
gress In their laudable choice. Ger
tainly "severe discipline" in a school
room Is better than the oakum shed or
stone heap. If the "casuals " would
enter for q term Of three months, or
one even, earning their board by study
ing their lessons, partial benefit might
result from the severe discipline of
some parish Bundle the Beadle. But
then the pupils would IA to be
"casuals," and the purpose Of tho
school test, like the oakum and stone,
is to make them as "casual" as pos
sible. The whole thing, in all Its as
poets, is at once absurd and instruc-
tive. 1t is absurd on the face; it is
instructive when examined. For it
shows In what light the "Organized
Relief Association must regard learn
ing for the million, when it imposes
"six hours schooling" as a poverty
test, and offers the nine parts of speech
as bitter pills to be taken in Cruel, un-
der penalty of starvation. II this is
any indication Of what compulsory
education" means In England, We
fear the classes intended to be bene-
fitted by it are q long way from en-
lightenment. And if the proposers
of the scheme are unwittingly betray-
ing their own experience, we think
that the "flowery paths "of learning
could not have lacked thorns in their
school days. Certainly, his school
memories cannot be very pleasant to
the man who can conceive of schooling
as = penalty for yagrancy.
CASApa has " suow-sh0e clubs,