The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-20
The Public schools and the Law.
Makers.

writer Is what neg nllIASa4lit g 0e4444gi
crat a gentlemen who we Judge always
votes an unscratched ticket, and who SO
far rs permitted is a friend Of the city I'D.
ministration in power. Without attempt.
ing to ado anything to the force Of his re-
marks, we are certainly OF his opinion
that regulation requiring all the pupils
to be taught "the science Of government"
Is absurd and improper. That such :
study Is now compulsory Is shown not
only by our correspondents statement
but by the following extract from the
proceedings Of the Board Of Education at
its meeting last Thursday night !,
"The Superintendent states, in q note
appended TO the foregoing, that In Feb
mary last he recommended the adoption
of a rule placing Science Of Government
and the Constitution Of the United States
with the indispensable studies u the
Grammar Schools Of the District. NO &C.
ton having been taken, the superintend'
ent rcneVs the recommendation, In view
Of the fact that the classes are being reor-
gained at the commencement otaIthe
school year and Of the intrinsic import
ance Of the studies, that they be made
part Of the Grammar School course. I ''5i
"Onmotion, the report was received and
filed, and the Recommendation Of the su-
perintendent was adopted ~
Politics, like religious creeds, Is, IN this
country, a thing Of controversy, not 70 be
meddled with by public schools. That Is
partof the citizens education that has Y
no business in such schools. Its certain
that the science OF government, ? taught
! in any school viii be ttnged II = the
politics ofth4beacher, or with the treatise
studied, or both; for all treatises on the
subject are colored with the politics Of the
writer's. 4 child Is generally creature
of unquestioning faith and is completely
subject to the beginnings Of Instruction.
whatever it may Telatexto o2iW Whatever
twist the science of government = might i;
receive ut the hands Of its Instructor,
would be a twist for life in The mind Of
the child, never to be eradicated By sub
sequent knowledge. Now who i willing
70 entrust his child in the matter; Of apo
lHtical education to this early and fatal
manipulation at the hands Of any teacher
or to the influence Of any book selected
without reference to his views or wfshest
L BUTT parents were willing; TO enttqst
the tutors IN the public school siwith the
political education Of their children, an
element Of trouble exists in the fact, that
in schools open to al, awhile the. bias Of
this instrucIionsuits some it does not suit
Others; and those who areEnot suftedlhaye
no protection but to abandon their rights
in the schools and withdraw their chill
ldren. Butlnstruction in the science Of
government" which is but another name
for the science Of. politics, is. no
proper function Of . public school,
1 and any attempt 10 make IL one
cannot fail in the end 70 weaken the
schools in the esteem Of the community.
While 1t seems doubly absurd tobe rack.
ing the brains of little girls with disgust.
tions on the science ofgoyernment" tits
! improper, as we conceive, TO assumeI to
teachit at all in public schools, much less
| to make such instruction compulsory; be-
! cause, as we have said before, the Science
of government is too intimately allied to
politics to be kept separate in practice,
and politics ought no more to be taught
in a place where altpolitical sides Of the
community have equal fights than Pres
byterianism, Catholicism or Methodism-
!, the one being just as much a. matter Of
controversy; and requiring as Broad5a tol
GRAFTON, and thereforejust as improper in
any system Of public education, :as the
other. 81 Rs - ~ i 5..s = IN /
Concerning tie other regulation dis.
cussed bY. our correspondent, viz; com.
polling a pupil who once egipst tie stRdJ
OF German to continue without eferepce
| TO the wishes Of parent or child This
seems about on par with the one, which
excited good deal: Of controversy a
couple Of years ago, making tie word
necessary" in the excuse or the pupil a
condition Of It's right To- . place in the
school. All such arbitrary rules as these,
making the rights Of tleparentand pupil
subordinate to5the. whim Of theosChool
officers, are mistaken and unfortunate.
Their only effect Is to drive away from
the schools those who are entitled ohaye
their children educated fl them and ult-
mately to weaken the systemitseltain the
public esteem. When The people find
their schools thus mBmanaged and per.
verted from theft proper a ends, they nntur.
ally turn their attention 70 the expense Of
maintaining the system; md u IN addii
ton they find large ami. mi idfht ex.
IPendltures, such as . rcorfahm dent Of
the Register, whose letter We copy, finds
in the matter Of the First, Ward School
House, then the usefulness Of theschools
is seriously impaired and even their per.
mAnencyi endangered m!,.aa II
Z. OF course IL is necessary to have regl:-
ladons for the governmental Of thsschools;
but 1t will be well-for- those whOmake
them to pay some attention; the line
that separates q proper regulation from
the manufacture Of alaw under which
the fundamental rights Of parents and
| ,..,iI. 80 i,,AnrGnnn.l ,,.iAl, IL ,r,n,,lH h