Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1870-01-25
Compulsory Education.

| IL proposes 10 make use Oh new ana
doubtful powers to accomplish good
ends.
Tie widesbread evil of non-at-
tendhnce upon our public schools, is
Of serious TaGment, and demands the
best efforts OF all good citizens to it,
correction but, whatever plan may
be suggested, or step taken in this
direction, should not only best serve
the great end in view, but should be
10 tbe line of the clearest legislative
authority without bad example or
evil precedent. We are not warrant
ed il usurping power or stretching
beyond proper limits an old power,
even in the name of education,
Good sound law. take ii is not
only founded upon clear aud unques-
toned authority, but is also founded
in tie abiding sense of the mass of
the people. State necessity sometimes
justities step beyond this, but such
step mus. beat once at once retraeed,
when the danger demanding IL is re-
moved. This Is not a case o. State
necessity.
In viewing the question of com
pulsory education with all the lights
at ray command, / can place it no
where but in the middle ground be-
tween the line Of the safe presidents
and The line marking that unsafe and
forbidden ground where legislatures
may not GO. This partition line can
noi he too strongly guarded Armed
sentinels supported by Dog Cerebns
should occupy every salient and
guard every approach; for beyond
lie. the legions Of oppression always
in arms to assert advantage
We grant The necessity Of general
education to ensure the stability 81
our form Of government; and we
grApt at onc9 the force of every plea
THAI may DO made touching the evils
to tic rising generation and to the
| State, growing out of the non-at-
tendance OF our children upon the
school; but whom you bring forward
your remedy in the forms of pains
and penalties to the parent who ne
elects or refuses to send his children
TO- school for certain length OF
time, we respectfully ask, where do
you propose to stop in this matter OF
in$erference, between parent and
child2 / will answer: The will OF
caprice of majority of those who
may annually assemble at Madisou
tc make the laws will be the measure
of limitation. Following your prec.
eqent, they may dictate as to food
clothing, brogans, cleanliness, habit,
OF lying down and getting up, recre
alton, Christmas toys, al infAitup.
for these things. as we'll as book ed
utation, go to build up the incipient
American citizen.
When, in following your origiua
idea, we have got statutes bristlins
with pains and penalties reaching e
every possible case Of domestic de
h0quency which has the slightes
bearing upon the increase or condi
ton OF our young population,
apprehend that our means for infOr
nation upon which to found prosecu
tons may be imperfect. We shall
ro' be able to rely upon voluntary
: testimony In such cases and I,
make the scheme complete in all IL
: parts, you will have to engraft upol
, il Louis Napoleon's police system
and put :mouehard" in every house
Sound principles of law involve il
thair application no such absurdities
hut an illagitimate statute, takina
tho form of precedent, rarely fails {,
Freed swarm of its kind, begottel
: il official sbailowness, and scattering
Infinite mischief
The evil complained of, and fol
which compulsory education il
brought forward as a remedy, has III
seat in the public mind and popular
opinion is effected best not by de-
nsnciation and statutory euactments
but by correct application of tn,
mDral and intellectual forces.
by educating the public mind uI
TO proper standard upon this, Of
any other question affecting the vel
faro Of society, we shall quietly anC
efsctually reach the desired end
Ebls without resort to brutUae Jui,aea
Apd | do NOT for my life see how thi.
evil, or the 3yil Of tho rum traffic, j.
to be reachsd by law without thii
tenure.
iNhere is one way to punish The
eeil, or, il you please, the crime tina
we are considering, about The pro,
pgfety of which all should agree
ald that il by furnishing the com
, munity which permits it. This car
, he done by apportioning the schoo
tu1d income upon the basis Of actua
attendance Of the scholars upon tn,
public schools. This done, we shall
: afford q direct incentive to schoo
f district officers and to teachers to Sc
cure for their schools the larges
9 possible attendance. Uader tn,
present system, the apportionmen
is per cdpitd. and whether all or only
: oRc-fourtb attend school, the resul
il the same. This is manifest injus
tice.
I, | LnClC VII No - Dilt VI blAc hluA
before the present Legislature, and W,
hope to see it become a law. Enact
ed, if upon trial it shall fail to NEE
the wishes Of its friends, it will ther
be time enough to consider othe
srd more Urgent measures Of lcgis
lation. G. X. ID.
- -
STATE N.Ews.-The Journal learn
that several citizens of Bcloit ar,
maturing o plan for the organization
ofsa company with the view of emf
grating West the coming spring
The probable destination is Kansas
The committee OF the Wisconsin
5sate Agricultural Society agree t.
locate tho State Fair tor 1870 10 Osh
kpsh, providing that grounds anC
Buildings gre furnished without cos
to the Society.
The Ford du Lac Commonwealth
: proposes aareunion of the officers anC
scidiers of3the old Sixth Wisconsin