The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-04
pared.

Whether we are to have sectarian or COM
mon schools is evidently TO be one of the
great questions of the future. Both systems
have been tried and let them be judged by
their results. 1t will be seen that while COM
mon schools have direct connection with
the general diffusion of intelligence, they
have also an indirect though powerful infu-
enee upon public and private morality. There
are probably no two countries where the Ro-
man Catholic clergy have held more absolute
sway than in Italy and Spain. Neither has
ever had any general system of common
schools. What is the result? Of the 21, 727,-
900 people under the scepter of Victor EN-,
manuel 100000 do not know their letters
and 100000 more can barely read. Not one
IN i've has received even the rudiments of an
education. In Spain until 1903 education
was in the hands of the clergy, consequently
few Of the peasants and no peasant women
were able to read. In 1861 even, the number
Of children in the schools was only 1,O4e,OOO
o. one to sixteen Of the population, while
Prussia with thorough system of common
schools had in 1864, 100000 children in her
schools or about one to six of the population.
In the United States in 1860 the whole num-
per OF children attending school was about
erVoO00 or in proportion to our free popula-
tlon not quite one to five. In the State Of
New York in 1867 with population of less
IMAM 4'ooO,O0O the number of children attend.
ing school was 1908 or more than one tn
hve of the population. The proportion of
children attending school throughout all the
States having common school system NAV
be safely estimated as one to five of the popu-
lation.
European nations are not so favorably con-
ditioncd for educating the young as the Unit.
ed States. because even where common
schools exist the pecuniary necessities of fam.
lies often compel them to keep the children
out to work, which is not SO much the
case here, since the laboring classes stand on
nigner vantage ground. But making all due
allowance for this circumstance the advor-
tage OF common schools is too evident 70 \.
disputed. In England where there is no gen.
sral system Of common schools, it is said that
not one-thirteenth of the children of the Ia.
boring classes attend school. The proportion of
men who could write was only two.thirds in
1912, and three-fourths in 1866, and of 10.
men one half in 1912 and two-thirds in 1855.
OF every 1000 recruits examined, only 724 of
the English, $50 of the Scotch, and SIS of the
Irish were able to read or write. All experience
shows that sects are incapable of organizing
any system Of education which shall bring in
t<llfgence home to the masses 1t is only
where government has taken hold of the
matter, that any system of general education
mas been carried out. For large part of the
people the alternative is not sectarian or COM
mon schools. 1t is common schools or none.
But this is not all. An exclusively sec.ari.
an education is not SO well calculated to i'm
Due the young with the sentiment of human
brotherhood as to have all educated in COM
mon like one family. The tendency of the
lormer system is to inspire a spirit of clan
, nSs e1clusiveness, to stereotype certain be-
~ .ne mind and to produce one sided
HsVe'opement. Truth is one but not one sid
ss,.s ~ '-e yoons should be trained up to
take comprehensive survey Of IN ~, ~
spects' SO tnat they may detect anv errors j.,
their own belief and recognize tho -. e.,ofS III
tanned in the views of others, Til. oon-
great guarantee of the intellectual and MY W..
progress of the human race. Let seetar;ss
decaim about Goddess schools. Nothing can
be Goddess that is truly human. So far at
least as concerns this world humanity is one
Of the highest attributes of Goodness.
The moral influence Of intelligence is some
thing that ought never to be forgotten. In
telligence ushers man into world of health
iul and inspiring moral influences. Vicious