Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1870-01-27
Compulsory Education.

direction should not only best serve the great emu III
view hut should be in the line Of the cleares legisa
live authority without bad example or evil precedent
we are not warranted In usurpng power or stretching
beyond proper limits an old power. even In the name
of education
clear md nuauesionaby authority shut Is also isnnd-
ed In the abiding sense Of the mass Of the people
Sute necessity sometimes jusIifes step beyond
this but such step must be at once reraced wheh the
danger demanding 1t Is removed. 1hds Is no case W
state necessity. ,
In yiewin. the question Of compulsory education
with all The lights at my command, can place 1t
no where but in the middle ground between the line
Of the safe precedents and the line marking that un'
safe and forbidden ground where legislation may nov
co. This partition line cannot be too strongly guard
ed Armed sentines supported by a log Cerehus
should occupy every silent and guard every ap'
proach for beyond lie the legions OF oppression al
ways In arms to assert advantage
We grant the ecessity Of general educason 10 en-
sure the stability Of our form of government; and We
grant at once til, force Of every pea that may be
made touching thu evils to the rising generation anu
10 the state growing out OF the non-iendahce oil our
children upon school but when you bring forward
your remedy Ia the form Of pains and penalties to the
parent who negec,s refuses to send his chdreh 10
scho Of for certain length OF time, We respectfully
ask, where do you propose to stop IN ms mater OF
interference between parent and chld WIZ answer
Thelvi or caprice Of majority Of those VINO may
annually assemble Mt Madison to make the laws viii
he the measure Of limitation Following your pres
cedent they may dictate as 10 1000, c'othhg.
brogans cleanliness habits OF lying down ana
getting up recreation, Christmas toys at MfnHnDi,
for these things. as well as book cducation 60 10
bnlld up the incipient American citizen.
When, In following your original Idea, we nave got
rtautes brstlng With pains and penalties reaching 10
every possible case OF domestic del,nqusncy which
has the slightest bearing upon the Increase or con
diton OF our young population, apprehend that our
means for information upon which TO found prosecu'
ions may be imperfect We shall not be able to rely
upon voluntary testimony. In such case and to make
the scheme complete In all Its parts you VIII have to
cngrait upon ii Louis Napoleons police system, and
put "moachdtd" In every house.
The evil complained OF, and for which compulsory
education Is brought forward as remedy, has It's
seat In the public mind aud popular opinion is eject
ed best not by denuncaion and statutory enactmens
but by correct application OF the moral ana ihtel
lectua forces.
BY educating the public mind up to proper stand
Ard upon t,.s, any other question affecting me
welfare of society, shall quietly and ehec'ualiy
reach the desired end This without resort to brutum
JuL,en And do not for my life see how TINS ev'l,
or the evil OF the rum traffic. Is to be reached oy iawi
without this tenure
There Is one way 10 punish the EVIL, or, u you
please the crime that considering, about the
proprety Of which all should agree and that Is ny
furnishing the community which permits 1t. THIS can
I've done by upportionng the school fund income upon
the basis Of actual attendance OF the scholars upon
the public schools this done shall afford direct
incentive to school district officers aud to teachers to
secure for their schools the largest possible attendance.
Under the present system, the app"rionIneht Is per
c1pihi and whether all or on3-iourh attend the re-
suit is the same This is manifest injustice.
There will be bill Of this kind before me present
legislature and We hope to see 1t become u law
Engc,ed II on trial II shall fail to meet the wishes OF
its friends II will then he time enough TO consider
oiher and more urgent measures OF Legislation
G, X. D."
The above article we clip from the
=.
,>tdte J0HFhdt OF SATURDAY, tne lou ii'sb',
and the views therein expressed are so
stnklngly embodied IN the following o''l
introduced into the Assembly ny Mr
bliss on the i'th, that the TWO cannot DC
Justly separated
The people 9 NE S"te IF Wisconsin, ,ep,t%Senfe@
section The school fund income which may
hereafter arise Tor distribution to the public schools
actual attendance for the preceding year, Terminating
duty Of the State Superintendent Of schools to up.
po''' =, NV, WV s r1n,anden, ,hcr several NJ
"lmeni. to the schools under their supervision upon
Section ,, In estimating and reporting attendance
each c on 81 day Of attendance for every scholar in
ana at h me sHa OF s"y" tsI" ' ,wo and
the result shall he the sco Of Attendance to be report
OF county superintendent to include in Their returns
n" Sp's rI under ,'0 hs pub" school laws Of the
state ,,,,n mi, -, .,,,,,,..r. ooone in force
from and after It's passage and all acts and parts Of
hereby repealed.
If ~ 70 X u" seems to think it is
nat nroct;col 70 make il COMPULSORY upon
parents and guardians to give to children
under their CHARGE decree of education,
perhaps die best thing to be done is to
pass Mr.. Bliss bill But to our minds
the basis of apnortionment should be up.
On the number of children attending all
thu sebao)s i, IN, State priyutn rs well
"a hubble. If e understand the object of
the bill. it il To secure more general