The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-10-14

with oligations. At first thought, it seems
quite natural that the rich citizen, capable
of educating his own children well, should
object to being taxed to educate those of
his poorer neighbor.
The argument in favor of voluntary
schools supported by contributions, or CT
private schools supported by patrons seems.
plausible at its first statement. But all
experience proves that no people have ever
become generally and thoroughly educated
by any private or voluntary systems TIE
state must educate on tie people will be ig-
nordm. BY virtue of its police power the
State is given jurisdiction over the whole
subject of the prevention and punishment
of crime. As it is the duty of the State, so
it is clearly its interest that all subjects of
law should be made sufficiently intelligent
to understand the law. 10 rear children in
ignorance of their duty to society, and then
punish them as criminals is monstrous.
No fact is more fully established than the
favorable effect of education in diminishing
crime. While there are many cases of ed
ucated men becoming criminals, the vast
majority of cases come from that ferocious
and barbarious class who had no education,
The statistics Of the State prisons and
criminal courts show that three-fourths of
the criminals are uneducated.
If we study at all the causes that lead
to crime we can more readily appreciate
the preventive value of education.
No one can doubt that very prominent
cause OF crime is extreme poverty, and
poverty is the child of ignorance. Give
education to a youth and his quicllened
powers are never at loss for expedients to
make a comfortable living. If by unfortun-
ate circumstances he remains poor, he sup
PIGMENTS his limited physical enjoyments
by intellectual pleasures, and so is content.
1t is always true that an intelligent man or
woman will live upon far less than an
ignorant and undoveloped one. Intelli-
gence teaches fine economies, which multi
ply all blessings, like the loaves and fishe
which Christ blessed for his disciples.
Thus education diminishes crime by less
ening the inducements to violate law, and
by filling the mind with noblcr aspirations,
crowds out temptation or gives strength to
resist it.
Paupcrlsm is great public evil, and it is
as unnecessary as crime. The earth over
flows with abundance. Its generous bosom
waits TO nourish all its children. Its capac-
ity to feed and clothe and shelter humanity
is equal to any conceivable increase of its
population. We have just shown that ed
ucatlon cures Indulgence by unlocking to
man the treasure-house of nature and pre.
venting waste.
May not the State, that is chargable with
the support Of paupers and criminals
also provide the preventive, which all ex.
pericnce has proved so much more effective
and economical.
is the State to exercise no reason or prov.
idencc for the future. In extraordinary
emergencies all civilized governments inter
terc to prevent the spread of contagion. i
a pestilcnce breaks out, the infected dis
trct is put under the bar of non-inter
course. II a ship arrives from an infected
port, crew and cargo must undergo quar-
antine. No sane man questions the lega
spiliclency of the State to do this or the
propriety of exercising these remarkable
functions of civil government. This is {
part of the police power of the State which
justiiies all measures toprevent evils agains
which it must defend itself when they an.
pear.
AS the State is taxed to arrest and pun
nish criminals, and to support paupers, i
has the right to use preventive agencies,
and it is bound in duty to educate its child
rem at the public expense as the cheapes
mode of preventing pauperism and crime
IL IS beyond all question true, that our school
might be made so good and so universal Il
tfeir benefits, that no child should ecer go..oi,
from them TO commit crime or become
pdupG.