The Portland daily press., 1871-10-21
DAILY PRESS.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 81. 1871.
Compulsory Education.
PORTLAND.

Whatever. else the Legislature OF Maine
does or does not do this winter, we trust it
win make some provision Tor compulsory at
tendance on our public schools. 1t IS true
that through the manly efforts of Superln-
tenlent johnson and the County Supervisors
the average attendance has now reached q
little more than .JJty per cent. OF all the
scholars OF legal age. We greatly fear that
all has been done that is possible through
such agencies as our school officers can now
employ. This question ought TO take prec-
edence of all others. 1t is far more impor-
tant than any question whatever having refer
ence to.mereimai erial prosperity. 1t is of little
Importance to the masses of our people that
the State becomes nominaly "rich" and pros
porous" by filling up with people, by extending
It's railroads, and by building up great manu-
featuring corporations, ii the acreage intelli-
gence and consequent happiness is not raised.
II is perhaps a praiseworthy spirit that leads
our public men TO wish to place Maine in
better relative position among the States with
respect to wealth and population. But the
nobler aim is to seek to make its people the
best educated, the most uniformly prosperous,
the most virtuous and the happiest men and
women in the world.
AT present we are retrograding. The de-
cline of the common school system is Ger.
tain sign of decay that should receive imme
date attention. No less heroic remedy is
10 our opinion, likely to check this decay
than compulsory attendance. We find il
the Resident Editors Department" of th,
Maine Journal Of Education for October
copy of the law on this subject which is nov
in force in Michigan. 1t will be seen that the
harsher feature of the Prussan system are
sotened in such way that the law could
not be Iepugnant TO the feelings of any IA
tiona person. Discretionary power to sus.
pend its provisions vested in the proper Off
GERS prevents any hardship in It's practica
application. This is the law:
Every parent, guardian, or other person il
the Stale OF Michigan having control of any
child or children between the ages of eigh
and fourteen years, shall be required to SEM
such child or children TO public school tor
period of al least twelve weeks in yeai
commencing on the first Monday of Septen
Der IN The year of our Lord, 1871, at least ST
weeks OF which shall be consecutive unleS
such child or children are excused from sue
alteuuance by the board of The school di
tlct in which such parent or guardian rt
sides, upon its being shown to their salts
faction that the bodily or mental conditio
has been such as to prevent his attendance a
school Or application TO study fbr the perio
required, Or that child or children are laugh
at d private school or home. In such branch
es as are usually taught in primary school,
or to have acquired the ordinary branches q
learning taught in the pubic schools. Pro
Uided, in Case public school shall not b
taug at Tor three months in the year, within
two mnes by the nearest travelled road, OF tn
residence Uf any person within the schoc
district, he shan not be liable 10 the provisio
OIL this act.
Sic. 2. 1t shall be the duty of the directo
OF every scnool district and president OF ever
school board in this State, TO cause to be POI
ed three notices OF this law in the most put
lie places i'll such district, or published ill Oh
newspaper in the township for three weei
during tue month of August IN each year, IL
EXPENSES Of such publication to be paid OF
oil The funds OF saio district.
DC. J. In any case any parent, guardia
or otner person shall tail 20 comply with IL
provisions OF this act, said parent, guarda
Or other person shall be liable to a hne OF D,
less than 30, or more than SO for the fir,
ottense. SAID tihe shall be collected by IL
directors OF sad Iistllcl, in the name OF I'll
district, IN an action vi debt or OH the Cas-,
and wneD collected SHALL be paiu to the asses
or Of The district III wnicn the defendant le
sided when the ottense Was committed, all
by him accounted for the same as none
raised Tor school purposes.
SEC f. IL shall be the duty of the direct
ors Or president to prosecute any offence C
curing under this act and any directors 1
plesldent neglecting 10 prosecute tor such fin
within 10 days alter Written notice has bee
served ON him by any taxpayer in said d
tr,ct, uniess the person SO complained OF shs
be excused by the district board, shall be Ii
Bile 10 ID fine of not less than $40 nor mo
than 500, which fine shall be prosecuted fl
in The Eame OF the assessor OF said aistriC
aud the fine when SO collected shall be paid
the assessor, TO be accounted Tor as in secto
three of this act