The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-03
S)atln ARGUS,
Friday Evening. February 8 1871.
/. COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

In tuesday evenings hh"
recommendation of Superintendent Bate
mans regarding compulsory education
The Union of Wednesday endorses the
;nf.uons recommendation of the radical
buub.o who rams the schools. That the
Union should do this, is TO be expected Of
it, but that any man, in his sober senses
should commend such suggestion is proof
OF imbeciity and shows that the writer
should have been forced by his parents to
obtain sufficient education TO have kept him
self out of print. Here is en- extract from
that article
Notwithstanding the amplitude of our
school facilities, there Is q depiorable tsrdl-
ness manifested on the part OF q large num-
Der OF the children of the state, and "a nota-
bic Observation-Disclosures shown on the part ct
parents This Is public evil, to be regret
ted now and remedied hereafter. The point
of division is in the remedy. The State
Superintendent favors compulsory attend
ance to mitigate the evil, and urges that
stat, has the right TO do whatever IS essen
tisI TO its own welfare, prosperity and per-
petuity.
Just so. Education is the cornerstone
Of pood government, and while provision is
made in cnr ae By whichoknowiedge may
bs d;s,eui,ate d TO the masses, public indo
lanca and parental neglect allow the same
proyisiou to be of 40 practical value. We
then fully concur with MIR Bateman in his
recommendation OF q compulsory system of
education, one which shall embrace Gil the
good OF the practice now held IN the New
Eugiand States, There they have what are
known as "truant officers" whose duty it is
to look after all children, aud parents are
held accountable to law for allowing their
sons and daughters TO absent themselves
from school. With the system there most
are familiar, aud while its workings do not
accom- pisa all that could be desired, its
benefcencs is shown By the superior enter
prise, industry and intelligence the people.
The report Of the Bureau Of Education
shows that Illinois ranks With the first states
in the [ MON in that respect The census
returns will prove that the increase Of popu-
ls:ion in this State has been larger than
t~o-,hirds the remaining States. What
healthier proof of progress is wanted. Yet
the Union always supports measures caicu-
iated to retard progress. If compulsory
education becomes e Law, then the children
OF our German and Irish fellow citizens, who
are now attending their own schools must
bs com PEELED 20 leave them aud attend
the public schools. How do the Ger
mana and Irish Ike this view of the
subject? Do you Wan; your children to
attend such schools meet your ideas ?
Or do yoU want BIS forced to send them to
the public schools? The public school sys-
TEN OF this state Is not only popular with
the mass, bat has reached such an advanced
state Of progress as TO almost place it beyond
the reach of the political densgogGes Of the
state rings. IF the accommodation becomes
law, positions in our schools viii be as
eagerly sought for ss government appoint
meat; it Is an insepareb;s accompaniment
to the Law. Then another system of cor
ruptiou will be introduced into the affairs of
I.ino.s--a state that has now more than she
can bear.
An American citizen needs no force 70
compel him to send his children to the pub
lie schools. Il is his first and greatest
ambition that his children have 81 educa-
ton, and soon, and often before, they sre
tit to euser upon school life. the children are
sent to school. Our German and Irish
citizens are fully as eager 10 secure the
advantages of our free system, although at
first they may send them to establishments
OF their own nationality, vet, when they see
the working of our system, and become more
accustomed 10 American WAYS, their chill
dren are transferred to the public school.
An examination of the school
records of this city alone will
prove this to be true, and yet the
little man Of the Union feels called to take
the side of the radical superintendent, who
has distracted e. million and half dollars
from the state treasury during one term of
office, and will probably take enough this
term 10 make him comfortable for life and
who wants to force citizens Of Illinois to
send their children to school. How do the
citizens like the assurance of this generals
sino of the radical brigade? How do they
like the stand the Union has taken upon this
outrageous attempt at corruption? Can the
German, Irish and other citizens of the city
con.csntiously support By their votes such
extreme infamous measures as the Union
tavors