Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-05-11
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A
Men constitute the State. According
to the character Of the people will be
the stability of the Government the
soundness Of the laws and the pros
perity of the nation. In all communi-
ties there Is a dangerous element
class Of persons who are in antagonism
against law, and against order, HON
esty, morality, peace and security.
Hence arose the old sentiment that the
governing class must be hereditary,
and that the highest duty Of the sub
jsct Is loyalty and obedience to certain
families who, 1t was claimed, were to
command, and the source Of all power
In the State. The doctrine that the
power of the governor Is derived from
the consent of the governed, If not a
new discovery In the last century,
labored under greater disadvantages
than if it had been q novelty. For
against it was cited the experience OF
antiquity. The monarchists claimed
that the theory of self-goyernment had
been tried and found wanting; that
democracy was cruel, arbitrary and
unjust in Its operations and that such
u system necessarily contained within
itself the seeds Of certain decay.
Democracy, it was argued, must yield
Mt last to the ambition of the few and
to the despair of the whole. Nations
would Of necessity seek protection In
tile tyranny of Que against the tyranny
Of the majority, or against that worse
evil than any strong tyranny, tho Ca
prices of changing and warning fac,
lions. Free institutions are on trial
in this Republic. It IS not that there
can be any doubt Of their endurance,
and their ultimate establishment even
on a firmer basis than at present. But
the institutions of this country are I'M
dergoing the trials which have tested
the strength of all governments from
the beginning Of time. There are
indications of the existence OF n elias;
Of chronic paupers, helplessly Ignorant
and wilifully vicious. With the IN
crease of population, and the increase
of luxury, vice increases, and while
the wealthy can crafty their sense:
without direct and immediate wrong
to others, envy and moral obtusenes'
among those less favored by the gifts
of fortune lead them to dishonesty
Gross and low indulgences Of the pas
sions are claimed rs the right Of sucl
as cannot afford elegant and refined
qualification. Really the right to sac
ritice the higher attributes Of humanity
to the low promptings of sense belong;
to neither rich nor poor. But since
the wealthy can pursue their pleasures
undisturbed, the ignorant and vicious
claim that they, too, may riot, though
they break the peace in doing 1t, Oh
steal and cheat to obtain the means o.
indulgence. Practically they assert
the doctrine which has been put into
Il formula by the Red Republicans ir
France-that ~"property is robbery
10 meet this evil, moral and Intellect
ual education is provided by the State
for all children whose parents vii
avail themselves Of the privilege. Tht
provision for education Is not yet com
plete, by any means, but efforts are II
motion everywhere to make it so. Still
the difficulty remains that there Is al
increasing class whose children cannot
or will not enter the schools where In
struction is given free. Aud there !;
the further difficulty, greater than i
generally supposed, that among the
children who do attend, with more OF
less regularity, there arc many whose
associations and temptations, when
they are out Of school, not only defeat
the moral training Of the school room,
but cause the intellectual training
which Is there received to become only
the aid to more dangerous villainy.
This Is the problem which meets the
statesman. II the government derives
its force and character and authority
from the governed, the Ignorant and
the vicious by their influence depreci'
ate the value Of the State. There Is q
Western aGecdote which, cited for its
wit, leaves a sadder thought behind
A legislator, accused of intcmperance,
retorted that she was too drunk
to represent his constituency" Like
people, like representatives. Like
representatives, like legislation. Like
legislation, like executive. The pro.
lection Of the community indicates that
the care Of the State over the children
should be something more than the
provision Of merely permissive advan'
tages. The point which presents Itself
to the consideration of the statesman
is this: whether refugees should not
be provided by the State for neglected
children, where, up to n certain age,
they may be both educated and sup
ported without the stigma Of any re,
lection upon their moral character,
There are publicists who maintain that
negligent or vicious parents or guardi'
ans who will not or who cannot edu'
cate citizens Of the republic, should be
relieved of n nominal charge with
which they do not or cannot comply,
Many children are now born to an in
heritance Of Ignorance, poverty and
sin. Charitable institutions save some
Of them; but the proportion thus cared
for by private munificence is barely
sufficient to indicate what might be
done if the public law recognized the
means forthe prevention, rs we'll Il:
the punishment OF crime.