Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-10

THE last humbUg that agitate5 the
fanatics of the North is Compulsory
Education. A law is already in Ope-
ration in Boston compelling the edu-
cation OF children; and the people Of
Pennsylvania, proud Of their school
system, which they claim as superior
10 all Others, propose to adopt
the same scheme. A committee Of
the Board OF Public School Con-
~tr9Lsrs, and a few members Of the
Legislature, recently held an informal
meeting of conference on the subject.
Of a compulsory school law in Phila-
delphia, and the following contains
the main features of the bill agreed
upon:
That education TO the extent of being
taught 20 read and write, shall be guar
snlesl 10 every boy and girl within she
limits of the city Of Philadelphia, be-
tween the sgs Of six and thirteen.
That q census shall be taken iu order To
ascertain The name, sex and residence of
every child as aforesaid who can neither
read nor write, and who does not attend
so-u5 public, private or par0chLsl school,
and rLa cause If any, of such @ attend
augs: also this names and residence OF Tire
parent and custodian of such child.
The said inquiry TO embrace the names
sud residences Of any child who - pre-
vented from entering q public school be-
cause of the want Of school
Also an inquiry as to the size, number
and location and means Of gcCymuOd8-
ton Of every school building in the city.
The iDnictiOn OF a penalty upon every
parent or custodian Of q child who shall
neglect 70 attend a private, public or pa
rOehIal school.
A clause authorizing the Board in GER
tain cases and under Instructions to take
charge Of the ~Ofspriugs of intempsrsJs
e 1lssoLule parents with power TO pro
vide the means of instruction ia the si6- I
meuJsry branches, and with power to
bind out as now conferred on the trustees
OF Girard College.
Now, all this thing sounds well,
but it is wild, visionary, Utopian.
The free schools in Philadelphia are
already full to overlooking, and since
all who desire to secure education
cannot be accommodated We see no
necessity for running down and forcing
into sChOOI-TOOms the mackereIs who
wiz not receive an education. It has
been computed that there are fifty
thousand children in Philadelphia
who do not attend any school, public
or private. Many Of these children,
and wicked vagabOnds as
they are, support themselves and their
poor parents, and many afflicted
brothers, sisters and relatives, and if
they are to be dragged into the school
room and bound out, those whom
they support must be provided for at
the same time. This would throw
upon the State half a million Of pau
Dsrs and incur an expense Of from
twenty to fifty millions Of dollars.
You can lead a horse to water, but
you cannot force him to drink; and
/ child torn from its angry
parents and forced into a school
Dom cannot be made to learn.
He wiz play truant every day
through the persuasiOns Of parents
Who need and claim his services.
Education cannot be crammed into
.hildren by saUsage-stufeTs. ThOus-
.nds Of reasons can be given,
that the plan Of cOnpul-
DRY education i improbable.
t is all true that there is
much cause for alarm and regret
o e children, the offspring Of
impoverished and dissolute parents,
unning the streets; utthere has been
ignorance, vice and degradation since
be world was arst created, and the
cheme proposed viii produce no
except to interfere with pa (
responsibility.
Moreover, the precedent will lead to
ltolerabIe usurpation. II the Legis- r
ature has the right to take children
their parents, and compel them {
) attend school, it also has the right {
D enact q law compelling not only /
aildren but parents to attend sunday :
and churches, and the next
viii be to pass q law requiring
9th parents and childreR to attend
to embrace religion, and the
ind Of religion they shall espouse.
here are rights reserved to the people
7hieh they cannot transfer to any $
overnmeut whateyer-rights which
o legislation can limit, enlarge, en-