Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1871-07-19
Free Schools Why

ment to the Constitution, to be known as
the sixteenth as follows:
ARTICLE XVI. There shall be maintain
ed In each State and Territory, a system of
free common schools, but neither the United
States, nor any State, Territory, county, or
municipal corporation shall aid in the sup
port of any school wherein the peculiar ten
cts of any religious denomination are
taught
SECTION 2nd. Congress shall have pow
er to enforce this article by appropriate leg
islation.
Public attention has been called frequent
ly, within the past year to the great want of
school accommodations and TO the large
number of children throughout the country,
who, failing to attend school, are growing
up in ignorance and are in training for any
thing and everything but useful citizens. 1t
is admitted almost universally by our best
educated and sagacious men, that the i'm
portance OF this question cannot be over
estimated and that necessity exists for the
general Government to take such action as
will tend to mitigation of the evils grow
ing out of the neglect to furnish all chill
dren with common school education, not
only in the late slave States but even in
many OF the northern States where the ad-
vantages and necessity Of the education of
the masses is so universally admitted.
1t is proposed on one hand, that the
States should be left, each to work out its
own problem of general education. without
interference on the part of the general gov
ernment, or aid aside from grants of public
lands
On the other hand it is held that A MA
TIoNAL SCHOOL LAW should be passed By
Congress, providing for the establishment
and maintenance of common schools thro'-
out every State and Territory. If the pro-
posed constitutional amendment is adopted,
national school law will follow as a natur-
al consequence and no objection that it was
unconstitutional could then be urged No
doubt Congress might pass such law in
the absence of another constitutional amend
ment but it would hardly have that weighty
and controlling influence and would be sub
ject to repeal whenever an adverse majority
might obtain power, whereas, should the
constitutional amendment be adopted, the
question would be permanently settled as
long as the government exists.
Ii an examination is carefully made of
the statistics with regard to education in
the different States, the need of something
more being done for the education of the
children In the country tI.-n has been done,
some more thorough and effectual steps ia
ken, will be very apparent. The subject is
one of such vital Importance that it de-
mands the close attention, and the united
and persevereing action of every friend of
Republican government, every enlightened
patriot, every earnest philanthropist in the
land There should be no relaxation of eff
fort until this important question is settled,
and settled right, without peradventure,
secured beyond the possibility of repeal
1t is frequently asked what need is there
of national action upon this question are
not the States doing all that is practically
possible for the education of the children
within their respective borders? Why not
let well enough alone These are pertinent
questions and deserve attention. In blt
few of the States is there more than the
beginning of an orderly, thorough, compre
hensive school system. The delinquences
and short comings of large number OF tie
State Legislatures in this regard can readily
be shown by glance at existing facts. In
nine States, viz: Alabama, Arkansas, Flor
ida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
~ Il
there is population of seven millions four
hundred and fifty seven thousand eight hun
dred and seventy seven, and about fifty per
cent. of these people are unable to read.
The States of Kentucky. Tennessee and
Texas, contain a population of three mil
lions three hundred and seventy six thou
saEd four hundred and eighty four, of which
about one third are unable to read, and in
Delaware, Maryland, and Missouri, with a
population of two millions six hundred and
thirty Thousand eight hundred and twenty
one, twenty-five per cent of the people are
in the same deplorable condition of ignor-
ance. Add to these numbers about mil
lion of illlterate persons residing in the re-
naming States, and we find that there are,
in the country, between six and seven mil
lions of grossly ignorant people, who obtain
no knowledge of the bible, of constitutions,
of laws, Of newspapers, of literature OF any
kind, excepting in the manner of those
who are born blind, eyes they have bat they
see not the printed page, and books are all
sealed to them. They grope through life
in the very darkness of blindness, the ac
knowledged prey of demagogues, perret-
ual thorn piercing to the heart OF our Re
publican instisutions
But what are the States doing for the
children of the country? Surely they must
be educating them pretty generally, espe-
cially, throughout the North and West
Let US see. The number of children of
school age never registered and attending
no school in Illinois, is l26, $50; Indiana,
Isl, ,O63 Iowa, l22. .03O; Kentucky, 2l6.-
40; Louisiana, 204, 533 Missouri, Ssh
29s ; New York, 464, 635; North Carolina,
292, SOC Ohio, 2ss, ,495; Tennessee, 224,
l55 adding to these the number of litter
o,a oh ;IJrar in tha N, bap States and u,e Il nd