Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-06-15
Compulsory Education.

al OF which there IS much empty
sound The truth about us Is. that
we have Init few weH educated per-
sons, While The number Of iItcratc
ones is fcarfully large. The spread
Of learning among us amounts, in too
many eases, 10 spreading il in very
broad, thin layers.
The census OF 1860 showed that,
out 81 q population Of 5,i36,l16, III
the States OF Indiana, lllinei>. Mis-
s1uri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
and ,MiehI&an. there were Isl S25
persons over 20 years Of age. who
could neither read nor write. The
Btfeau Of Education at Washington,
gives Us tile startling Information
that. in 1870, there were IN the Unit
cd States, close upon six millions II
li,cratc adults, three millions Hitter
ate vputh between the ages Of 10 and
twenty wears. and about one and q
halt million under 10 who have little
or no prospect Of education. It adds
that, il 81 the general election OF that
year, "onc- fifth Of the iliteratc voters
had combined, they could have de-
termined the result Of the election"
1t is the undispu,el testimony of
statistics, that but small traction
more than one third of The children
of school age ave IN average daily at
tendance a. the schools. 1t is use
less TO muliipl, facts, though it could
be done to an almost unlimited cX-
tent The sorry truth is, we are pre-
parng TIC way to remain III our pres
ent iinpertectly educated state, while
there is an easy relief from the whole
difficulty, namely, compulsory education
To this measure, which is, in tho
very nature of things, both right and
proper, we must come at last. Oth-
err nations, not hal so boasttul as we,
have seen the unavoidable necessity
and adopted the plan. Compulsory
education exists in Sweden, Den
mark, Prussia, nuremberg. and ev-
en- Catholic Bavaria compels all her
children between the ages OF five and
fourteen to attend schools which re-
ceive government aid. In most 9th
er countries Of intelligent forms of
government. there is either a system
Of compnlsion, or some scale of disa-
hilitics attached to the uncdncated-
rs in Holland, where the parents Of
such are not allowed 10 receive relief
from any charitable institution.
But in this country, where the sta
bility Of the government is more de-
pendent upon the intelligence Of the
people than in any other, we lave
neither compulsion nor scale of dis
for iliiteracy 1t is utterly
marvellous that we have so long been
willing to take the heavy risk which
such state of things imposes, and
will be still more marvellous if it can
continue much longer when the need
Of compn|sion is so great, and the
right to impose it so plain.
The chill's right to education is
brother to his right to shelter and
food TO keep him from per'shing-
There can be no reason for protect
ing the life Of a child, and, at the
same time, lnflcting upon him or ex-
posing him to the curse of ignorance
which must bring in its train unfit
ness for good citizenship, want of
virtue, and, perhaps, commission Of
crime. It is the right OF the State 10
enforce it, just as clearly as il is its
right to provide for the common de-
fence by manufacturing amunitions
of war, by establishing lefenses and
building vessels Of war, or by taking
any such Ike precantion You may
choose to name. Intelligenceis above
en- needle-guns and rlded cannon. It
makes them what they are. 1t is the
sheet anchor Of a Republic, both in
war and peace. 1t is the right ofthe
citizen to demand it. Ii
the State knows that brains have an
an actual money value to il, and that
education is the best preventive Of
CRIME and paaperism, the citizen, in
his individual capaclty,is supposed to
know it too. If the State lays tax
upon Smith for the education OF
Jones cllillren, and then foolishly
allows Jones TO keep his children out
OF school and let them grow mp in
vice and ignorance, still reserying to
itself the right 10 tax Smith again for
the support or punishment Of Jones'
panper or criminal children. where is
the justice which Smith receives at
the hands of the government which
he, by his own money, helps TO sup.
port II Government has the right
TO tax one man for the education Of
another mans childrcn-which no
one denies, surety, then, the first
has right to demand that the sec
ond shall avail himself Of the benefit
offered.
Look at it in whatever light we