The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-06-06
THE PRESS.
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE 8, 1879.
The Medieval Democracy.

IF one were to inquire how he should pro-
oaod to attack civilization at its most vital
ro;nt he would undoubtedly conclude to
make war on the school-houses. To create
public sentiment that approves of burning
school-houses is to insure a speedy return to
barbarism unless some counteracting IN
fluence instantly begins to be felt. So, prob
ably, muses. the gallant Texan Democrat ana
supporter of Horace Greeley as ne galy
mounts his steed and salies forth 10 resist
those cunning instruments OF Black hepuD-
lean propagandism, the free common schoois.
We have little pleasure in what Republican
canital, we can make out of the deplorable
hostility of the now dominant party in
Texas to the establishment of free public
school system, as set forth in late report OF
Gen. Eaton, Commissioner of Education.
1t is too grave matter. A State where such
opinions are prevalent is the nursery of flu
ture rebelions. 1t is the very soil from which
traitors spontaneously spring. The history
of the existing revolt against enlightenment
is briefly this: Texas had never had COM
mon school system until the Republican par
ty obtained the ascendency there. Then, as
usual, the first step was to establish
schools and provide by taxation for their sup
port. The Democracy, of course, at once
made party question of this offensive inno-
walton, and on this issue they carried the
State last fall. Though the present Republic
can Governor has prosecuted the work of es-
tablishing common schools with great vigor,
the effect of his activity has been in great
measure nullified by his political opponents
who have burned school buildings about as
fast as he could erect them, and mobbed
school teachers almost as fast as he could en-
ploy them. In the five months following last
September the work of establishing and
breaking up schools went on almost pdri
passu. The Democrats make opposition to
education, especially to negro education, the
only issue. Give them anything but light,
and they are content. With the advent of
intelligence they are certain that all their in
fluence will have departed. Even military
government is regarded by them as prefera-
ble 81.
These facts are commended to all those
Republican voters who believe that the mis-
sion of their party is accomplished, and that
it will be just as well to have the favorite
candidate of these chool-house-burners for
President of the United States. Let it be re-
membered that in all probability every voter
who applies the torch to the school houses of
Texas and drives the teachers of the freedmen
with insult and outrage from the borders of
the State will throw at least one ballot for
Horace Greeley on the fifth of November.
The Republican party has still an arduous
work to perform while the Democracy uni
formly cling to their prejudicies against edu-
cation. Even in Maine where, in spite of the
underwriting labors of the friends of educa-
ton, the common school system is falling in
to ruin, the Democrats of the last Legislature
spared no effort to give it a final quietus.
From our experience of the past we have no
doubt that complete and undisputed Demo-
cratic ascendency in Maine would be follow
ed by the reduction of our common school
system to a feeble rudimentary state. In
Congress it is the same. The bill reported
from the Committee ON education, providing
for the setting apart of the public lands for
the support of schools was opposed, if we are
not mistaken, by every Democratic member.
What the members of that party are inclined
to do when their will is omnipotent is well
illustrated by the course of things in New
York. There the bounty of the State is
chiefly bestowed on sectarian schools, and the
educational institutions in which Romanists
teach their children to abhor Democratic gov
eminent and to recognize the paramount au-
thority of an ecclesiastical hierarchy, are
those on which the State subsidies are chief
ly bestowed. Nothing could be more skilltully
contrived to undermine the foundation on
which the Republic rests. -....4