The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-03-13
Compulsory Education.

COHnpulsioH. 1uc WOru iS OIiclislSe
to us. 1t docs not sound we'll, at least
OIL this side the ocean. 1t makes music
in the political concerts of the Old
World. But in this free land i: makes
discord. So some believe. But have
we not gone, or..arc we not tending
very rapidly towards the other extreme
and an extreme, too, which, in its
legitimate results. must be disastrous
to the unity and interests of society ?
lii IL revulsion from the restraints
and enforcement of the old time and
| the Old World institutions and law,
have VIC not a tendency to claim for
! ourselves and others apeTs0nalfreedOm,
| which cennOt be defended, and which
cannot be reconciled with the order and
! prosperity of society? Are we not
forgetting our relations to Others, for
getting, indeed. that VIC do not stand
alone, but are dependent and integral
parts of society? The timcss has come
for us to be asking these question. The
extreme radical tendencies Of a large
number of our people must force these
questions upon us. The rag tag aud bob
al ttItttlitN VI wa DoittiS6I 1hStftd
lions must force these questions upon
us. The tendency o place unrestraincd
| personal freedom above all healthful
restraints, nay above all social duty
and obligation, must force, these ques-
tiOns upon us. The ignorance, the
stupidity. the rascality which are vot-
ing at our polls. and making and III
making Presidents, lawmakers and
constitutions, must force these qnos-
zion upon us. And the Don we ask
them and answer them the better.
Especially is this true respecting the
subject of education. So far we have
recognized every mans ''inalinablc
right as it is called, to do as he pleas
ed about the education of his children.
And we have been jealous Of any at
tempt to interfere with that right.
And why? Simply because we have
been deceived by the widest chimera
imaginable. Liberty! What do we
mean by it? If the popular dea of
it were correct, and it were carried to
its logical results. it would disorganize
society, would give license to all the
savage and beastly instincts OF o4lr ma
ture, and ultimatiy, with free ~loyis,n.
and free everything, make of the social
state little better than a pandemonium.
So long then as we are-not iadiridH0ls
merely. but social beings-born into
society, raised in society, made what
we are by society, taught even to speak
and think and feel and act by society
we have no right to claim the rights
of mere in~diridudlS. Much less have
we the right to do as we NAV choose
with our children. These belong TO
society as well as their parents. They
are born to be subject to its wise and
just laws, to enter into it as a par: of
its life and TO give,tonc TO it for. good
or evil. Ifthen there should be any
thing compulsory under our free insti-
tutions, it should be the education of
the rising generation. How long
children should be compellsd to 90 to
school is a question difficult perhaps.
to decide.
But that persons should be allowed
togrow up in gross ignorance in this land
when they arc TO be 4 part of the SOW
ereign people. when they are to make
laws by their votes, change constitutions,
is without the shadow of an argument
in its defense. There are laws against
Canada thistles and against many things
which are the necessary results of igno-
rance. But no law against ignorance it,
self or by compulsion to save the rising
generation from ignorance. Now. is
there any reason in this? Is there any
thing more dangerous to the well being
of society than ignorance? Has any
one a right to bring up. children in the
very heart of society so that tiiey are
unfit to be members of it? Parents are
by the very relations they sustain to
prepare those committed to their care
to fill the duties which will devolye up
on them. and if they neglect to do this,
then society is bound to do ii for them.
Morality.aud order, and peace and pros
pcriety are at stake. and these are moi
to be sacrificed blythe negligence OF
ignorance or stupidity OF parents. If
they have not ewes to see. the State
must see for them. 1t is true, that the
less legislation, as a general thing, the
better. We cannot bring :he kingdom
of Heaven into the world by legal enact
ments or constitutional amendments.
But society can most certainly protect
itsslf from pests and poisons. 1t can
render it illegal to deprive children of
that education which is their due, and
illegal for man to foster III enemy, in
the shape of ignorance, to the public
veal. This to some might look like
despotism. But Their is an infinite differ
ence between a dcspotism, if we may
call it such, which aims ut the common.
good, which is based on the demands of
our nature, aud tho demands of civiliza-.
ton and order, and a desRotism which
is purely arbitrary. springing entirely
from the individual will, without amy
reference to the welfare of one and all.
This is to be crushed. But every good
and wise citizen would sustain that use
oflaw authority which sought only to
guard SOCIETY from a common foe, a foe
which is without rca 'on, a foe which is
the creature as well as the source of pas
sion. and Il foe which is always the tool
of thieYes and dcmagogues and anarch-
ISIS,
In every State, then in the Union,
there should be Il law enforcing the ed
ucation of every child, black or white,
and one penalty should be-nG cduca-
tion, 10 citizenship. W. w.