The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-03-07
LET PROPERTY EDUCATE.

The objection generally urged against
the free-school system of education in any
state is, that the burden is made to fall
mainly, and, in some states, entirely, upon
property, without regard to the number of
children the owner may have to be educat-
ed, or whether he have any, in fact, or not.
1t is the validity of this objection which we
propose to consider for the benefit of those
who urge it in this State. The right of
property is recognized by law in all civil
lied countries. In its strict deflnitional
sense, it is the exclusive and unrestricted
right oil ownership in whatever is possessed
by any person, to hold for himself and
others. This right is secured by law, and
the law by which it is enforced depends upon
the existence of the state. Without the main
tenance of the state, then, there could be
no such exclusive and unrestricted right of
ownership in any one. The stronger and
more powerful would hold only against the
weaker and less potent, and the rights of
these would give way in time to superior
force in others. The chief object of the
state is, therefore, to secure the right of pro-
perty, and its whole object, or the entire
scope and authority of government in the
state, is to secure property, life and liber-
Improperly demanding by far the greater
protection, as life and liberty are in each
individuals hands to defend, according to
the strength and resolution with which he
is by nature endowed.
1t is but right, then, that property should
bear the chief burden of supporting and
maintaining the state; and whatever is
essential to the greatest security of pro-
perty, as the education of the entire
people, it is the duty of the state to sup
ply at the expense of property. For the
protection Of individual life and liberty,
the state may lay other burdens, as it
does in exacting military and other public
service. But it can impose no greater
burden than that of taxation upon property.
Now the history of all civilized countries
shows that the greatest protection which
property or any other conventional right
can have in a state, lies in the education of
the people, in training them to be its chief
bulwark of strength and defence. 1t is
education, universally diffused among the
people, which gives security, stability and
integrity to government, whatever may be
its form or by whomsoeyer administered.
1t has come to be, in fact, the only safe
reliance that any people can have for the
maintenance of these indispensable condi-
tons of government.
Shall the individual then, whose life and
liberty are secured by the state in exchange
for the military and other service exacted
of him, be compelled to pay for the pro-
lection of property in the education of the
people, or shall property bear this burden
itself? 1t seems to us that there can be
but one answer given to this question.
Bear in mind that the exclusive right to
property is not an inherent natural right,
like that of life and liberty. 1t is chiefly
conventional, and conventional means must
be used to maintain it. And what we
claim is, that property, and not the indivi-
dual person, should pay for these convcr-
tional means and education, being the
chief bulwark of its protection and defence
among free people, should be maintained
at the expense Of property.
In justification of this position, look at
the other side of this conventional ques-
ton, with the duties and obligations inn
posed by the state. Every poor boy edu-
Gated at the expense of property, may be
required at any time to give his life, and
even his liberty, flor in military service
there is no such thing as liberty, in defence
Of this conventional right of property.
This he does in exchange for the benefits
conferred by the state at the expense Of
property. These are the reciprocal bene-
fits conferred, as between property and the
individual educated by it. In this way the
burdens laid upon property are rewarded
by the service required by the state. The
argument is uhanswerable, when viewed
in the light of these reciprocal duties and
obligations imposed, and no other reasona-
bic conclusion can be reached than that
property should pay for the education of
The people.