New-York tribune., 1872-06-07
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
SCHOOLS AND SECTS.
HdlI 4 The TrfhM a z


SIR: Your Jewish quotation of hymn sung
in one of tho public schools must have been reported
from tho mperfect understanding Of a child The hymn
is a common ono and easily recognized and. you
ges reads "May," instead Of MARY" in the second
verse; 40 may ever hear thy voice." and the third
verso reads Our Savior still mot 'city0 shall be our
theme" 1t ia TO how ohilds might catch
that word. l remember hearing tho same thing IN
ragged school thus: "Im pilgrim and I'm stranger
l can tarry can tarry butter knife "but night
being translated into "buter knife" Yet it must be
owned that the hymn is very unsuitable 20 be sung
in mixed and unsectaran school, and might form rea
sonabe subject for complaint while it has not artistic
merit enough to lead any one to cling to IT, We are not
going to have any peace with our schools aud we
may well face the fact, and submit with good
grace. Jews and Greeks, Catholics and Chinese,
where all have equal rights, have cause Of complaint
aud will make the most of it, Just had perfected
system of common schools, 1t falls to pieces before our
eyes And it ia rather amusing TO read the careful and
elaborate synopsis Of system prepared for the
Japanese just experience is showing its weak
points. Such their admiration for all things American
il may be that they will adopt It, and it may serve for
homogeneous nation like theirs, where men may be per-
secuted for their opinions and be made TO believe
they are told. But what might serve us hundred
years ago is not TO the purpose now. We must come
back TO republican simplicity Aside from the sectarian
objections many becoming convinced that our free
schools 60 too far; that have right to tax the
people TO carry through college, and 10 teach
girls all the modern accomplishments. They spend too
many hours in intellectual study, and too few in learn
ing other useful things The system does not work WELL
followed out in its practical results When are WISER
or when cOmpeled,iwe shall change all tins.
We shall have schools for elementary teaching, and
the parents they shall provide II at their own
expense. We shall have, far, compulsory education
Every child must learn 10 read and write at least with
the simple elements of arithmetic. We may be allowed
also the elements OF religious instruction. The Lords
f1a nVuI IA mo
Commandments, OF the Golden Rule, could hardly be
who education provide it for themselves,
and also religious education. Our Jewish friends may
complain with Some Of our collections OF psalms
and hymns still benghted enough 10 have sentences
like this In spite of enyOus Jews - and Hearts grow
hard like stubborn Jew3-that unbeeying race and so
We must change all this, well dictionaries.
No Jews found among paupers none IN our nos
pitas; they seldom never found drunk. They
lake care OF their people We wish we could say as
much OF some other natiOnaitcs and religions. They
are "A and reputable class OF our felOw-clt-
zens, and have rights which are bound 10 respect
and which ought TO be happy To respect Aud 10 re-
turn education. Many that We can't nave TOO
much of IT, people cannot be too intelligent Granted
But all teaching does tend Intelligence, aud we
know that many children educated above their posi-
ton and untitled honest work. and that much of the
teaching Onesided II boys only fitted To be clerks
girls taught anything OF the plain everyday
duties life except 10 dcsp5e them then let MS nave
something better even If there be less Of II. Lux.
Ne,r York, May 30 1872.