Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1872-02-17
CORRESPONDENTS.
SALT cnEEK, Oregon, Feb. IS, 1879.

mCntS, consequently lHOSc WOuueTfuI I
throes of excitement and agitation,
that some think will prove deeterious
to our Institutions. | am Of those who |
believe in the widest range of thought,
and that without agitation and thor
ough sitting, no great reform was ever
wrought in the world. | have no sym
pathy with conservative foggyisms that
are always quaking in their boots and
crying, don't, don't; for Gods sake
You will make somebody mad Ii men
are disposed to get mad at their fellow
man for free expression Of thought,
made in logical and gentcmanly
style, the madder they get the better,
as it will be the means by which they
will be brought in direct conflict with
true principles, ,..and thereby made to see
their own untenable positions. My in
tentIon for the present is TO agitate the
question OF education in our State. by
referring to the Constitution of Oregon,
under which we were admitted iuto the
Union, Feb. l4th. 1859, it will be
found to read as follows:
ART. s, 5 3-The Legislative Assem-.
bly, shall provide by law for the estab-
lishment Of uniform aud general sys>
TEN OF common schools"
Ii will be seen by the above section
that the trainers OF our Constitution did
not tie the hands OF our Legislature
Our law makers under the provisions of
this section, are warranted In the adop~
ton Of as liberal system as any of
those in the New England States Or
| might even 90 farther and say, that
the section alluded TO, would warrant as
thorough system as that of the gov
ernment oi Prussia, which is said to
have the best known school system in
the world Some will be ready 10 say,
Horror of horrors, is il coming TO this
/ that We must be forcea ~ send our
children to school r. ! say, yes. Levy
an al puforem tax Oh all the property
| in the State, sufficient at least 10 keep ii
/ niue months school each year in every
district. Then say, here are ample pro.
visions made by the State for the edu-
/ cation of ali the high, the low, the
| rich, the poor remembering that
'' knowledge is power aud that au en-,
/ iightensd aud ylrtuous people can hev
! DC eusl4yed. Come, then, say to all,
come aud partake OF the crystal toun~
{ talns OF know.-!z@, tia. ~ may be
/ atl@ 10 inscribe our names higher ON
/ the page ot fame wise and good
! people. W here ample means are pro-
VI led by State or Goverameat for the
| education oi IT'S citizens. all should be
culp ppeiIed { at least ali oi sound mind
70 attend aud acquire knowledge by
which thay may 0e able 10 read, reason
aud arrive at conclusions ior them
+ selves, without belag made tools and
dupcs oil by designing, lacre>losIng
/ scoandrcis. Experience teaches that 1t
Is much cheaper in the end TO have
every child ia a State or Government
educated at the public expense, not oniy
III the sciences, but in tie different
branches OF manual labor, than to 20
on with our present system letting
them grow up IN Idieness and IsuoT~
nance, and falling prey TO intemper
ance, dissipation, aud debauchery Of all
| kinds, winch finally termIuates Oh the
scaiinld, III the peniteutaries, asylums,
and aims houses. Our present sehoo.
| system Is not up to the day aud umes
IN which We live. Therefore, let Us
have reform immediately. Let Us say
to those who aspire TO represent Us IN
our next Legislature Gentlemen, de-
tae your position upon public lustruc
ton ano education,' and il they define
so as not to be c'early IN favor OF
good aud thorough system, say to them,
= Stay at home until you can come up
to the standard OF the wants of the
people we seek not such TO represent
US | have made it IA business TO con>
verse with many persons IN this State,
during the last two years, having va
rious I'd widely different ideas religious
anJ political, and large majority of
them are agreed upon this all important
subject of q Morough system Of free
schools Then let each aud every party
that may have candidates in the field,
see that they are pledged to this all
important reform. When once inaugu-
| rated, we may rest assufeV tuat our
foundation is not on the sand that may
be swept away by the storms of political
adversely, but We as a people have
digged deep and are founded on solid
rock, which is steadiast and immovable
know there are some who will say,
at is not far for us to contribute to
the education of other peoples children.
We have labored and given ours fair
education, let others do the same So
might the poor man, with his dozen
sons, say to his wealthy neighbor,
when his property is likely to be ar
rested by highwaymen or public ene-
my {" Defend your own property, we
have nothing at stake" But that kind
of logic will not do. The principles Of
our Government are based upon diff
ferent hypothesis-that of mutual as
.;stanee aid and suDport according to