The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-05-03
Reform I'm Our Country
Schools.
NUMBER THREE.

The education Of the young is a SUBJ
jcct so important and one which has
been so ably argued, that a complete
statement Of its claims upon the consid-
Grafton Of an intelligent and progressive
public, is unnecessary. 1t is neverthc-
less true that too many who should un-
dcrstand its Importance and know its
real value are 50 absorbed in the pur-
suit Of wealth aud the development Of a
material prosperity that they fail to
perceive the necessity Of our public
school system, and regard the taxes
levied for its support as onerous and
excessive. They forget that education
has made this country what it is and
preserves inviolate those liberties they
now enjoy, and the wealth they are so
anxious to Increase. Too many even
among those who claim to be fully up
with the times are so blind to their own
interests as to ask elimination of the
school tax, and thereby bring education
and physical labor to the same common
level. They forget that every dollar
judiciously laid out in the education Of
the young is better investment for a
child than if it was put out at COM
pound interest and at a hundred per
cent.
Iowa has as good, if not the best,
system of public instruction Of any State
in the Union. But here as elsewhere
the letter only, and not the spirit Of our
school laws are carried cut. But some
object to any changes or reform in our
schools, on the ground that
it would involve additional expense; it
might cost little more, for then there
would be full schools and constant
attendance, while now we have small
schools and an average daily attend
ance of about fifty Ter cent. 1t might
cost little more to hire teachers, for
then you would want a better article
than teachers average now, but would
not the benefit more than compensate
for the outlay? I think it would. 1t is
Of the utmost Importance to secure a
god teacher, one who will introduce
order, system and discipline into the
school, and infuse his pupils with some
thing Of his own ardent enthusiasm in
the pursuit Of knowledge, for whatever
the teacher is, 50 the school will be, in
a measure at least; and just as soon as
teachers can see any possible way Of
making living at the business, they
can and will afford to thoroughly qua.-
ify themselves for the faithful discharge
Of it's important duties and responsible
ties. But something must be done for
our schools before another winter, or
Cresco will get all our best scholars; not
that would discourage any one from
attending school at Crcsco by any
means, for if your own district can't or
won't give you the advantages Of
competent instruction, 60 where you
can get it, But is it necessary that
scholars should leave their own schools
at all, or at least until they have mas
tered the common branches of an Eng
lish education If teachers would in
troduee the order and system of graded
schools into the country, they would be
astonished at their increased success.
But as l said before, and I repeat it
again, something must be done, if pa
rents wish to see our schools die off, as
it were, let them be carried on as the
majority Of schools have been for the
past five years and they will have their
wish, the form and semblance may be
retained for awhile, but the interest
will be dead.
Ii on the other hand they desire Gas
they no doubt do) to see our schools
thrive, flourish, and increase, the way
is clear and open before them, and it
will be stronger, surer defense than
fleets and armies. sour most longcr-
Gus enemies ciU gro,o up from our
opn BOSOM" and by our oUn fire
side. We may erect bulwarks against
foreign enemies, but there is but one
kind Of bulwark to protect ourselves
from ignorance. superstition, and wrong,
and that bulwark is made by the I'M
proyement Of the minds and souls of our
people. J. b.
Cresco April 20, 1872.