The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-26
WEDNESDAY EvEN'G, FEB. &c. 1873.
Educate, Not Punish.

There is a bill before the Legislature,
ordered to engrossment in the House,
which ought to be entitled san act to pun
ish poor children in the State" We re-
fer to the bill to amend the act in rea'
ton to the payment Of the capitation tax
by fathers whose children attend the pub
lie free schools, and which requires the pay
ment Of this tax by the father for the
preceding year, before his children shall
be admitted to the schools. Mr.. Deneale
moved to strike out so much of the bill as
required the prepayment of this tax as
condition precedent to the at
tendance of poor children upon the
pubic schools, and made very forcible
and telling speech in favor of his motion;
but the House stubbornly persisted in
barring the doors of education against such
children as have the misfortune to be born
of INDECENT or improvident parents, and
the motion was promptly voted down.
We have no language at our command,
except such as is outside of gentlemanly
vocabulary, with which to express our
opinion of this action of the House. We
are utterly amazed at its stupidity and
folly, and can only account tor it on the
principle that sheer, downright, mulish
pbstlnacy is virtue not yet recog-
nized at its true value, in the estimation
Of those voting as they did. What
would be thought of church in
these days which should bar its doors
against religious instruction to all children
except those whose parents should make
ample donations for the support of its
sanctuary and the teachings therein? Such
~ church would cripple its own limbs. and
tie ligatures around its own heart till it
could neither beat in sympathy with the
heart OF Christ, nor be touched with aLy
other infirmtles but its own, to thus turn
Immortal and loving natures-souls longing
and struggling for the light-away from the
great fountains of truth that ought to flow
as freely as the blood of Christ itself
through its constituted channels. A
church that should do this would make it
self kissing and by-word throughout all
christendom, if not throughout the barbara
world.
And yet, is not the state as much {
divinely ordained institution as tn,
church, and do not higher duties attacl
to it so far rs the individual and socia
well being of the citizen is concerned
The history of all states and nations goe
TO show that ignorance and crime ar
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES they nurse from tn
breasts of the same foul whelp, ant
draw their sustenance from the same
VOLTS dugs-tho of gaunt poverty ant
despair. What sort of citizen will that dark
eyed, brow-knitted, robust boy of ten years
make, who is turned away from the door
Of our public schools, not for any fault O
his own, Gor he may be the best scholar ii
the schooD, and is told that the Legislature
of the great State of Virginia orders it
orders that he be branded as an educa
tional outcast? What sort of patriotism
will inspire his breast when he grows up j
ignorance and degradation to vicious, an
nothing but vicious, manhood?
Shakespeare says:
IGNORANCE is the curse of God,
knowledge the wing with which to fly
heaven"
But the great dramatist lived in advanc
of his time. He should have seen Vii
ginia legislature usurping the anathema Z
heaven and snatching the curse of God as ii
own prerogative right. Aye, he Shout
have seen Virginia legislature engaged
by majority of more than two to one,
clipping the wings by which her immort
fedglings may fly to heaven. lie migt
then have amended his text, and said:
Ignorance is no longer the curse of God
TITS the curse of being born In virginia
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