The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-03-20

CRITICAL NOTICE.

treated of in its columns are mostly political,
or such as lead to politics. Its articles are
usually well written; the thoughts and express
sions of the writer, or writer's. remarkably
chaste and pure. The British Government is
its ideal of political, perfection, and it becomes
at times, we'll nigh seryie in its !audations of
that government. 1t charges the mismanage.
ment and corruption, everywhere apparent in
our public affairs, to what it calls our divided
system of government" Under strong Gen.
tral government, it thinks such things could
not exist. "The modern theory of States
Rights" it says. "has only arisen through Con-
gress allowing the States to usurp it's authori-
ty." Such ignorance of the origin and nature
OF our government, on the part Of QUE assum.
ing to be public instructor, is inexeusabe.
Ii il probably true that ours is the worst man.
aged and most corrupt government in the world.
Ii was quite otherwise before the war. But
during the war, aud since, whoever possessed
Il boisterous quality of 'loyalty was, aud has
been, elected to places of honor and trust to
the exclusion of men OF character and ability,
until every office in the land, in which money
is to be made, is encumbered by corrupt and
incompetent men who. but Tor the war. never
would have been named in connection with
any public position; and who have sought the
positions they cucumber parposey to make
money out OF them Nor do the reasonings of
Tie fodaaitst seem 10 me 10 justify him in
coming 10 any other conclusion, or in any"ise
initiate against the schemings of political
rognes under similar circumstances AS to
States Rights. every school boy knows, or
ought to know by this time. that the States
were the original custodians of all political
power in this country; that they created the
Federal Government comforting upon it, at
the time Of It's creation, such general powers
as were By them deemed compatible with their
safety. and with tho safety Of the liberty oi the
citizen; that those powers were clearly enum-
Grated aud eet forth in the Constitution. which
IN the only legitimate authority the General
Government has OH earth for the exercise OF
power over the States or people of the States.
and that the only opposition (if ! remember
aright) ever offered TO the adoption OF the
Constitution arose out of fears that the re-
served rights OF the States were not sufficiently
guaranteed by it: which fears time aud events
have shown were well founded, and the
speeches of Patrick Henry against its adop.
tion read now like prophecies. The fact is.
we are drifting with unerring certainty back
into the old old channel-the government of
the many by the few---and | suspect The Fed
eraiist has been started by the Harpers, and
other British emiseries to accelerate our retro
grade movement
The Eedera'st is more felicitous, however,
in its discussion Of the faults Of our public
schools and public school system. Not only
are the teachers iiliterate and the Superintend-
euts negligent andincompetent, as it charges, but
the system itself is the farthest possible remove
from common sense; and whoever has had the
misfortune to be educated" in any Of them
is therefore confirmed ignoramus aud dolt
Not only are teachers illiserate and officials in.
tent only on their salaries. the school houses
uncomfortable and generally unventlated, but
the unscienti6c construction of the seats furn-
ished is calculated, II not intended, to deform
the pupils anatomy. The.smali children are
made to sit with their feet from two to six
inches from the floor, and all, large and SNAIL,
without anything for their backs to rest against.
Again, children are not taught incur schools,
but cran,ned; not made to analyxe, Int to
memorize, and so become garrulous insteady ot
profound 1t is also true that, in nine cases in
ten, the books used in our public sohooil IRE
mere theologico-political text books -fIiat the
public schools and the public school system 1re
used "as means Of strengthening and extend
| ing political influence" Furthermore, only
about one in thousand educated" in our
public schools can write the simplest business
letter intellfgibly, while not more than one 10
FIVE thousand can write an article for the press,
the grammatical construction and logical ar
rangement Of the thoughts and ideas Of which
will Withstand criticism. Nor can greater
per centage Of public school graduates keep a
set Of books 10 single entry; read tolerably;
pronounce correctly; NOR define accurately
even the limited vocabulary Of words at their
command. but, unfortunately for The FEEDER
alist, sensible people will SEQ at glance that
it's panacea-" placing the care of the public
schools in the hands Of the Federal Govern
lment'' would rather aggravate than mitigate