The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-02-21

The public mind has recently been at-
traced To The subject Of compulsory cd
ucation. not only hy The report Of super
intendent Hopkins. Of this State busy
the discussion OF The subject ia o;licr
sections of the country. We all ar
know ,cd-.r IN A'tyaS es.avet" h,e ehit /
rem OF the copptry in rpa,N toitn,mrt-
ing TO thrnhiflca Staprimarsc lncatic,s,
AMI feel that in = very, large degree that
the failure interests ~ the country rests
upon the intelligence aud virtue Of the
people. WeAllwaeknowlcdys. too,,that
public vrl,irsssoa vcry great ok cnt, de-
ponds upon the intelligence OF the mas
srs. IL. therefore, becomes matter OF
the greatest Importance that education
should he more general than il is known
10 be at theg,rsscnt time. for the reason
that the more general shall education be
diilused among The masses tho greater
the virtue.
We are aware that a compulsory'sys-
tenn in regard to theperiornancc of any
duty is one that CRATES harshly upon
our too sensitive Republican notions.
An idea among a certain class has oh
tanned that where the law attempts to
control the appeites, passions, or our
actions.swhcn they do not Immediately
affect the rights or privileges of others.
that our liberticsare abridged, and. there
fore, it is not to be endured. But there
is 4 point in all these matters where
personal liberty must have an end. Mol
man has the right to inflict, even upon
himself, wrong, although for the time
IL only only affects his own interests and
person. lsTthis true? Has a man the
right to entail upon himself disease be-
cause he alone is the sufferer for the
time! Are not the results of his actions
upon his descendants to be considered by
the public? Certainly, for the very rca-
son, although not probably within the
province Of correction by penal code.
that his children may become charge
upon the public, or drain upon its in
dustry. These things are verv wisely
controlled in some sections by the inter-
position of special enactments. What
holds good in relation to physical bears
with. ten foil force upon a moral evil
The neglect to educate orr children is |
moral evil 0nd when the parent neglects
this duty he State has the right to step
in and enforce 1t upon the citizen. The
State has ue right to protection against
the evils which flow from Ignorance,
just as.i has right to protect the citi-
zen from the physical evils which are
brought. about by disease. So, too.
the State may demand that crime shall
cease, not alone through the enforcement
OF a penal code, but by the superior IN
telligence Of the masses, acquired by q
thorough system Of compulsory educa-
ton, if need be.
A-If we are to be saved from evil bv
thoroughly educating the people, then i'll
Is the duty Of the State to enforce an
education upon those who neglect their
offspring, and render them more liable
to vice and crime by reason of their iY-
nOrance and superstition. Compulsory
education would really become con-
servator of the liberties and the peace
and the virtue Of the people. The culti-
walton of public and private virtue is a
duty that the State owes to its citizens.
and in no way can this be so well ac-
as by thorough education.
The report of the Superintendent of
Public instruction in this State shows
that there is large, too large. a per GEN.
tage Of the children Of the State who
are deprived OF the advantages Of our
Common School system by the cupidity,
carelcssness, or negligence of parents.
A system of compulsory education
would put an end to this criminaIity.
and in few years the people would
have the satisfaction of witnessing de-
crease in crime, and an increase in the
and contcnfment ofthe masses,
We incline to the opinion that compulso-
ry education in itself would not be so
as the fear that its en-
forcement would be brought about by
means which would be distastcful to a
small portion Of society. This we think
is mistaken view but if true in regard I
to this matter, it is also true Of every
attempt t0-suppress the evils with which
society is Afflicted, and Is therefore, an
objection which should have but littlel
weight in determining the question. N |
The subject is one that every citizen
should carefully examine, i'm ali it's bear
ings, and give q candid hearing and a
fair trial. While frequent changes in
our laws are to be, as far as possible.
avoided, yet if it shall be found that al
system Of compulsory education works
to the injury of society it can be act {
aside. We think, however, that if
liberal and just system is once put inl
operation. that its beneficial results
would be so apparent that they would|
have no desire to return to the present.
system, whereby so many Of the child
rem are permitted to grow up in igno.