The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-17


single Lowell establishment of 1, 600 work
ing people 800 could neither read or write
This is an unpleasant showing, but We
may as we'll face the facts. Unless the
country can learn the necessity of intell
gence among the working classes, its fut
ure prospect is not an especially bright one
Thinking of the ignorance in which thous.
ands; not simply in the mills of New Eng.
land, the mines of Pennsylvania or oul
city slums, but all around us are growing
up, story of John Randolph comes fore.
IDLY to our mind. Among his acquaint-
ances was very charitable lady, who was
very much interested in missionary labors,
and similar charities a great way from
home. Calling on her one cold November
afternoon he found her very busy. To his
! question as to what she was doing, she re-
piled that she was making clothes for the
poor Feejee children. Grasping her by the
arm he insisted on her accompanying him
into the yard. Pointing to the negro
quarters with their children shivering in
the keen, cold breeze he begun:
Look madam! there are your Feejees
at your own doors.''
So it seems to me we sometimes sympa-
thizs very much with the poor children a
great way from home, but forget all about
our heather at our own doors. | make the
assertion fearlessly that any of us can find
ignorant of any moral training-growing
up as vicious and abandoned as any that
can be found on the banks of the Ganges
or in the streets of Canton. When l read
the story of the recent tragedy in Wicomi-
co county, my first thought was, how many
had tried to teach for whom description
of the murderer in this case might answer,
but who had become to old to overcome
early evil habits, and to whom life of
vice or crime only is possible. Attending
school, may be, few days in the term, at
work or something worse. possibly running
around with gun or loafing in store or
bar room, is sure way to destroy all that
might be possible to boyhood. 1t is from
just such characters that our penitentiary
corps is recruited and the occasional victim
of our gallows is secured. IF there is any
good reason for the abolition Of tile death
penalty for crime, it is because society by its
neglect Of the early education Of the criminal
is really guilty Of his crimes
The objection is sometimes raised that
compulsory attendance upon schools entire
ly secular, will educate a race of infidels.-
If so let those who have such fears keep up
schools OF their own, do not raise the
children in ignorance for fear that mature
age will find them heterodox. l was rath-
er startled few weeks ago at reading a
speech of Methodist Bishop, speaking
from conference chair, denouncing gen.
eral secular education as inevitably infidel
Bishop Dogget# and Plus TX. seemed to me
for once i'll complete accord, but saw no
reason for agreeing with either of them
Education in the common things of every
day life seemed to me much to be preferred
to examining the absurdities of the West
minister catechism down children threats.
Sectarian bigotry and vicious ignorance,
even if it does get converted periodically
will go to perdition as surely as intelligent
Atheism. That is if intelligent Atheism
is possible, which doubt Let the Church
do all it can, and much more than it is
doing, and there will still be enough for
secular schools to do. If intelligence leads
to infidelity, it is the fault of the Church
rather than Of the schools. Ignorance
may sometimes be the mother of devotion
but much oftener of superstition, cruelty
and crime.
Teachers are so poor"' says some one
"Why there is Araminta, she went to
Mrs. Jones and learned nothing, and Jane
went to that hateful Miss Smith and she
made her stand in the corner because she
didn't knew her geography lesson.
4es!" exclaims another, "and John
went to Mr.. Brown and he kept him back
with the little boys in the second readers,
and whipped him for fighting when it
wasn't his fault at ALL
So Araminta dresses in style and goes
visiting, and Jane who most likely spent
her time in laughing at tho poor Baker
children, stays at home and makes faces at
the teacher as she passes along the street.
John too goes fishing and the teacher is
blemed for his growing up in ignorance.
Meeting former patron of mine few
days ago inquired about his boys and
among other things if they were going to
school. ono" was the answer, "they
went to you and learned nothing" This
was not flattering to my vanity, still it may
be as well to explain that one came DAYS
and the other 4, and that it was four years
ago.
On the other side teachers object that
there would be no way to get rid of the
unmanageable. Germany would solve this
difficulty by placing such cases in refor-
matory schools where they would have no
chance to interfere with common schools;
they would not be expelled and thrown
back upon the community worse than
before. AS to the objections to teachers;
they are often imaginary, but where they
are real they can be easily remedied.-
Under our present arrangements unani-
nous satisfaction with teacher is impos-
sible. Give parents to understand that
they must send their children and less OBJ
lection will be made, unless the teacher is
really unworthy when it becomes duty to
displace him. AS matters stand, most
folks are aware that many of the faults
found with teachers are mere idle words
distributed gratuitously.
am not ready to affirm that our schools
are failure, bat that they are not what
they should be is self evident fact
Compared with our success few notes of
European affairs may be of interest,"
Germany has long tried the system of COM
pulsory schools, so long indeed that now
parents look for nothing else than to send
their children to school. The result is
seen in the average intelligence. Wages
are low and chances to rise in the social
scale are few, but tGerman cities nowhere
exhibit the vice and squalor of London or