South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1874-08-28
Letter from Ohio.
VERSAILLES. ONO Ang II 1924

commenced TO read the IgteEigeacer have been
constant reader of il, and still feel anxious
for the weekly visits Of the "hstelliqeneer." Ex
pect II life is spared until the fall of 1875, to Wis
II Old Hampshire once more and spend a month
with old friends
We have had a very warm summer somewho,
too dry for corn, yet there is the heaviest crop
oil corn for many years Wheat is of excellent
quality and a good yield per acre
On to morrow the people of Ohio will be call
cd on TO vote on the New Constitution. VIVA;
viii be the result can't even guess, but hope it
may be defeated. Yours as ever,
Mr. HARPER We present to the public some
thoughts on Education through your columns
which we have collected not entirely from our
brain, but have adopted those OF others, bearing
on our common school system. If you have room
for them please insert them
! IL IS a just and true assumption that il is the
duty of Republican Government with an eve
to Its own sel-presetvaton, to see that every per-
son entitled 10 be citizen has the proper edu-
cational qualifications duly to exercise the duties
Of "a citizen. On this fundamental ASSUMPTION
our common SCHOOL system has been founded and
should be perfected, maintained and extended to
every part of our State The claim of the Church
that she must not surrender to the State the
work of education, is but qualifedly true. 1t is
quite as true that the State has right TO sur
render to the Church the per Torrance Of the duty
OF seeing that every voter has intelligence enough
| TO give n responsible vote. 1t is not the direct
duty of the Church to impart secular education,
as in mechanics, upenmanshp, and reading.
The moral aud spiritual is her sphere. But in
our common schools, where the large of the
scholars are still under home and Sunday School
tuition, the Church must do her duty through
such agencies as she possesses, and concede to
the State the secular right of securing secular
education for the largest possible number that
circumstances allow.
1T is great TO call this right Of the State
! to require every citizen TO possess some educa-
lional qualification for citizenship compulsory
education" a large amount of demagogue de-
clamation and thoughuess prejudices have been
aroused by ihis phrase. 1t should be phrase2-
! Tile rights Of all 10 education. We rend of, and
hear men talking of this system Of State educa-
/ ton, ms "compuisory education" despotic, &c,
but how much more despotc it is to prohibit
public indecency by requiring compulsory cloth
ing, or 10 forbid Islander by compulsory speech.
For purposes of common good the State abso-
lutely in,erferes with the clothing upon our per-
sons and tie tongues in our mouths. And what
more benign righlful exercise of State authority
can there be than TO require in behalf of the child
in behalf Of the parent, in behalf of society and
State themselves that the soul of The child be not
darkcned with ignorance, and its prospects Of
honorable life be prema,urcly blasted y pa
rent has no more right, under pretense of free.
dom, TO impose upon society ignorant child,
fltan no has md. Lo IL,
the streets naked. a parent has 10 more right
to turn upon the country ignorant debascd
man, than a Snowman has a right to turn loose
beast Of prey in our streets. That child is to
vote upon the desiinies of my country, my chill
dren and myself, and what right has he to be
base aud wiful idiot? 1t is my right that he
should be educated, and the right Of my chill
dfen who are to live after me, and the right of
the Stale for her selfprotecion
Universal male suffrage is established this
step cannot be retraceI And, second, universal
suffrage is right, and an educated basis absolute
y required and secured, is the right and just
condition. Edacate aH and chfranclise all is
| tie true motto And no man who insists on the
one, can decenuy deny the other obligation to
universal education. 1t is the duty Of every
community into which child Is born, to see than
he be equipped for proper membership Of that
community. This is the gEound that public SEN
timent, instructed by press and pulpit, should
constantly main tain. II is tine nov, boldly and
manfuly to go for the rights Of children We
assert the right Of every child and claim The Sc
curement Of that right from the State If his be
| Compulsory dcspotism old fogyism
make the most oft.
| If men would open their eyes and cars md
| look around them and see the masses in their
county, and on the streets Of their towns, grow
| ing up il almost absolute ignorance and vice
and remember rs they must that in n few years
these boys will he their masters at the polls. and
/ feel no obligation resting upon them to do their
PARTS in qualifying them for the exercise Of in
elligeut citizenship, they certainly will feel that
they are taking great responsibility upon them
selves in throwing cold water on the efforts Of
the state, and on the efforts Of the friends Of cd
ucation among them-oh look not with Jealous
eyes upon either and throw no obstacles ia
their way EDUCATION.
FRO De cOyTyUED.1
Whispering is always offensive and often for
The reason that persons present suspect that they
are the subject oft
1t is said that the best thing to brighten tin
is whiting and kerosene. Wet a bit Of ntnne