Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-10

alton, of growth, Improvement, the
caiitisv fators OF taste. of appreciation
Of art, of the love OF the beautiful,
and Of the sentiment of patriotism.
I They prompt to independent thought,
they prepare both sexes and all
classes for their several spheres Of
life they endow each citizen, in our
grand American republic, with the
emblem Of sovereignty they furn-
ish the ailments from which are de-
rived the self-reliance, the sagacity
and intelligence essential to self-gov-
eminent. 1t is the universally Of
schools and newspapers that gives
such wisdom, regularity and order
to our complex system Of admins
tration. Compare the United States
lis these respects, to the Central
American States, with their chronic
anarchy, and to Spain and France,
1 vibrating between despotism and
freedom and kept from self destruc-
ton by Republican dictators. With
the school and newspaper touching
end inspiring every home, not these
nations alone, but all peoples, may
dispense with rulers by divine right
and enjoy the blessings Of popular
liberty.
If am not mistaken in all this,
and the press occupies relations so
important to the success of the
schools, and the welfare Of society,
it follows that the Press has rights
and duties which cannot properly
be ignored and hence ! reach the
proposition that
The Press should fasiSt on good
schools as q preparation for It's otoa
lcOrk.
Every editor in Iowa is not mere
Iy interested in maintaining our sys-
tenn of free schools, but in improv-
ing them as rapidly as circumstances
will allow. Suppose a successful eff
| fort should be made TO emasculate
the schools-to dispense with officers
necessary to give the yigor and eff
cheney to lower the grades of quail
ifcation Of teachers to cut down
the text books to reduce the taxes
for school purposes, and to restrict
,..if l. i,, &c
keeping school-what would be the
effect Of such a policy within the
period of a generation Does it re-
quire prophet to tell that this grand
young State--central as to the CONT
nent and the Cnion-with climate
unsurpassed, a better average of soil
than can be found within any politi-
cal boundaries Of equal dimensions
and people descended from the
best blood of our own and other
lands-would go backward in devel-
oping power, and in all that marks
the rising greatness of prosperous
lSoiii'ioi"saitii5. w liO tildI iUNeS
Iowa, and glories in her prospective
title of empire State of the West"
IL prepared to see her retrograde in
comparative intelligence, or to lag
behind her sister States in any field
Of honorable effort? Much less can
the Press afford anything Of the sort.
The people who are content to sup
port mean schools will support only
mean newspapers. The lower the
grade of intelligence the lower the
mental pabulum that will supply
its wants. And the opposite is
equally true. Let the schools be
made better let the grade of COM
mon schools be raised let us have
effective Normal Institutes and State
Normal Schools for the preparation
Of teachers let US have better train
ed county or district superintendent
to give vigor and efficiency to the
whole system ; and who can esti-
mate the varied talent that will be
called out to adorn the pulpit, and
the bar, the counting room, the man
ufactory, the store and the field of
scientific farming while the press of
the State everywhere feeling the i'm
pulse of mental life, appreciated for
its enterprise and Improvement, will
grow and thrive, ever reaching out
TO higher standards of excellence, in
telligence and refinement of the con-
stituency which sustains it.
From all this it follows that
The Press, If true to Itself, aciU defend
free schools and Improved schools, not
alone for its otcn ddrdatdge, but be-
cause intelligence is the source Of social
elevation, ana the only safeguard Of
free institutions.
The press may well be jealous of
its own interests. The men who de-