Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-06
COMPULSORY EDUCATION

Inc cnara ter OF t1e oppC sluOn TO lno pflHcl-
pie of compulsory education suflicien sly shows
the weakness of the pa sy which world deny tue
nation the ght of deteI mining the stuff which
shall compose its future voters and rulers. The
entire question of our na..onsl supremacy de-
pends on the virtue and wisdom of the genera
tons who are to succeed Us in the carrying OH of
affairs iu agriculture, commerce and politics.
If the msn is of low grade the country will be -
and no man can be other Than of low grade with
out education. More tkan this we know by un-
happy experience of tho great cities that read
ing and writing do not come by nature by any
means. The members of the lower classes are,
with rare EXCEPTIONS more then willing to bo
left in their ignorance. They fight against all
measures for their betterment and consider that
their rights are being infringed when the effort
is made to raise them ir the scale of citizenship.
1t is perhaps useless to hope of doing anything
with ignorance 20 profound this If any light
at all could be let in upon these becouded
creatures they might be brought to see how fair
world lies all around them of which they have
no knowledge, but the first step cannot be taken
because of an opposition invaluable and nsolu-
bic born OF generations Of poverty and crime.
and of disregard to ali those suaNities aud COM
l'zed society. The least thought on this matter
convinces that we must begin the refo. nation
with the children of the very poor and very ig-
norant, and with that thought is unconsciously
associated the other that compulsion, from the
very necessities of the case, is a duty upon a
ciety which does not desire to have all that is
good and valuable i'll it sr"ely swaulped
by its unworthy but iueradcablc ee-
ments. 1t ia one of those self-evident
problems that do not seem to need demonstration
Will the class to which We refer move finger
to improve its mental or moral condition? :
the evidence g that it will not. VIII or will not
the presence of such an ircubus of ignorance
weigh dawn the best and purest social organ-
zl on, and il allowed to spread and take root
without attempt at reform finally overthrow it
All the evidence is that it Will. Well, now, what
do opponents OF compulsory education say
Nothing but that the system can be practically
carried ont only in the cities that whole sections
would be practically exempt from the irross-
billty Of exercising the needed supervision, aud
that therefore the scheme will be partial and
unjust. 1t seems to Us ali objection Of too
sweeping character, aud that many iIra' 50,
lions are kept aA we'll in hani BY tleir author.
ties as tho cittes-hut We Nre wiring
to take it as it stands and say that ii
only the cities can he reaaAel oy this meascre
friends of humanity would hnyc rea son to be
content. The injustice, if there should be any
would be all to the advantage Of these persons
forced into the only ways which can lead to
prosperity and Happiness. Reform the cities and
the work s virtually done, for 1t it IN those CEN
tres of population that yica breeds most rankly,
and where gocd government has most to fear
This idea of compulsory education may seem
''nprac. .eable to rersous not given to drinking
very deeply, but it is in reality as clear ~ the
day. 1t is no more radical than the ,mulon
school idea was held to be 50 soi. a ne "a forty
years ago, and even thirty year, ago free schools
were opposed by people who should have known
better, AMI who have grown to regret their fol-
ly. The plincipe that tho parent is bound to
educate the cAil!, and that il he will hot tile
State will doit for him, is founded = reason
ead prejudice an ! coasel iatism cannot now
lolC prevail AGAINST it