, 1875-03-13
AGAINST COMPULSORY EDUCATION

10 tht Ei,iior cf The ch,caao 7'rfs..ue:
f,uIcaao 3totci, AIN nm cd1to.1.,
NJ mn art,c,n m tho !. 1t;.tor~ ~ r.t nuiamat1
s,..".,t'..m u .,.,.' w ..,','", y. UoNapl'Iaory
magazine, you conclude by trusting "slat III,
historian ct compnleory education vim vr,,d, ~
tssf] can cI,rorc1o lvo vonra NJ ss ~, 10
.iro If ,c ,1ea In t,e ,,,o., a,to ~ ,"' ptsc'
s'su - '"o ''e" ~ s"s h'o"s o'ato VI t''lnots"
I'lero ia no necessity for further explanation
Of tl'cao words. Thoy tell their own tao,-,a,l
THE TRrn,isE Is arowcdly In fnyor of co,nn",
Hory otlucatton. 'pn'
II ~ M nv o,,n fo,,, tin, have. ..,-.
US P''N"P' ~ o"'' 'e"'' s'"' nave 1a''cls
porta'lt subject. as yo'l l'aso Understand, AZ,
nrcsscl them Ut divers times. ami eoco',s.
IL Ia vnur ovu entiafactfnn. a., ,,,. ",1
cu,..,;o,, ,xn,,,l s,,nw t,n,. ,,..," , soore
H"os"ssoH .@' NUM- 1i'" ,, i u"so '''e 70 aope,
tuefolo1o W W'las sllali hereafter ray, to caut
you to rotracc your Btcpa. My only detttot,
that If you have this far confined ,n,,rao1s,. ~.
copa,;,oro.io, ~ i'm o,n .,1a os,nv,.,ts ~
sa witt ~, ax,1oas;n,, ~ ts. uesa y 5oa
~" WIZ 6''o aAPtes7ioh 10 'he otaef w!leha
capolaseu by all WHO have at Aeark tho welfne
aud preservation OF society whether tley b
threatened oycu by Tho tnirnty por,r a, ~.
.,.,. ;,.oIr 0' ~'
49,. as,n =, r,,u
f"s eo'h' sea'a t'"s'' III 1as couhef5 ospccia''I,
thoro has beo1i tendency to iee1slAtion ~ tha
only mcnuH by which casla'n urougs. frcou.n,t,
ls.a.i..e.y oses tnuy t,a siel4tel Th}B tnnians,
has worked to our disadvantages. Tho iuui,.
meutul princlEIcs of CuiIt a,ll junoconro Inv.
boon lost ss,t uf in tutut,uiuabio and cont,aS;ss
tory statutory provisions; ttle guilty, iustcsd d
| receying tlo punishment they deserve, f,.,
qucut 70 unwl.ips Of Justice, aud wsonEs IL.
rrNtiuJ; of which In ffoauolItly tho oce1son NJ
specinl legislation, ofton becotlo moro inflirtIn,
anl1 injurious.
| On tho B,ppo.itIon that the civil law Is tbs
rigtlor Of at wrogH, and on tho failac1ous ptiu.
ci,ia that 1t has tho tiylt to extend tls HIT,
whithcrsooyct It viii, ii is considering tho fe.;
| bfiitv OF ;,rocIamng. t1at heurcfu.tl oducatjo,
shall he compulsory.
for education, having Tor iiy avoweI object In
obyjating Of supposed OWLS, will In any n1tantr
Prove MI exception to uti,or onactments vlish
sentiments and rights Of tic peoplof
None, slr, whatever.
| will 10 further aud ask, What rjclIt las III,
| civil law to Interfere Ia this summary mana,
will tho education Of children, to forco pa1ont,
tl,oy must sand chIdrct, to school, Or, sn , o:ht
words, tat Il and uot thoy, is to sco to tho thos
children WHO Aavo boon entrusted ty Col Ia
them nnd to tllom alono
| Eill again anbWcr None, sir, wllasevct
| The province Of the state il to suppress c,ln,
tic Eoop!o, Tho state ts powerful !: ond +,
power, extortoa in tho rigilt direction, can i,
Productive OF good hut pxertod IN contr,1,
dltcctson, and It tends to evil. Tho latter xl
eventually attend tho interference Of Tho s.,a
IN tho proporcd compulsory taw Tor oduc.Eoo.
Tic cslucasion Ut children is domestic rsi.
rcsnecte.s by tho state and to bo protoctsd b sbe,
md inviolaic.
To tue enthusiastic admirers Of compn1n,,
education, or, In fact, 10 tho average utattsuao.
this IL an Insertion, tho truth at which Is npi
Immediately apparent for Ito siulplo fcasoi, tai
l.o nurpossa tue state to DO supetior to ii
bodies, a.lI conversely ali bodies s.lbserylenttc l.
powor aayo .loso granted OF delegated b5 ii.
former. To s,cl, por0on 1t may bo aece.
.pry to eay that tuero arc bodies I'D
aiEa!rs III which tho state Inns no risbt
to Interfere and QUO OF tbrss il
omcstic society Or tho family and latostete, Il
enact conpuIeory.oducatIoa law. Society," t
tho family, III from Gol :; it il perpetuatei tr
tho propagation Of the human race t!is a:!sf
il the desire Of God, manifested not uply h3 .as
"incrcape ind multiply" 'Iu obodlauce 10 III.
command, lang before tic institution Of civil lsa.
ciety, children oaulo into existence, formlpg d.
ncs,io soclotY, al iu tao days Of Adam. md Il
we l,ayo Beoh, nj consequences Of tue conpiI-
ance will, tho natursl law which REASON dltcert1
above referred to. Ohlltren com,ug iuto exist.
onco during this period lad mono other TO lock u
for asaasslea titan thor patents tho patties u
whom tloy lad been ontr.,stod BY God, aud xAo
alone were Responsible 10 God for tuoru, Tss
caro OF tLeso ol,ldron, therefore, d..
yolyoa upon tho paronts. None 'oth.r
ttan thoy thought Of caring tor iho.s
ctliIdron. This waa an es.abishol III
founded on tl1o natural 9aw which Is tte eleEtll
| law OF Col. and universally admitted, Aud II
stood to roasul,, thas tho parents aud tie p,1euI!
alone who brought them iuku exiatonos saoaa
maintain md chsibh tLont. Their obligation 70
do 20 becaNao moro imperative by tuo helpless coa.
dtlou Of tho opildzen. Tic latter ncodoa support
for tho body aud lneutal md moral doyelop'neu.
or education Tor tlo mind. Having assumed shs
responsibility Of parents, IT follows tha. thtJ
POSSESS tie fight as soi na assume the obNga'
tlon to support aud educate tllor children. Ias'
ing assumed tllo responsibility Of parents, Il b.
chino bY tbs natural law obligatory upon item 10
perform these dutiea to their children, and ga!a
them tile right to do 80. an inulteuabIo Eighk AZ
t1is right is founded upou Tho natural hA
it IL ulso which parents cannot SURRENDER to ths
state aul ono which must 10 respected b. l.
Yea. moro, ~ civil society las been estab!laht!
to protect ri9tts t4s OF tlo cltjxeus whole 70!
inyio!ate, It bpcornea the imperative d1sy y!
thu state, or civil society to protect 1l!o 1'Ft tal
puro,,!s 10 educate their cliLdron, ansl thus y
lila