The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-07-22
As a National Concern.

/ compulsory, prescribe its character and
amount within just limits, and impose
/ taxes upon the reluctant, the poor and
the hostile, and even aftiX punishment TO
disU5cdience. This is broad authority.
/ Blu, the duty claimed and in this country
discharged in varying degrees TO this time,
and discharged more completely every
successive ycar, is at the foundation OF
the authority. II the system OF govern
ment is good it deserves the greatest ef-
forts for its continuation and improve
ment
Tue fact does not seem TO be sufficient
~ insisted upon in the ceaseIess struggle
now stirred in 50 many States, that the
education ot the people is an absolute
necessity for the preservation Of the gov
erumcnf and the furtherance of all the
possibilities it includes. The incidentals
Of sectarianism ana taxation; the compar-
alive advantages Of ere method over an
other; the abstraction of labor from en-
ployment-of all these things we hear
enough and TO spare. But it is true that
national wealth, glory, progress and hap
pincss and their perlBaneECe, have a.
ways, in all lands and ages, rested upon
education. When ignorance WAS the rule
those people that had the most learning.
though confined 10 few, were the most
powerful and prosperous. Egypt attain
ed and retained power, India Was great
and prosperous while ncighborinE lands
were discordant and deeayiag. Greece
lowered to the throne of the world in
virtue of high though limited knowledge,
but declined when Rome made education
more general As well Is more practical
and thereafter more scientific and ration
al. Nor is there any break in the subse
que1t argument. whether drawn from the
Netherlands, from Britain, France, Prus-
sia or any other country. The country,
whatsoever its natural resources, what
ever the number and capacities of lis
population. has led that has had the best,
most d:tfascd and highest education.
And in fact considerable general know
ledge is necessary to vj.a!ize the product
of that which IS special and 10 enable 8
whole people to carry forward what L few
NAV have learned.
This popular and generally ability is
now more requisite than ever, because the
conditions and methods Of life and indus
Try are more complex, and because other
lands, finding that education has beUered
and ignorance injured them, and that the
real guarantees Of peace and prosperity
res: in and with the people, are striving 10
qualify As many as they can to under
stand what is and is projected, and how
possession, either instant or future, may
be rendered 6 lever. Thus there are
schools OF arts, o, agriculture, Of mines.
Of navigation, OF war, OF industry and
science in general, sustained in every
principal country, either directly and ex-
elGsively at the cost Of tie nation, or by
the grants and indirect assistance of the
nation, JUS. as armies once were, for the
same and greater reason, a1s 1t less ex-
Pense. These schools arr aided by ex-
positions and fairs, that bring the best re-
suits Of foreign Is well IS Of domestic
knowledge 70 minister to education. And
those countries that have the most and
best of this education most widely difFUs-
ed, lead in manufacturers and commerce,
and agriculture show the greatest domes-
tic comfort and most rapid accumulation
Of wealth, and not only gain absolutely in
comparison with other countries, bit
really gain from them. L Is not a theory
but fact.
This technical and scientific advantage
is, however. itself contingent upon the
numbers and capacity Of those who can
receive it. Preliminary education Is
absolutely essential The academy and
institute cannot take the totally unletter-
ed. They must select from those who
have indicated aptitude and powers.
These can only be ascertaiRed and de-
veloped thoroughly by giving all an op-
portunity to show their native eEdow-
ments. LII youth must conquer the
mysteries Of the primer, geography,
grammar and arithmetic to enable this
knowledge % be used. The primary
schools must be made available 70 all and
all must be forced to improve them. in
order that tie industrial State shall Sc
cure all its powers in the great struggle
that now forces every community TO com
pete with every other and distributes
wealth ID preparation 10 capacity.
The facts are plain IS pike slaves and
unavoidable. They are not theoretic,
but practical: not contingent, but direct
and they are pressed home by the fury of
the great struggle now dawniag, tina. is
to give national superiority to industrial
skill There is great field for prefer
ence between the objects OF enterprise
and the utilization OF success and alleyia-
ton Of failure. But really there is no op-
poT.uuity for questioning the absolute
necessity of making common education as
perfect as is possible, and extending ii
compulsorily to all as 4 mere political en-
gine. Nor IS there any doubt that that
country acts most wisely in its capacity
as government, that takes the most CON-
prehensive plan for educating all ana
forces il most stringently upon all. What
ever IS or can be said fol education as an
aid 10 the individual, or to any craft or
community is well, AID should be en-
phatically, stated. But this leaves unsaiG
al that needs be in behalf OF compulsory
education as a political ACKNOWLEDGMENT
lies ons of the stoutest pleas and I sufti-
cient for any land, were all the rest dis.
proYed--PAiiadspdig North imerieGa.
TIE Republic for July has been re
ceiyed As usual, it is full of valuable
information. The articles on the Censen-
NAL Celebration, Vaticanism in Germany.
The South, aud how It's wants may be
supplied: The mutual Relation as 10 the
Price OF Gold, Greenbacks, Silver Bullion