, 1875-03-13

COMPULSORY EDuCAT1oN-pRo AND con.
Wo print elsewhere letter against "con-
pulso,y education" Tho writer Inns tic
,nolcsty to attempt to reply to arguments
which lie boasts, Mt tho outset, that l,o has
mover read. IIo thus writes himself down
Dogberry ut tho start. His frcquont viola-
tions Of English grammar, and l.is marked
freedom from the shackles of tho spelling
book, show TINT little compulsory cduca-
tion " would have done him substantial good.
Ttogrcater part Of his letter Ia nero assertion,
-. o., "the other side [tho livino right Of
every parent to mako hia Child Ounce md
n fool] is cspouscd by all who have at heart
the welfare and preservation Of soci-
ety." Ho asks what right wo l,aye,
in tho face Of what lie calls "rreco-
dents," to advocate sound school law;
,carefully rcfrains from quoting my "prece-
tlents;" and then auswen his question with
the telling argument: II say, none, sir,
whatever" This sort Of thing generally con-
vinccs the II" and his wife, but nobody
else.
When his egotism permits him to try to
nrguo tho caso, ho shows-what might, in
decd, be inforrcd from tho beginning that
ho does not understand what he writes about,
He redicnlly misstates tho theory of CON-
pulsory education. 4 Inv to enforce cluca-
tion creates no new duty. 1t enforccs ono
already existing. It is tho duty Of tho parent
to educate his child or have it educated. The
state simply prevents his shirking that
duty. It provides land, school-houscs,
tenclors, desks, fuel, light, everything but
scholars. 1t throws open tho door to know1-
edge. If the parent stands before tho door,
pushing back his child into the outor darkness
Of ignorance, dnoning him to pauperisln,
crime, and stupidity, infIcting the most bar-
bnroia Of all wrongs upon hiln,-thon tho
State collars the unnatural father aud says
to him Knowledge is your chill's right
you shall not rob him of it; il you will not
educate him elsewhere, you shall not keen
him from tho education awaiting him here
the law will not lot you atarro hla mind any
moro than starve his body"
Our correspondent admits that the state
should encourage education by providing
everything 1t does now. He admits, then, tho
right Of compulsory taxation for such pur.
poses. But universal taxation implies tho
duty of the State to provide for universal
education. Education, to be general, must
bo something more than voluntary and op.
tional on the part of tho parent. Il taxation
is compulsory, education should bo go also.
Tho citizen who pays sehool-tax has tue
right to lave that tax used in Tho why in
which It will do most good. The right to tux
for school purposes involves tho duty to keep
tile schools full
Tho highest right Of tho State-that of
self-preseryation-nalsos compulsory educa.
ton an absolute duty. because q necessity.
Universal suffrage without universal ciluca- |
ton merely prepares the way for, arst,
corruption; next, anarchy; last, tlespot-
ism. NAPOLEON III. always had tho |
inert, Ignorant masaes on his aide. TIe WINS |
Emperor by the grace Of Ignorance. Educa-
tion IL the Demagogue's conquoror. The
crafty kpave misleads coniding fools. Mako
tho fools tho intellectual equals Of the etlu-
Gated knave, and they are misled md deceived |
no longer. They see through the man
whose blind dupes they have been.
The public schools have been rightly |
called the cornerstone Of our political insti-
tutions. But If those schools aro o,nrty, tho
is but shell, which will COL
lapse, and 80 bring down everything founded
upon 1t.
"'Tho province Of tho stats," says our let
tcr-writor, "is to suppress crime end Icon
tiousness, and to protect the rights Of the
people," It ia better to preoent crime than
10 suppress 1t, An evil merely suppressed
brcaks out elsewhere. Tho cheapest and best
way to prevent crime is to diGuse education,
rhcro are few rights Of deeper import and
moro sacred obligation than tho right Of O
:hild to education. Tho child Is mentally md
physically helpless to enforce that right. Yet
he boy ID "parent OF tho man," II tho caro-
esaneas, or the hatred, or the greed Of ita
'aront Keeps it out Of school, 1t is powerless.
Hero Is surely case in which State protoc-
ion Of rights is urgently needed. II our cor
cspondent ia mad enough to deny that edu-
'ation checks crime, he is respectfully re-
erred TO statistics compiled in any aud every
:iyilized nation on the faco Of tho earth.
{e will ind TINT scientific education
proves that the ratio Of ignorant criminals
o tho ignorant classes for exceeds tint Of