Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-03-30

The subject is every day coming more and
more prominently to the front, and has many
warm advocates.
Certainly, in taking an impartial view of
the question, there is great deal about it to
commend it,. For nearly the only objection
that ever has been reised agaiust it is, that it
is an unwarrantable interference by the law
making powers, in domestic and private mat
ters, aud that such is contrary TO the spirit of
American ideas. This objection is the ma
tural outgrowth Of the teachings which have
ever been prevalent in this country but it is
decidedly questionable if such teachings, if
they permit father 10 force, or even allow,
his child to grow upin ignorance, are not en-
tirely wrong. Every child has to become
citizen; every citizen owes certain duties to
his State. and he cannot possibly perform
those duties he should, If his life has been
thrown away because his mind has been al
lowed to run to seed from lack of proper,
reasonable and easily bestowed cultivation.
The last AHd.t6c farnishes data by which
may easily be demonstrated the difference in
the educational advancement of those
countries where the system has been adopted,
and where it has not In Prussia. where it
has been carried out with more ttriugency
than elsewhere, the result is shown to be that
50 out of 100 German children attend school,
and that illiteracy is almost unknown among
adults. In France, where the compulsory
feature has never been adopted, the result is
that ffths of the children are growing up
in ignorance; that nearly one-Ihird never see
the inside of school. room the same pro-
portion of its private soldiers can neither read
nor write, and that of all who marry, eight
per cent. Of the men aud forty. three per cent.
t.
Saxony and Belgium, where the same amount
of money has been spent for educational pur-
poses, the former has compulsory law, and
the latter has none. In the former all the
children are being educated, while in the lat.
ter. the last official census declares that half
the inhabitants devoted to ignorance Tho
same proportion exists in all other countries,
in accordance with the greater or less strin-
geucy by which the system is enforced until
We come to the United States. where, in spite
of our boasted progress. it is stated that more
than twenty out of every one hundred of all
cur people above ten years of age, cannot read
or write.
These examples show that in direct ratio to
the adoption aud enforcement of this system,
education prevails over ignorance, and It seems
that il the fcTmer is to prevail. law on the
subject is absolutely needed. The New York
Herald truthfully says. "that truaEcy is tho
high road to the States Prison." and no oue
can doubt but that ignorance, especially when
combined with idleness, is the fruitful mother
of crime. Hence it would seem that not only
10 enable the future citizen to be useful but
to actually prevent large criminal record,
compulsory education law is necessity.
Massachusetts and New York have already
adopted one; the subject is being seriously
considered in Pennsylvania. Maryland and
Ohio, aud an aot looking to the same end has
been introduced in our own Legislature We
do not believe that the General Government
has any right to make such law, binding
upon the people of State but we do believe
that every State has the right, if it is not
positively her duty, to look after the future
usefulness Of her citizens 1t may seem hard
at first until familiar with the idea, that
father should be thus compelled to have his
child educated; but since education is alb
soiutsIy necessary to proper and hcal,hfnl ad-
vancement, ana further, since it is fnuda-
mental principle of civilization that certain
rights and privileges which belong to a state
of absolute freedom shoald be yielded for the
benefit of society, It certainly appears most
reasonable that this right of keeping child
a slave to ignorance, should he one of the
very first demanded to be sacrificed.
Wheeling Register.