Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-28
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND LOCAL
Politics.


POLITICS.
The question of teaching the Ger
man language in the public schools is
being earnestly canyassed in New
York, Chicago, Detroit and other large
northern cities, and the abolition of
this branch Of study threatens to be-
come a practical and perhaps political
issue in local contests. On the general
subject, the Nelg York Sun argues:
In a free government a certain
amount Of education Is necessary
among the citizens, IN order that their
public duties may be inteligently and
safely performed; and that amount the
community may properly furnish with
ont charge, but beyond that point,
government interference should not be
allowed to go.
What is the limit at which such in
terferCnce should cease? Manifestly
that of teaching merely what is neces-
sary to enable the citizen TO understand
the matters on which he Is required to
vote. He should know how to read; he
should know how to write; he should
understand arithmetic; since without
these requirements 1t Is impossible for
him TO become sufficiently informed up
on public affairs. But IS there any
need that he should know German, or
French, or Latin, or algebra, or geOm-
etry? None whatever; and while it
is desirable that instruction IN these
branches and IN every branch of knowl-
edge should be accessible to all persons
who desire 1t and can pay for 1t, there
certainly should not be any gratuitous
bestowal Of such education at the pub
lie cost. 1t should be a matterof effort,
economy, and payment on the part of
the recipient.
For these reasons neither German,
nor French, nor Irish, nor any other
foreign language should be taught In
the public schools.
Concerning the moralzing effects Of
education, the Cincinnati Gazette has
the following under the caption "LOre
and Lawlessness:"
1t is a fa7Orite theory with many
people that mental culture is an anti
dote to depravity. There is no doubt
that education will diminish the amount
Of certain stupid and gross forms of
| crime, but where the moral disposition
remains as it was, the old cOarseness
may be replaced by a refinement IN
wickedness which only makes the Of
fender the more dangerous. The skill
full safe. smashers Of the present day
are much more to be dreaded than the
Old-fashioned burglars and highway
| men. The checks on crime are more
numerous now than formerly, for 70
improved mechanism is added the ia
cility Of pursuit afforded by steam
travel and the telegraph. Yet what
may be called retail crime has not
much if at all decreased, while the
wholesale varitios have been greatly
extended. Our own era is more
| intelligent and less brutal than those
which preceded it, but whether it is
more moral may bedOubted. Bad hab-
its which are in fashion are not so
harshly Judged as those which are OBJ
solete. We can do ample justice to the
sins of the ancient world, and even to
those of our fathers, while our own
must get impartial criticism from our
descendants, If at all. Recurring more
directly to the point that intelligence
does rot insure virtue, we may refer to
the very curious case IF Ruloff, who
was an ardent student Of philology
while he murdered people without com.
junction. Another strange instance is
that Of David Peters, colcTed, who Is
now serving out a tfteenI years sen
tence for rape, in the Rhode Island