The Portland daily press., 1875-12-18
The School Question,

'ast census reports showing by light or dark
colors the portions where intelligence or ig-
norance predominstes, disclose the startling
fact that ignorance bears sway over too much
of our domain. To-day the great danger of
the Republic is Ignorance. patriotism and
intelligence do not always 60 hand in hand,
ignorance and political corruption do. An
ignorant and consequently prejudiced and
'superstitious populace is always certain to
make the few who are intelligent unscrupu-
lous and selfish demagogues. This is natu-
raj result. The ignorant through their vicious
and brutal tendencies so forfeit the respect of
the intelligent that they become in their esti-
nation 'the rabble," or mere voting cattle.
In view OF this it is no wonder that the
Southern leaders before the war regarded
the declaration of the equality of mankind as
glittering generality. 1t was natural re-
suit of the condition of the people of those
states.
We are aware that class of politicians
affect alarm at any suggestion that the gen.
eral government should see that all the chill
dren within the limits of the United States
are educated. They are strenuous advocates
of that doctrine or rather heresy of State
Rights which led this same class in 1861 to
hold that the federal government has no
power to coerce soverlgn state to remain in
the Union. The ''inexorabe logic of events
has led many of the state rights champions to
at least tacitly admit that such authority in
heres in the federal government. If the feder-
al government has power under its constitu-
tion to prevent the disruption of the Uuion,
we cannot see why it has not the right to en-
force system of education when general in
telligenceis necessary to national existence.
There is no higher law written in the hearts
of men or the constitutions OF states than the
most natural law of self-preservation whether
it relates to the individual or the state-an
aggregation of individuals.
The amendment to the constitution which
Mr.. Blaine has already submitted to Con
gress, does not attempt to enforce states tc
maintain free school system. Its only pur.
pose is to prevent the appropriation of money
raised by the authority Of the legislature to
the support of sectarian schools. Practically
its purpose is to remove sectarian teachins
from the public schools. The adoption o
this amendment will forever settle the vexe(
school fund and other questions now at issu'
between Protestants and Catholics, which arr
liable to arise at times and on occasions wheI
the public mind is least fitted to consider them
II, as is asserted, the Catholics have hostil
designs upon our school system, it woulC
Illustrate them at once and for all. If the,
have not, then it would dispose of charg
sometimes made by their journals that tn
Protestant religion is taught in the schools t.
the exclusion of other religions, since the.
would have right to demand that no tex
book should be used intoxicating any religious
tenets. We trust that our Protestant friend:
are prepared to accept the logical inferenc'
OF the amendment, since it puts all sects on
level. What is denied to one is denied to
all. 1t strikes down the idea of a favored
sect or state religion. If the Catholic YER
sion of the Bible is refused place in the lis
of text books, that accepted by the Protest.
ants should be.
The Blaine amendment guards against the
appropriation of public school funds to an
improper purpose. This is well; but all
those who appreciate the evils and dangers o
an illiterate populace to the government can
not fail to endorse the suggestions of Presi
dent Grant for constitutional amendment
requiring the states to maintain free schoo
system adequate to the education of all th,
children of the land in the rudimentary
branches. Once during the first century o
the Republic its existence has been menaced
by the assaults of ignorant millions led b.
skillful demagogues. To-day republican GOV
ernment is failure or nearly so in our large
cities because Of the thousands of ignolan
men who vote at the dictation of PARTIAL!
intelligent rascals and unprinc ipled dema
gogues. To an alarming extent, the classe
who exist through the violation of the crimi
nal laws and a few plotting politicians rule
such voters. The only remedy for this is in
telligence. If the state or the city refuses tc
provide the means, the overwhelming neces
sity ofselfpreservation forces the duty of re
quiring the state to provide the means o
common school education upon the Fedora
government. All through the South, th
now dominant party has developed an alarm
ing hostility to free school system that shal
succor the poor colored man and the poore
white from a state which is no better thai
absolute serVitude. Without such system
| the political status of the Southern State
| will soon be more deplorabe and dangerou
than when human slavery was in existence
If the Republic is to see its second centen
nial, not only must the means of general edu
cation be provided by the state or nation, bu
| both must insist that all the children shall b,
made to avail themselves of the facilities al
| forded. If the state fails the nation must as
| sumo the responsibility.
In its business review the Nation says: A
might be expected at this season of the yea
dulness has been the feature in trade and i
the, Wall-Street markets. The latter wei
little influenced by the recommendations
/ l., ,s v,<