, 1875-01-13


While the l}o,'rbons iu tho Legislature arc
| plotting to destroy the pnb]ic-school system
Of Illinois, it bclooves the friends of this cor
ller-sto'le Of republican institutions 10 s1o MI
they can to strengthen and perfect it, When
! Ignorance and Knowledge arc striving for the
| mastery, VIC cannot afford to let tho former
sweep into its ranks haif Of the rising gencr-
! alton. Tho doors Of our schools nra wide
open, but many Of tho children who should
be passing through them arc studying in tic
streets aud imbibing lessons of vice. br1lta@i-
ty, and ignorance. This Rlton1d bo stopped.
The right Of self-prescryation clothes tho
State with ample authority to enforce attend.
e,ce upon her schools or schools as good rs
they. Universal suaragc is ruin unless rein
forced by universal education. Without COM
pulsory education, general knowledge cannot
increase with tho rapidity with which pat1-
pcrs aul proaigates breed. Nine States
of tho Union havo aireaty made attendance
upon school compulsory by law. Illinois
Should be tho tenth to do SO, and that forth
with. While our schools aro training youth
to intelligence. industry, mud virtue, our
streets are training them to ignorance, pail
rerism, and crime. A1any Of o1,r little wnifs
md ontcasts, who beg or peddlo from door to
door, would gladly learn what they could, if
parental greed and cruelty did not drive
them into their present pursuit. These help
lcss children should bo rescued from the tyr
anny of their masters. Nigl1t-schools do
something for them, hut usually their parents
10 not let them hhyo even their evenings.
These schools IRE n,aini, attended by adults,
and do good work for them, though they
scarcely reach tho classes most in need Of
educational MD.
Tic details of r. law for compulsory etuca-
tion are matters to bo settled at Springfield,
but tho law itself is inlpcrativcly demanded
by the needs Of tho whole State Models for
it are not wanting, The New York act,
which ca,na into force on the LIST inst, re-
qrircs every parent or guardian to instruct,
or car.se to bo instructed, every child in his
or her care in spelling, reading. writing,
arithmetic, and English grammar Every
child between the ages Of 8 md II must 20
to school fourteen weeks Of each year, eight
Of them consecutive, or must be taught at
home, unless Il physician certifiea his or her
unfltness to study. No child less than Il years
oltlcan be employed during schoolhours unless
provided with q certificate from the proper
officials showing duo attendance of fourteen
weeks during that year, 4 system Of inspce-
ton Of business establishments is provided rs
q guard against illegal employment. En-
ployers aud parents offending against tho law
are to be punished by inc, anu in some
cases by Imprisonment. Most Of the Statos
which enforce eGucation furnish the children
of the very poor with books froo Of charge.
This is an essential part Of any such law, hut
care should be taken that there may be no
needless chnrity. The provisions Of tho New
York net in relation to employment are per-
leps a1l TINT are needed, but our Lawmakers
would do well to consider the code which
Switzerland proposes to enact. This forbids
any employment of children under II In
manufactures, aud prohibits those between
II and j from working in them moro than
six hoHls day.
We might multiply these suggestions as to
detail indefinitely, but it is needless. The
bill which came SO near passing the Illinois
Legislature last session waa good measure.
While tho Bourbons are disgracin6 thom-
selves and destroying their party by trying
to close the public schools, the Republicans
and tho Independents and the Democrats
who havo not yet gone mad on the theory Of
Government should hasten to carry this
great reform.