The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1875-04-04
Compulsory Education.

The whole world has not yet run mao
With absurd notions of education. 1hns'
the Ohio Legislature has just rejected the
bill providing for compulsory educa''on,
In other words, people are to be trus'ea
awhile longer in Ohio with the care OF
their own children.
And this conclusion really looks to US
quite reasonable. There are indeed certain
human monstrosities that seem TO DC ue
void of the parental instincts with Wh'ch
God has 40 lavishly endowed the human
ro.s There are persons who even murder
their own children, and, OF COURSE "'e1
such characteristics can be fasteneu on
individual by satisfactory PROOF, ne ougn'
IN bs deprived of the custody Of his chiid-
ron Rut that would be no reason for de-
priying every body else in the same way.
Just 30, there may be persons who, from
criminal Indifference, permit their Oh
spring to grow up to maturity dwarfea
mentally and morally, ignorant of all
things temporal and spiritual: This may
90 to such an extent as to be an aoso'ute
inhumanity and can therefore be controlled
nv legislation, on the same principle as
that upon which any kind of cruelty Is
prevented. But because such people must
> be deprived to a certain extent OF the con-
= troll of their children, must every BODY De
subjected to the same treatmentf
The compulsory education which is to
u affect all children is not based on the
principle of preventing cruelty, but upon
an assumption of the State that it has q
(; right to dictate and control the amount
II and kinds of education to be received o!
re it's citizens. Now, we ask, upon what i
that right fonnded7 Does the citizen be
long to the State, as serf to his lord, or
s,aye to his master. We can understan
70 that master and owner may regulate tn
~. food, clothing, amount of instruction an
70 general personal relations of his slave
nd whether adult or juvenile. But when
py man is free, whose business is it whetht
ed he knows Arithmetic or Geography or eve
Spellingf Who intends in Republic,
:. give the State such control over his pc
sonal status7 Yet if the State has tn
-. riqht orer a child, ii has the same right OF
..1 a man. There is no distinction betwe
ma them in the Constitution, as to subJecti
, of to State control.
, of The fact is, and every American ought
,m- be ashamed who has forgotten it, that Il
i've doctrine of compulsory education is p
ing and parcel of the doctrine of Slavery. /
al borrowed from the most iron-h
despotisms, like Sparta aud Prussia. II
Just an attack on those personal rights,
e OF sacred in a child as in mau, which
ier@ freeman ought, for an instant, to permit
d, n'"- be compromised, either in his own per
49, or that of his offspring.
osor We are glad that the manhood OF q
.o,o has instinctively understood the meanin
roo. this treacherous attack upon its prerc
,apd tives, and Indignantly spurned it. tt
ased are certain leading politicians everywh
bile. without a particle of self respect til
selves, who have no objection to iudign
Eos of this kind. These people, like To-
next monkey that had lost his tail, are of CO
be a anxious to see others on the same foo
har- as themselves. Slaves at heart, they
nfer- anxious to degrade others to the &
any level. Compulsory education will certa
''' do it.
cular