Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-04-14
Or the 24th of last March this edi
torial item appeared in the SENTINEL
aSD REPURLICAS

Or the 24ih of last March this edit
tOrial item appeared in the SENTINEL
AND REPUBLICAN
Compulsory education people ia Maine
advocate the enactment Of school law that
provides for the clothing Of destitute chill
drcR as well as for the educating OF them.
Why not declare for an Emperor, dyrastv
at once?
In the Democrat and Register of the
18th of thi. month a writer who signs
himself "a Poor Man." which if II were
true that be is, but which is not true,
belongs to the very kind of people that
the proposed compulsory laws will in
fex generations reduce TO the condi-
ton Of serfs. publishes cOmmunica-
tion as if in answer to our short edlto-
rial. The znswsr, indeed, answers
nothing. Instead Of addressing him
self to the question Of Compulsory Ed
ucation and stating how its compulsory
and arbitrary features are to be shaped
so as to harmonic or agree with the
theory, ideas, principles and practice
of American government American
iiber,y-he sbandons the question en-
tirely, after stating it just as We stated
it, aud opeus personal article against
US. We felt humilIated when we real
lied BY the perusal of his article that
the championing of Compulsory Edu-
cation ID this county had fallen to the
lot of an individual whose mental ca
pacIty Is Of that quality that he cannot
consider the question on its merits, and
cannot rise higher in considering it than
personal attack on its opponents. We
telt humilIated to realize that in his
MIND We stood higher than the ques-
ton of Compulsory Education, and
that instead of leveling blows at our
position be directs them at US. He
says Se have no feeling, and need heart
culture, for intimating in the above
quoted editorial item from our columns,
that wheu State assumes TO take peo-
pie from their homes and clothe them
without the existence Of the greatest
danger-such as in time: of war, in
which the existence Of the State is liz
unmistakable danger-is on the high
way, running at rapid rate to despot-
ism. He talks in clap trap way about
poor people, just if We we're advoca-
ting something against their interest.
Any and every infringement on the
rights and freedom Of the individual,
except for the preservation of order, is
a step in the direction CT despotism
All who fight against the encroachment
of despotism fight tho battles of the
poor, for despOtism, dynasty or family
rule have always in time out Of date
been the greatest enemies to the poor,
aud if depo,ism and strong gov
ernment is to settle gradually over US
through the slow but sure approaches
Of such laws as have been proposed IN
Maine it were better to epd the strife
at once, and set up a strong govern
ment. Strong governments are not in
the interest of poor people. Compul-
sorry Education is but the entering
wedge to the splitting asunder of our
system of government BY adopting sys-
TENS Of compulsory laws instead of
Jaws of restraint to compel people to
respect the rights OF their fellowmen
Compulsory laws all tend to strong
government all tend to the subver-
sion Of individual rights, individual
freedom, and tend to despotism. Des-
pot:sm is IN the interest Of the few, and
tina. few are not the poor. 1t does not
matter how it comes, whether By the
military, through the "pomp and cir
cumstances of war;" or clothed in the
garb of religion, with the church By its
side, or robed IN the grace and sopbis-
try of intellectual requirement, it is
despotism still, and will Away. become
despotic when it is joined to the power
of the State. The people of this coun-
try should not allow Education and
State to become united, no more than
they allow Church and State or Busi-
ness and State to become united.
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