Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-12-09
" THE SCHOOL QUEsTION"-LET 1T BE PUT
Il seems thSt there are persons who fear 18th

"THR SCHOOL QUEsTION"-LET 1T BE PUT
Il seems thk thsrs are persons who fear "the
school question They cry out when Mr.. Blaine
writes most temperate, wise, and unanswera-
bic letter on the subject. They protest vehem-
entity because the President, in his Message,
makes it prominent They twisted and squirmed
when Judge Taft, with other Republican speak
era. gave it ., thorough and. timely discussion
in the Ohio campaign, upon the challenge Of
the GeghAn bill. This Is 4 tenderness that .is
suspicious. 1t is . too sensitive concern. 1t
will justly exotic public wonder. For there
ought to be no American citizen whose heart ia
not sincerely and entirely given to the general
and liberal education Of the children Of his
country, and. there ought to be none who wanta
that education connected with the influences Of
any church. II there be cries of protest and
uneAsness at the simple proposition to put into
the fundamental law . guaranty Of general and
unsectarian education what must 1t force us to
oonclude2 Can there be any other theory than
that such = guaranty is really needed since
thsrs are citizens who, whatever opinions they
may profess, or however they may disguise their
feelings, are the enemies either Of general or
unsectariAn education, or Of both ?
The constitutional guaranty suggested by Mr..
Blaine, and substantially proposed by the Pres
idsnt will hurt no one except the enemy of the
public school. II there is no such person, it
. hurts nobody ifit does hurt somebody, then
its vslue becomes apparent. 1t ia absurdly said
that 10 propose it raises q religious i,sue one
critic. touched to the quick, cries out that the
President ''hopes to array Protestant prejudice
and ant IN, A.
against the Catholic church." Could there be
An assertion which argues moro conousively
against itself ? Is it bigotry and prejudice to
pIAce the egis Of the Constitution over the
school-house? Is it war on any church to fix it
fundamentally that there shall be FREQ and un-
ssstarian education Of American children? Let
us be slow ever to charge that much less to ex-
claim 1t 30 excltedlY and quickly.
Next to the principles of Liberty and Equal
Rights, lies the necessity Of an educated people
This il truism; it is trte; it is rarely disputed.
Yet while there is in the Constitution all the
careful guarantees that wise and patriotic hands
could devise, to protect liberty from invasion
and equality before the Law from harm, there Ii
nothing that secures the instruction Of the peo
pie. One Of the foundations of republican gov.
eminent is not in our written structure. The
very means by which the nation must continue
to live, il it shall continue, is left unsecured and
unprovided in the nations charter. Itis strange
omission, and one that csnnot too quickly be
supplied.
Now, let us agree readily to put this question
Let the American people stand and be counted
upon it. Let the inquiry go out distinct
square, and positive, whether there shall be q
guaranty for free schools and non.church
schools in the highest law of the Nation ? Such
aquestion can harm none but those who are the
enemies either of free education Or Of unsectar
ian educstion. If there are such, we canno,
regret their hurt, at the putting OF the question.
In such CANVASS of the popular mind, party
considerations are small and pitiful the ques
tion--" the school question lis as fundamen-
tai as Freedom, for in a republic Intelligence
only can preserve Freedom.