Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-02-10
Mr. STEVENS advocated the bill. He believed


anime the statistics of the State, he would find
that only about SO per cent Of all the scholars be-
tween the sges of and q years are at school.
He believed that the tax payers of the State Of
Of schools should demand that such an act as the
one contemplated should be passed. They should
demand, as they are taxed to support common
schools, that we have educated men to manage the
growing industries Of this country, and 10 control
the affairs Of the State He denied that the bill
was an engine of oppression or that it was without
q precedent. Other states have tho same law
Michigan in II Passed precisely the same measure
and the result has been that the first year the non
attendance upon schools was decreased y per cent
1t required but very little effort to enforce the law
In the rural portions of the State all thst was
quired was simply to publish and post the law,
while in some Of the cities and larger towns it was
necessary for the police to look after the truant
children. Ali honor to Michigan for adopting this
method to promote civilization. In ~ the State
Of Connecticut passed similar law, and it has been
acceptable to the people, and has greatly increased
the attendance on their schools. He hoped the
House would pass the bill.
| Mr.. MARTIN moved to amend 50 as to make the
law apply to children between the ages of nine and
fifteen years Of age. The amendment was adopt
cd
Mr.. DUTToN moved to amend amendment &c, !"
BY adding after the word physician. the words,
appointed by the school committee supervisor
MIR. KEEGAN-I hope the amendment will be
adopted; it will add little more machinery to the
affair.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr.. LANE moved to amend by striking out the
words "three months" in the first section, and in
sorting the words, "twenty weeks, and he ex-
! planned the object Of it. Rejected.
Mr.. PARK moved to amend by striking out all
after the word "resides," in section one.
Mr.. LEAvITT remarked that if the amendment
adopted, he should feel it his duty to move to
strike out section 4. as the amendment of the gen.
tleman park would throw burden upon school
oh =
,, tleman from Maiawaska, (ksegan) they were uu-
abe to bear.
Mr.. GRINDLE said
Mr.. SPEAKER This bill has been loaded down
with amendments until it is actually gaspng for
breath, but so long there is life there is hope
and hence still hope that i. will survive. know
that, looking at it in one light, il seems as though
an Individual has right to be ignorant if he
chooses to be SOL but in view of the fact that igno-
rance Is a fruitful source Of poverty, vice and
crime, it becomes an offence against the State and
should DO punished as such Suppose boy is
growing up in Incidence and wilful and persistent
ignorance, the chances are that he will become
either thief, pauper or runs seller; and in
selfdefence it Is the duty of the State to compel
that boy to attend school till he has learned some
thing Of sclf-respect and common decency.
The amendment was rejected.
Mr.. TEFFT said the bill under consideration was
not his measure, although he was member of
the con m.ttee that reported it. He was not very
undemooratic in his sentiments, . rule. He did
Lot bell, I'VE in force bills very often. He liked, as
who'c, 10 have legislation Of such character as
woull leave the people ss absolutely free in their
coniuct as might be: But every State in the
nation and every nation in the world is obliged
pass certain laws, compulsory in their character.
We cannot get along without it. We have q
score or two Of compulsory laws already in this
State. We have compulsory laws against crime
of every kind. And We are executing those laws
TO some extent.
We have, according to statistics, only 40 per
cent. Of our children of school age, actually at
school in the State of Maine, one of the great
New England States; State that stands, as we
hope, in the very van ofcivilization. We have all
been proud Of the provisions which she makes for
the elevation of the lowest classes to the very
highest standard: but he confessed that he was
humbled over the idea that only 40 per cent. of
our children Of = school age are found at school.
When the parents and guardians refuse to send
their children to school and neglect &c exercise
their parental authority and compel them to 60 to
parent of all those children, and has right as q
parent in loco parentes, to say to them, you must
attend school or suffer the consequences. What
is to become Of the 81 per cent of the children
who do not attend schooll They will be found
at the corners Of streets peddling out to one
another the viest trash that was ever uttered by
human being or received by human ear; they will
be found in the grog shops and saloons Of the
State; in the barns playing cards, and in every
possible place Of vice. With that, what are we
He could remember when family could hardly
be found that did not compel their children to go
to school, 1t was rare thing to find boys in the
streets during school hours. And now 1t Is the
most common thing in the world. We now have
of our school population 81 per cent that does not
attend school, although we are all the time in
creasing our expenditures in the cause of educa-
ton. He should vote for the bill, not because he
wanted to oppress the gentleman from NADIA
waska (Keegan) or his children, or any other
mans children, but because he believed it would
be for the benefit of everybody He referred
gentlemen to the State and city Of New York,
where similar law is already being enforced, as
well Is in other States that had been mentioned,
y sferred to the amendments that had been Of.
fefed and expressed the opinion that they had
weakened the bill, He considered that in its orig
inal form it would be better and stronger than it
| is now. He thought the Legislature should let
the friends of the bill have the law then it could
be seen whether it was going to tyrannize so much
| as some gentlemen had imagined.
| Mr.. KEEGAN replied, and advocated to some
! length the motion to indefinitely postpone. He
| ridiculed the bill and termed it "scare-crow."
Mr.. LYMAN advocated the bill. Scare crow He
was inclined to think that the "scare-crow" came
| in on the other side. 1t had been said that the
bill was tyrannical and oppressive. But what does
the measure amount to? 1t amounts to this: that
| if there are parents or guardians in our State,
who have so little regard for the interests of their
children as to keep them away from school, the
| State, a. their protector, comes in and compels
| them to attend school, thereby bcstowing upon
them great blessing, for which they will bless US
hereafter, and they will say when they have ar
rived at the age of 81 that we have bestowed 9
| great boon upon them. Onr common schools arc
the pride and the glory of New England end shall
they prove failure or shall we compel attendance
upon them. and do all in our power to make them
| a success throughout the State The way to
make them a success, was by compelling the child
rem to attend them. He was surprised that there
should be any opposition to the bill. He denied
that it was tyrannicsl oppressive measure, and
commended that it was the pure essence of democ-
raoy to take these children and lift them up out of
the slough of ignorance in which they now are.
Mr.. L. continued briefly in warm commentators
of the bill, and in favor Of its passage.
Mr.. MITCHELL moved to amend by adding to
the bill after the Sd section the words, "thc town
or city in which they reside shall provide suitable
books and clothing when parents or guardians are
not able to provide them, providing such assis-
lance sha all not create pauper disabilities" Re-
| jected, by a vote of Al to 50.
Mr.. TALBOT took no stock in the amendments
which had been adopted, for he had no Interest in
| them; hut he thought they manifested that mem
beers of the House were dissatisfied with the bill.
He inte aided to vote for indefinite postponement.
| There were certain principles instilled into his
mind which it was hard for him, in his old age, to
get rid Of