Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-06-03
GOVERNOR WISE ON PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.

duties as Minister OF the United States
to Brazil, more than twenty years ago,
from which we make the following ex-
tract:
II lad an archangels trump, the
bias; of which could startle the living
of all the world l would snatch it at
this moment and sound it in the ears of
all the people of the debtor States, ard
States, which have solitary, poor ''un
washed ard unconbed" child, untaught
at free school, "tax your selves" For
whate
lst. To pay your public State debt.
2d. To educate your children-every
child of them-at common primary free
schools, at State charge.
This is my legacy of advice TO you
before leave my countrys shores, to
return, perhaps, no more forever.
Distrust all attempts to disturb the
operations of q tax bill already passed.
Disbtleve any set of men who come
before you with false promises of free
dom from taxation. Listen only TO
those sincere friends who will honestly
tell you that you must be taxed, how
much you ought to be taxed, and who
will counsel freely and fully with you
beforehand as TO the mode and subjects
of taxation. In word, learn to love
taxation, as the only means OF accom-
plishing such objects as those OF paying
the public debt, and educating your
children, rich and poor. See to it well
that no revenue raised for legitimate
purposes, is wasted; see that it is all
faithfully applied to the ends of gov
ernment, out be sure to raise enough,
for every end of State necessity, useful
ness and honor. There is no easy mode
of taxation, on royal road to paying
debtors or to education. Industry,
honesty, economy, and education, alone
can make you tree and happy people.
Common schools education should
not be State charity, but it should be
the chief element of the freedom OF the
State. The poor man pays taxes, rem
ders military ard civil services, is sub
iect to fines, must obey the laws; and,
in return, he should have the protec-
tion of the laws, the ordinary privileges
of citizenship, such as the right of vot-
ing, and l say, he should have his
children educated as OF right, free OF
charge. And in all these respects the
rich and the poor should be placed on
precisely the same equal footing. There
should be no distinction between the
children of a republic. They are not,
in the school sense, the children OF
their parents; but the State is parens
pairias, and they should all be regard
ed as the sons and daughters of Mother
Commonwealth. The taxes, it is true,
will have to be raised chiefly from the
property OF the rich; but at last, the
school revenue is distributed as funds
of the State, and when with her liberal
and equal hand they are distributed i'm
partially to all, there is no feeling OF
dependence in any. They, all alike,
look up to the benign State mother for
the mental bounty, all praise her only
and love her supremely for it, aud thus
is laid foundation of amor pnfdiae
everduring as the "reminiscences OF
school-boy days, and tervent as the fon-
dest reeollections of life and gratitude
can ever be in the human heart.
call upon the learned professors OF
William and Mary, and OF the acade-
mics and schools; call upon the rev
erend clergymen OF every denomination;
| call upon my brethren Of the bar; |
call upon the humane faculty of medi-
cine; | call upon our most excellent
farmers and mechanics; ! call upon wo-
men who would be the mothers OF
scholars, philosophers, sageS, and great
men; / call upon all ages and sexes; |
call upon the rich man and the poor
man, and men of all conditions, to stir,
to 'live, move, and have their being
in this vital subject. knowledge is
power; it is the greatest Of all power.
And If knowledge is power, ignorance
is weakuess-utter impotent weakness.
1t makes the very weeds Of the earth
too strong for mans physical might to
earn DIS DIcdu, ~ ildhc9 lhV iiOu iiIHSi
and the poor poorer, the strong strong
er, and the weak weaker; it is the syco-
phant and slave of tyrants and the
foundation of despotiSm; 1t not only en-
slaves the citizen, but enervates the
State. Does any one suppose that, If
education had been universally ditfused
among our people, Virginia " ould have
increased in tie last ten years in white
population some 10000 or $4,000 only?
That Ter agricultural and mechanical
arts would be in the low state they are
now in; that the rich bowels Of her in
exhaus,ible mountain mines of iron and
coal would be undug and almost unex-
plored; that her manufactures would
have languished as they do; that the
Big Bend Of the Ohio river would not
have been tapped long ago, and that
the mighty Miami country, and an in
terminable back country besides, would
not, ere this, have built US an eastern
city TO consume our products at home;
that immigration would have flowed
from us to lands not half so precious, to
homes not half so sacredl OH my
friends, the theme is full Of facts, figures
and feeling
In the Methodist general conference
l.. L n.L