The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-04-09
the LIMITS OF pUBLIC SCHOOLS.
What Branches Should be Taught aud what
Omitted.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUS-.Str: A
state has the right to establish such institutions
as are necessary to Its existence and to carry out
the ideas on which II Is based. In democratic
cal state like ours, the general diffusion Of intel
ligcnce among the citizens il condition essen
tial TO the continuance and visor Of political life
But this general diffusion Of intelligence can he
obtained In no other way than through public
school system. Therefore 20 establish such
system is at once the right and the duty OF the
state.
Now. this argument Is ut least perfectly intcln-
gible, and II is we'll enough to assume that II II in
reality IA Il Is generally considered among us 10
be- quite irrcfutahlc. nut the ground II covers is
narrow, ana when stretched beyond its just NM
Its Il loses all Ito io.ce. Inc theory can Ipt 30
made to Justify the free distribution Of lster
coats and blanket shawls among the pupils at
Christmas Time IL does not Apply 10 iht eathll-
lishmcnt Of chairs Of 0anscri. OF pure MAJ einat-
les, Of biological science. NOT Ia sayin- this do
deny the excellence Of well made Ulster conts
and blanket shawls, or bclIttlc the Importance
OF the advanced branches OF study alluded To.
| only ray that, the school money are Nir-
tullly trust fund, they ought not 10 bc applied
10 any purpose but that desgnated by implica-
tion In the reasoning on which the legislation
granting these money has been based
Therefore, when We are asked TO give through
the pubic schools not c!othing ana silver
! waTc-instruc ton In German and Latin and the
| higher branches of ply steal science, We ought
frat 10 asa whether the knowledge to he i'm
! parted is such as the pupil needs To qualify him
Tor the proper discharge OF the duties of citizens
ship. IL Is quite aside from the question TO say,
| Tor Instance, mat owing 10 the large nunibof OF
persons Ia this country VINO speak GERMAN
| kno wledgo Of that tongue will be Of advantage
to ANY one. II is also true that the necessity Of
| punctualty rcnders a chronometer balance
| watch 4 desirable possession To every one 1t IS
| Irrelevant likewise 10 say that knowledge 4
| that tongue gives one AN admirable means Of
| mental culture. SO would the ownership II tho
Aston Library. Nor is it n sunic lent answer 10
our objections that the parents lsh their cltl-
dren to be taught this language. The State edu-
Gates for certain publ. ends, defined above, not
for the qualification Of indy lduu tastes. Tho
real question in the case Is. does the kINMlcO-e
of this language tend immediately 10 III its pos
SCISSOR Tor tho duties and privileges of eitiAen-
ship Is II SO essential 10 the conduct 81 lie IN
our community that man without IL fhlls be-
low the standard which every citizen may justly
be eN Iccted To reachf Tried by this test, most
| If the fancy branches that have, of late Year,,
been grated into the stock Of our common
school system, would be Justly condemned 10
There is, however. a branch OF study which. 50
far IA know, has never been introduced into
our public schools, Yet of which the direct ten
dency Is to qualify its students for citizenship
In free country. | mean the elementary study
| Of constitutional government, course of in
struction which should teach our future voters
what trial by jury l., ana how II Is better than
trial before koinnn proconSuli what tic
Hhheas Corpus act j., ard why we are better on
than we should be II liable 10 the operation OF
ktfTts dc cdchct why the composition of a legis'
lativc body ought 10 be determined by Us
own members rather than by "a PROTECTOR oi me
realm or IA aforementioned of the nltec
States Army. IL Is evident 10 any one who Ia
familiar with the habits Of thought of the mast
fu lack Of sound opinion and vigorous feeling
on such subjects.
it is true That II sound education in this lin
Ia not 10 be obtained from BOOKS alone bul IN
direction OF the Juvenile mind to such subject
should he OF great benefit.
Let some practical educator try TO devise
scheme of education which, instead of turnIu
. out from the High school batch of calloN
conceted Crichtons at fifteen, will make plan
Y solid, hard headed men, tit to work six days /
) the week, and to vote intelligently once yea
, NEW YoRK, April s, 1875, CIrlzEN.