Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1876-03-11

Z it444tpI.s VIII dtipiu 'iAe 4~~~'7s'i ,
funds to keep pace with Increasing pub
I lie school demands Il is to be hoped
however, that Congress will. at an early
date, make some arrangement for the
sale ofthe 18th and Both sections of pub
/ Tic lands, set apart for school purposes,
50 that the fund accruing therefrom may
be made available Immediately. There
can be no period in the existence of the
Territory when such aid will be 50
much needed as It's in its infancy. The
people are comparatively poor, the
population sparse and widely scattered
over the country, while the necessity
for training the young to be selfgovern-
ing and intelligent American citizens,
is of the first importance.
The last Territorial Legislature passed
an Act to enforce the education Of
children, hut there has so far been no
necessity of exercising the power
granted by this law, the parents and
guardians of children having uniformly
shown a willing disposition to send
children to some school. Besides, the
public school accommodations have
generally been inadequate to receive
more pupils than have applied for adj
mission. l consider however, that the
law giving this power of enforcing
education is a good one, affording
certain remedy should a parent
OF guardian be So far neglectful,
As TO leave child under their
charge 10 grow up in ignorance.
Il has now become a well settled con
ucuon with intelligent, thinking peo-
pie, that to secure good government, toI
relieve the overcrowded prisons, and tol
insure the perpetuity OF the republic, al
common school system Of education
must be maintained, and every child of,
sound mind and sufficient age, must bel
given an elementary education. III mol
way can this be accomplished except
by providing the means and place of
instruction free of cost. And to insure
equal and exact privileges to every
citizen, the school room must be care
fully guarded against every kind of.
sectarian teaching, so that the children I
of every nationality and creed may meet /!
upon this common neutral ground, and
while receiving instruction, may learn
to respect each other, regardless of &C
cident Of birth or difference in religious |
belief Any other course can only re
suit in the utter destruction of our pull. I
lie school system. Our forefathers
wisely founded this government upon
he firm basis Of religious freedom and
he utter separation of church and State
Under our free school system, this
principle has been and will be most
carried out. The church
and home circle teach the rising gen
sration such religion as the parent or
guardian may desire, while the public
school affords the means for all to be
come useful American citizens. De-
part from this well founded principle
md unite the schools aud church, and
he union of church and State is as
sure to follow as that the night follows
he day Then the struggle to compel
/ unity of faith such rs is now going on
n Spain Will follow, with all Its attend
mt suffering, oppression and wrong.
l am pleased to be able to report the
steady advancement ofpublIc education
n the Territory. The people are very
united in favor of sustaining
md maintaining the system of free
and nothing beside, in our or
has done more 10 attract an
intelligent and industrious population
o settle among us, and TO establish our
for intelligence and progress
Very Respectfully,
4. p. X. Stafford, Governor.
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