Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-11-28
Our School System an Experiment Z

'00' "uoP'cu ny tue american people q
absolutely essential to the life and pros
perity of the republic. But Gov. Robin
son of New York state, in late ulessag
to the legislature says: "The questio
whether the state can educate all th
children within its limits better than the
can be educated in schools organized. con
Quoted and paid for by the parents of th
children themselves, has been decided il
favor of the state, which is now conduct
ing The experiment on a Gerry large and ca
penSiUe scale"
The educating of the children of thu
state in her public schools still ian exper
imentP" l deny the statement. Oul
school system is success and u necessity
Every intelligent and sane person. who
has not adopted the principles of foreign
despotsm and the bigotry Of the church oil
Rome, must so understand it, No convic
ton is more firmly rooted in the hearts o
our people than that the children of tn,
nation must he educated us the only mean
OF self-preservation. We have occasion
for alarm in view of the fact that there arr
now five millions, six hundred thousanC
persons in our country who can neither
read nor write, and especially, when We
realize that from this ignorant army, citi
Gems by the thousands will come to the
ballot box and hold the balance of power
and they may settle the destiny of the
nation. Our only hope for the future o.
the republic is found in the public and
compulsory education of all our children.
These children belong to the state and it is
the states business to educate then. 1t
never will and never can be done by pri.
Vate enterprise; it must be done by the
government. But Governor Robinson SAYS
New York state is trying the experiment
on very large and extensive scale" Let
the state Withdraw its support from public
and normal schools how long would it be
before the takes would be doubled by the
increased expenses for the support of
prisons and courts of justice, made neces-
sary by the increase of crimes? On the
ground of economy alone our school sys-
tenn must be sustained.
The governor makes another point. He
says, lit seems to me clear violation of
personal rights for the state to levy taxes
to support free academies, high schools
and colleges, in which the higher branches
OF literature and science are taught and
young men prepared for the learned pro-
fcssions." But does not Gov. Robinson
know that these " free " institutions are
open alike to the rich and the poor and
that the whole people share the benefits of
this thorough and extensive culture? How
then is it violence of personal rights?'
Says critic on the governor structures:
" If the spirit Of this message should be
obeyed today, every high school and nor
NAL would be abandoned, the odious rattle
bills would be restored and religious de-
nominations would again establish their
sectarian schools in which, of necessity,
would be taught the dogmas of the sects
and the educational hands on the clock of
time would point to the year of grace IVA
and not to the glorious year of our Lord
1871"
Once more our learned governor assails
the normal schools He says: al would
also suggest an inquiry as to whether the
normal schools are really worth to the
system what they costP l am informed
that very large portion of the pupils in
'tructed in them never follow the profes.
sion of teaching for any length OF time"
Let it be remembered that this "sug-
restion " comes from one who regards our
system of education AS an experiment"
and the support of free high schools VIC.
ation OF personal rights. He is consis-
.ent, therefore, in his attack upon the nor
Nal schools. If we have no public
schools nor free high schools, we need no |
normal schools for the training of teachers.
The whole system may be abandoned to-
gether. But we may blush for shame
hat any state in the Union has such an
Executive, and may rejoice that he has not
he power to abolish our public schools.
lie has power to do mischief in his way.
f. however, this battle must be fought
ver again, it is well that the attack has
een made early, and by one in high off.
ial position. r.
Tilden's Ladies' Seminary, N. IL.