Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-10-11
COMMON SCHOOLS.

In Missouri the question as to higher
education il the public schools of the
State is being discussed by the press in
an able manner. A leading St. Louis
journal has the following to soy upon
the interesting subject:
By the universal verdict, common
schools are > public necessity in this
country, governed as il is By the people
and for the people; aud on this princi-
pie, and no other, can they be rightfHlly
established and maintained by the State.
What are the primary functions of the
State we mean the American State,
and not the European or the Asistic2
To give security to person, property and
reputation without infringing on any
mans just liberty. Ours is not a
paternsl government. 1t is not
obliged to feed us, cloihe us, find
US employment, or educate rs, save
to the extent mentioned above. The
future voter ard jurymsn ought to be
able TO read and write; hat is, be ough
70 be put in possession Of the keys Of
knowledge. But why should the govern.
ment tax the commonwealth 10 make
some men lawyers. some preachers, some
doctors, some architects, some engineers,
some chemists2 Manifestly. il trans
cends its functions in doing this. Why
should the community be taxed for the
purpose Of teaching Greek, or Latin, or
Hebrew, or SsnscrIt, or Euclid, or Comic
Sections, or the Higher Calculus, to g
lev boys whose pareuts may or may not
be able TO pay for their education?
Higher education is indeed good, but it
- not the duty Of the State. whose ben
efeenes, like the quality Of mercy, is not
strained. to imp2rt it to a chosen few st
she expense Of the many. The State
hes no mission to train aud trot out
leaders Of society" male or female.
Let US stick TO principle. Why should
the whole people be taxed Tor the benefit
of a comparatively few boys and girls,
whether they be the children Of the ROB
or the poOt7 Furthermore, il there be
any child specially gifted With intellect,
be or she will End or make a pathway to
the temple of science, or the temple OF
art, as the case msy be. /. is very
doubtful whether it is better loF genius 10
Go born 10 the hot or the palace. Certain
it is, that the greatest scholars have
come from the humber abode; and very
probably we should never have had
Shakespeare plays had be been born in
the squiraTchy; or Turner's pictures, If
his father had been able to ssad him 10
Eton and Oxford. If Burns and Byron
had been exchanged in their cradles,
Byron would be q greater poet than he
is, and Burns would have written
classical English, and meyer sung Of
Highland Mary. There is such a
thing as over education, aud q
great evil it is. There are various quail.
ties Of soil, and TO bestow culture on
some kinds is q waste of time aud labor.
Let Us remember the parable Of the SOW,
err. But, first Of all, is it not its plain
duty to provide a sufficient number Of
common schools? Even now in st. Louis
tire are not enough Of common schools.
The buildings in many places are too
small for the number Of pupils who at
tend them. Many children who would e
to school il they were able to buy clasI
books, perforce stay at home or IDLY 0
the streets. Let public school education
be really free and universal It ia hardly
less than criminal to spend the publ
money on high schools ard norma
schools which fail to furnish teacher
while any portion Of the population ar
denied the common right Of getting
simple common school education.