Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-09-12
Educational Column.
J. +. LANGENBAUGH.

A GREAT TRUTH PLAINLY EXPRESSED.
Here it is, sour public schools have
no moral teaching; their tendency is
to produce intellectual rascals of the
sharpest kind. Intellectual training
never did and never will produce
honest God-fearing men," The pub
lie schools are the seed houses of the
coming time, and the character Of
the harvest will depend much on the
quality of the seed sown, and the
care with which it is cultivated in
spring-time OF the generations that
are yet to people our national do
main II the source Of our popular
education be corrupt or defective,
how can any American citizen expect
the population to be God-fearing and
virtuous, and unless our people are
such the destruction of our nation is
but a question of time. 1t requires
no argument to show that the public
schools contribute nothing to the re-
ligious training OF the hundreds OF
thousands of youths who frequent
them-the youths who are to be the
citizens of the morrow, and on whom
must devolve the duties and privil-
eyes Of citizenship. The admins
tration of the schools is wholly secu-
lar and their supporters, strange and
horrible as the fact is, take pride in
the thought that these results Of
learning are entirely divorced from
any religious idea Religion is ex-
cluded from the programme, as if 1t
were the veriest foe Of the human
race. The thought Of the child in
the public school is not allowed to
comprehend the duties which man
owes to mis- Creator; but Is solely d.
rected to the consideration OF prob
lens which affect little, if at all, the
object OF our creation, and the desti
ny in store for every child of Adam.
The public school system needs
sorely the most radical reforms. We
need the services OF those who are
honest enough to carry out their own
convictions, and whose intelligent
denunciation OF a wrong will carry
conviction to those beyond the reach
OF any one church's influence. Any
one not blind to mans imperfections.
can perceive that, unaided by some
stronger power than his own will, he
will be sure to fall away from the
path which Right declares to be the
only safe one to tread. When the
mind is young, impressions for good
or evil are most easily made, and at
such a period should the beauties
and offices Of religion be revealed to
to the plastic intelligence OF youth
Ideas well grounded in early life
rarely vanish, even when the posi-
BILE callousness Of after years makes
the soul OF man a realm devoted TO
vice, and stained with the record OF
many crimes. Hence, it is that re-
ligious and secular education ought
to march through the pilgrimage oil
life to the destiny beyond hand in
hand. Unless the two forms OF edu-
cation comply with this practice the
mission Of life Is unperformed and
fruitless OF good, The public school
system is opposed to this necessary
condition, and is therefore defective
1t enlightens the mind In regard to
secular matters, but does nothing to
promote the spiritual advancement
OF the youth who study under it
The consequence is seen in the spread
OF vice and infidelity in our midst
The temporal has higher value thar
the eternal, and the latter Is but toe
soon believed to be a myth and {
superstition unworthy OF an @intelli
gent" mans homage. Thus the ele
ments which lead to a country's de
cay are introduced at the very tim,
when the religious training of thos,
who are to be its citizens OF the fu
ture are neglected, and the very fat
which the worshippers Of the tenn
poral would avert is sure to come a
logical and inevitable sequel to tn
same peoples neglect OF the mucl
more valuable and craven interest o.
eternity. The truth and its force o
the above will be recognized som
day when it may be too late to coun
teract the terrible consequences In
cident to its neglect by those VIII
ought to cherish 1t.