The Russellville Democrat., 1878-11-07
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

White County Record upon our pub- lie school system, and criticised some of the positions taken by that paper. In the Record of the 31st uls. our article is noticed editorially, and the Record seems to think we did it injustice in our criticism. We would regret very much to be mis- understood by our esteemed contem- porary. We certainly neither in tended any injustice nor did we dis agree with the views advanced by the Record merely for the sake of getting into an argument.
 If we have any pet subject it is the subject of Education; and if there is one object above all others which we think the press should strive to accomplish, it is to aid in all ways and at all times to facilitate the means of educating the masses of the people.
 Because our present school system does not reach the more sparsely settled distncts of our State with it's benefits is no reason that the system should be done away with. There is no system that can be devised that will reach these isolated com munities, but if we have wise. lib eral school law the time is not far distant when there will be no sec ton or nook or corner of our State but which will be sufficiently settled up by new corners to have the sys- tem made available even there. We regret that our contemporary, the Record, disapproves so emphat- ically what we said in favor of Com pulsory Education. We wish every paper in the State would take a stand in favor of compulsory educa tion. The Record admits that "In this country, or indeed in any other civilized country, there is no excuse "whatever for any youth who does mot learn to read and write" And still there are hundreds and thous- ands who do not and will not do it, who grow up in ignorance and by their sutfrages help to make laws which they are no more able to read than we are able to read the Chinese language. And yet the Record thinks it would be assuming too much power for the State to under take to compel these persons to qual- | fly themselves to be intelligent citi zens. Now, honestly, Brother Rec ord, does not it seem that there is demand for just such 'paternal gov ernment for this kind of people, as you oppose? You admit that ''it IS "the province of Government to make it's citizens secure in the en "joyment of life, liberty and prop "erty;;" but in the same breath you would forbid the State from enjoin- ing that degree of intelligence upon its citizens which is absolutely es- sential to the maintenance of liberty, life and happiness. Our government is the creature of our voters, and if the voter is ignorant and illiterate to such a degree that he cannot el. ther read or think for himself, how long would It he until interruptions tricksters would shape the govern ment to suit themselves?
 As for ourself we want a State or q Government just ''paternar' and "autoclatlc" enough to look after the veal of it's people in this greatest of all other matters, excepting, per haps, alone, the saving of souls; for excepting the saving of human souls. the education of the masses is the greatest work to be performed by civilization. In fact there IS no civ ilization without a certain degree of intelligence, and there is but little intelligence without at least a certain degree of education.
 We think it better-infinitelv bet ter-to build school houses and to compel the youth of our land to attend schools, than it is to build jails, penitentiaries, poor houses, houses of correction, and to support the paupets and convicts confined therein: paupers and convicts, who, nine chances out of ten are such from ignorance.
 We are willing to be put down as an advocate of Compulsory Eduoa- tion.