The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-26
EDUCATION.

During the past two weeks Indiana has
been all ablaze with educational enthusiasm.
No state in the Union takes a deeper inter
est in educational affairs than Indiana. The
public school system of the state is the pride
and boast of all parties and creeds. To per-
feet the system, TO widen the area of its
usefulness, and to bring all the youth of the
state under its elevating influence, seems to
be the high ambition of those who have it
in their power to influence legislation and
advance the welfare of the people. The
question with regard to what shall consti-
tute free school education has been long
time under discussion, indicating differ
ence of opinion with regard chiefly to the
establishment of high schools as part of
the public school system Of the state. 1t is
held by those who oppose the high school
feature OF the public school system of
the state that it is foreign to the
original design, and that to levy taxes
for the support of high schoolsis al exercise
of power in conflict with the rights of tax
payers, since 1t can be demonstrated that the
high schools are not in any proper sense
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schools where only a small fraction of the
children entitled to their benefits ever enter.
This, as we understand it, is about the sum
and substance of all the objections to the
system of public schools in Indiana, and
we DO not believe they are deep
seated or that they are likely to be
urged to the detriment of the educational
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the friends of education to place the state,
in Its relations to educational affairs in
position OF great embarrassment, by demand
ing Of it the performance OF duties which
belong to private enterprise-such, for in
stance. as comforting upon all the youth of
the state the advantages OF a collegiate edu-
cation-we do not consider that the
authorization of high schools
where they can be maintained
is an assumption of authority IN conflict
with the rights of taxpayers. We prefer to
believe that high schools are the legitimate
outgrowth of the public school system of the
state, and strictly in consonance with the ad-
vanced educational demands of the age.
We hear much no gadays about taxation,
and that the burdens it imposes are grievous
none will deny. City, county and state
are taxed to maintain criminal
courts, jails and penitentiaries
No one complains at these things when the
honeyis honestly and judiciously expended,
but in no instance does the money so ex-
pended yield any but negative benefits. The
criminal Is caught, tried. sentenced and shut
out from society, and from first to last is a
tax upon the state from which there is no
return, except III the satisfaction of knowing
that for time, at least be will not be per-
mitted to violate the lays or en-
danger the lives of the people.
Taxes levied for educational purposes
ought to be popular, If taxation for any pur-
pose could find favor with the people. The
development of mind forces is the mission
source of wealth than the educated intelli-
gence of its citizens. II il be true that ignor
ance leads to vice it is equally true that edu-
cation leads to virtue. Assuming the
correctness of these propositions, that state
which contributes most to educational pur-
poses, which advocates policy that lifts
the entire population to high educational
plane. will as result, not only be the most
virtuous, but the most prosperous and the
most powerful in all matters where mind
forces antagonize ignorance in any of its
forms. We do not care to particuiarize
though instances are sufficiently numerous,
and were we to attempt catalogue it would
readily grow to such formidable dimensions
as to silence objections and win a verdict in
favor of making the public school system
confer all the advantages possible upon the
youth Of the state.