The New York herald., 1878-03-05
Mr.. Samuel B. Vance on
Higher Education.
ACTION Or TIE MuNIrIPAL SOCIETY.
Is Advanced Instruction Popu-
lar Necessity?
THE LEGISLATURE MEMORlALIzED.

held last evening at Municipal Hall, No. 67 Madison
avenue Mr.. Dorman B. Eaton In the char. A paper
was read by Mr. 5. B. Vance on popular Education,
founded on and In opposition to the report OF CON-
mittee OF the society appointed to investigate the
public school system of tue city with view 10
retrepchment in expenditures. Alter short discus
sion a resolution passed recommending me-
morial TO the Legislature for the appointment OF
commission of inquiry.
PAPER BY MR.. VANCE.
Mr. s. B. Vance tneu read tho following paper on
"Popular Educaion":--
Mr. PREsIDExr-with great dIfidence l approach
the discussion OF the report now before our society
1t has doubt been prepared at great expense OF
lime toll and no one can entertain higher opin-
ion OF the ability honesty OF purpose oil the
tlemen who have presented II than Sun 1t appeared
AT the time OF its presentation, and, regret to
say appears to now, after careful study, that its
meaning Is not IN all cases as clear nor lis reasoning
as satisfactory me as should wish it to be. You
VIII pardon me, therefore, II take up some your
time point out such features OF The report
TO either obscure or objectionable.
The subject oil the report IS our system OF public
sducation. need not descant on IT'S importance. II
there is any principle that has received the unwaver-
ing assent OF the modern mind II rs that no nation
can be eng ghtencd and prosper Gus which negects the
proper education OF IT'S members. The monarchca
States OF tho Od World have found IL essential TO
their success political aud commercial and the
schoolmaser IN Europe is regarded the moulder
OF the destnies nations. 10 mis- efforts ascrbed
victory IN war in the OF peace.
knowledge N the Old World Is not only power, but
wealth. We Americans above all, from the very IN
fancy OF our existence, laid the greatest
mo education OF our youth Az repub
leans we feel that ucaIion only establish truly
tree republic Where every citizen Is a sovereign
every citzen must be mentally trained TO perform
tesentIy his sovereign functions. For years there
tore every American has taken the deepest interest
our Schools has watched their growth aud develop
n.,ri win The care ana the affection Of n parent and
regarded each improvement as an evidence oi national
progress and guarantee OF national prosperity.
Whatever differences or opiuon may have existed on
other subjects this tho nation has been substan
naly unit; "a, II perchance dissonant voice was
heard II was drowned in the general strains OF ap-
proval
You will pardon me, therefore, II now scru,inize
omewhat closely tue Language aud spirit OF the re-
,ort question OF education, and especially
he question .: free elementary education. or course
hough "in England thero are writer's OF emnenee
thai boldly oppose education the report recog-
nizes TACT tnal 'tue principle of Tree elementary
education cardinal article OF faith underlying all
confluence IN the security OF republic resting
Tree suffrage" No doubt this may have been in
tended, only the recognition OF tact, but also
MS expression oil The approval OF the principle by
Tue society. But unfortunately the report is not clear
on this point, on whicn u shoulu not SPEAK WIN
doubtful sound, and In some parts there
nre passages that even seem Incompatible
with such an interpi citation For instance,
IL quotes, IL would seem approx paper on edu-
eaton by Mr. X bingham. Now, according 10 the
report MI Bingham does not believe that school ed
ucalion tends 10 uiminish crime; ara told 'that
he OF crime to population Is less IN Ireland than
IN MASSACHUSETTS,, aud proosrty IS moro secure In
Italy, with many illiteratss, than IN the old Buy
State all It's schools. OF the 1913 prisoners
rcived in the Western Penitsutary ut the STATE OF
Pennsylvania 2S5 mad attended pubnc schools 10 pri-
vato schools and 90 haa never gone TO school, - &c.
Now, wal are inior from all tnis7 Evidently
that school sducaIoL Instead oi making better
cit,zcns makes Them worse. Wha, then, becomes Of
he article ci fstnn OF the American peopIef
Evidently he who believes that education does tend
to diminish implies that 1. begcts crime aunot be-
eve that tree education is underlying all conhdsnce
IN the security OF A republic resting on free suf-
iragen A man who nolas such views must logically
invite Stale sio, not 10 puid up, but 10 put dow n
gwen, III Mr. Brigham Is right wuy should NO not
ssy SOP" But when we thereby undermine q "car-
s,ya nrinr,uIe OF falthu this soc,c;y should cor.
llv rg he lhetp
Bearing before II SENDS forth hr. Bnghan's doc
trines WITH the stamp oil ;s approval kof the must
part Mr. BInghams facts and tguros are capable 0i
very simple explanation Take his statement about
Italy, tor instance. Property. he says, Is more
cure there than in the Bay Stale. What does this
mean Not that there lever Urgands and nigh
way robbers but that there fewer emuczzlers. DIS
honest clerks and the IKE. Oi course there are.
The commerce OF Italy Is proportonay SO much
smaller, the property so much less valuable, thai,
Rrsl, there much less TO b. stolen, and, second,
lnere is III uch less chance OF steal ing 1t.
TEACHERS SALARIES
Having thus reviewed The laid down In the
report on puoiic education IN general we may now
proceed examine II somewhat more IN DETAIL Tho
report wlll DC seen on careial perasai may y, Is
may perhaps be called hnancia abuses, the other
with the question oi higher popular education. l
snail Oe guided by this division IN the remarks that
follow.
teaching per scholar and synopsis OF the salaries Of
the teachers anu oil the janitors. These accom-
panied by suggestions oi some special changes aud
consultations, nnd by remarks implying that tho
salaries OF some female and all the male teachers are
exorbtant Iavow, Mr.. President, that have gen.
erous syu,pa thies with tho teacher from highest
TO The lowest grade. For many years have seen
HIM, at a distance ana by the eyes
oi others, but with my eyes the school room.
have seen hun ton day IN day out, struggling TO
develop the latent germs oil mind IN his young
charges patiently aboring with the dull rcason in K
With The stubborn, bearing and iorbearing / have
him prompt at the call oil duty intelligent,
learned ana vel ever learning | have seen meu of
mind of great ability zsaiously dcyotng themselves
to form the Iuturs citizens oil the Republic, the con-
troiers vi It's destnies. devotng themselves to this
l,ftxr tar rhnu mn al
same talents and Iainmepts would be thought very
moderate compensation, devoting themselves to u
without The iantes prospect oil ever rising, VIII not
suy 10 wealth which seems within the grasp or
every business man, put to independent competence.
Their steady, patient, devoted labor, own. has made
y deep im preston me, and 1 would rather wrong
myself great deal Than them a little That some
notifications ana adjustments can be made very pos
siDie they have been made heretofore. and are made
now; but II general reduction OF salaries becomes
niinistraon, that OF the teacher Is the last would
think oi touching To me the crowd oil applicants
driven by financial stress TO proncr their services LOT
positions that they scorned ia their better days. post
Tor which tEer past career has not lifted them,
reason or cutting DOWN the compensation oil tho
man OF experience, who has chosen teaching as tho
profession he loves, not as makesni 10 enable HIM
10 tide over inc evil days OF the present financial
stress And shall we step forward, single out the
teach or VINO devotes himself 10 this most thanklcss
work, anu say to aim :'Our bookKeepers. our clerks
ana porters eniited to higher COMPENSATION than
their corJrres in other cities, but your pay must DO
gauged Dy tnat Of your fellows esowheroY' Tue
Society OF Municipal Reform 1 am convinced, can
never sanction suCn unjust discr fninatiun.
HIGHER PUBLIC EDuCATIoN.
And now, Mr. frcsidont, VIZ pass TO the consi1cra-
tion of the second subject IN tho report-higher puo
c education It's structures on this point deal partly
WITH tue question, whether the state Is Justified IN
rasing any taxes Tor tho support OF higher educa-
tioD, partly with tue manner IN which higher public
education has grown our city Is the STATE JUS
tined IN taxing It's cilizons for the purpose OF provld
ing higher eaucaton Tor their cniiarenY TO me it
seems an anachronism TO ask the question Whom
look around at the civilized nations OF the moJern
world cannot find ono which does not deem IL It's
duty 10 provide ior higher educatiou. Germany
spends OF dollars this object. Its higher
schools, iLs gymnasn, or classical SCHOOLS It's real
kcbuieu scientific academies nay, even It's univcr
sitirs, manly supported " STATE ala derived from
taxation. The FrcucD lytecs and colleges are 5tatc
Institutions iess tbsu their puDlIc schools, aud
equally dependent lcr support on tho publ mouoys
~ the very time that an attempt Is maas ~ New AN
public college, the journals INFORM US that
Via Amsterdam has asked and oOtained permis-