The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-10-24
, EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
All communications intended for tlis column
.i"'ul't ih%ydfeSkeil 10 y. Is. OK. Holloway,
Esq. who has Xiv tly cOnsrntc,l To edit 1t.
Compulsory Education.

7 -
Civil4cstraints imply nothing more
than surrender oCoer liberty in some
!. respects. for; the purrosc OF securing
fits cXistcrce in sulnc other respects
!, "f more vital Importance. Thus we
). surrender the right to l,u;:is!s i..jnries
received, only TO- secure the agency
i.qf' law in obtaining justice for our
j.; sci, es.! i'oli,icui society ncccssaril.
involves civil government, and gov
ernment implies force aud restraint.
If we inquire into the reason Of poli'-
fical .sYriety We fpd il to he, 10. guard
against tho, .eggressions and Injuries
.kolhers, for the absence Of injustice,
no protection orr government would
he necessary. With tho truth OF
;ihcse assertions before us we art
ready 10 answer that arguu. ent so Of
ten addaced by those who keenl,
wntch' any cncroachmcnts upon oul
personal or political liberty. 1t is
urged, that a compulsory law abridgcs
zones rights and desires as citizen.
Per con'ra, is it proper that no re.
.slraints whatever will be laid upon
ones rights or desireo3 We desire
to. steal u horse, but The l.w inter
pQses, and pronounccs the pcnallS
for tbcit; evidently we arc restrained.
The children growing up in ignorance
through the neglect Of their parents
is course manifestly detrimental to
the welfare OF State or county, and
it is perfectly admissible for the law
10 stcp, up and order those children
sent 10 school.
We believe if the State has the
right 10 establish public school sys
TEN, it should compel the attendance
.of its children. The State has til,
same right to compel the ignorant TO
learn that it has TO compel the penu-
rions to pay for that learning. 1t
has the same and better right to COM
pei the childlcn to attend school, that
it has to compel this man, who is
'childless, to pay taxes to educate the
children OF another. But if the State
has the right TO provide for any inter
Tia! improvement, it has the righ. to
provide for all progress. If the State
may enforce regulations for the
health of the body, it may do the
same for tile mind. If the State has
a right TO hang criminal, it has q
better light TO prevent that crime by
proper culture. The right to impris
Oh and execute implies the right to
use the best means to prevcn; the
need of either. Tbs cry of '.tyranni
cal, " "alhitrary," "inconsistent with
Democratic principles" "antagonist-
&C to civil liberties" "smacks Of mon.
;;rchy,' is a false howl, and sounds
very well in the speakers own ears,
but the people prefer facts and figures
TO this long Nindcd rhetoric. If these
blatant dcmagogucs would exert one
hall the zeal in trying TO build up
ihe educational interests Of our coun-
t.y that they do in rara,ling their
lrainless heads before the people, we
might have = better government.
No, no! compulsory education don't
mean that 1t means that the gov
'crnmcnt wants TO make useful and
honorable and Intelligent citizens out
of the youths growing up; it wants
TO enhance The value OF its property;
IL wants that "chcap defence of q ma
llon" that Burke spoke Of; it wants
safety from the attacks of all enemies
internal and external, material and
physical, or moral and spiritual ; it
wants that peaceful security, happi-
ness and virtue which education alone
can give; it wants communism de-
posed and JUSTICE cnthroncd it wants
religion, the Bible, the church to 60
on conqucring and TO conquer.
.Thats what It wantsl
{ /
LIE Spelling Reform in the prog
rcss Of the times is "boomnp."