Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-09-11

mlhlSUratlOn, They force a change.
If the question be s'Shall free trade
prevail or duties be levied for pro-
tecting American Industry" They
answer, shall additional protection .
be given TO the rights of married +
women:" 1t is for them to decide.
Such is the moving power centroIl-
ing ali others in a government
formed as ours is and resting on
almost universal suffrage"
1t is needless to say, it is of I'M
speakable Importance that power so
vast and so for reaching should be in
telligently exercised. 1t may be ad-
mitted that the most Ignorant and un-
trained Of all cur people would net
wantonly imperil or destroy institu-
tions so precious as ours But even
honest ignorance is dangerous. Be-
yond the facility with which it may be
employed by ambitious, selfish and I'M
patriotic men lies the fact of It's inca
paclty to bring to the consideration of
the public questions that must con-
stantly arise, sound and wise iudg-
ment 1t will, it must exert its power;
but whether for good or evil is thing
Of haphazard.
Instead, therefore, Of doubling
whether the general edu cation of the
young before they come to adult years
Is matter outside of government con-
Germ, 1t IS wonder that it does not
absorb more of the public interest and
attention, more eff the wise care of the
government itself No government
can set before itself a higher duty than
that of making provision for its per-
petuity and broader usefulness, and it
seems to me, these great ends can be
secured in this country in no other
way SO efficiently as in fostering and
guiding wisely the education Of our
youth in the public schools.
In view of this principle the ques-
ton may very appropriately arise, has
the United States government done
and is it still doing all it ought to in
the cause Of educating the coming
citizens Of the Republic? Other ma
tions, whether Kingdoms, Empires or
Monarchies generally have some kind
OF national system Of education,
while our own government and Re
public at that demanding for its own
safety and protection an enlightened,
and intelligent class OF people more
truly than any Of these does not sup
ervise her educational interests in the
ioast. Each state has some sort of sys-
tenn Of its own, yet in spite Of this owing
to its weakness, and Inefficient workings
IN many, Ignorance is rapidly on the
increase, and to-day three million Tilt
crate voters assist in giving shape to
our laws. What q power is there in
these human beings subjected to no
high moral motives i'll themselves. and
capable of being led by base desires
enemies to all progress and the life Of
the nation, itself can we wonder that
in many cases our legislators are their
representatives? II then notwithstand-
ny oar state provisions for elucltion
there still remains this vast array Of
increasing ignorance it appears to me
a plain duty, for the national govern
ment to aeslst more than heretofore in
doing the grand work Of educating
her wards. 1t should never be forgot
ten that the children and youth of
the country belong not to their parents
alone; they are in one sense the heri-
tage of the nation, its property as
much SO as are the public lands or the
proceeds Of taxation, for they are to
be its supporters and the guides of its
action, the government is to live not
only for them but by them. It is this
consideration which justifes and de-
mandS the establishment and support
Of public schools by taxation and APP
preparations of public money. It is
this that justiGes governmental super.
vision OF the schools, as well as
watchlui care that they accom- plish the
purposes of their being
Nearly forty years ago Republican
Switzerland was in deplorable state
Of Ignorance and crime, now owing to
her efficient educational system her
citizens are educated, want and beg
Sdly dlS diiIiOSO uHhHOnu dIii blIlS NJ
tie nation is fast becoming a gem
among the A ps Russia since the
adoption Of her present school system
has placed herself in the front rank
of the nations Of the old world. No
tice Germany, with her thousands of
soldiers and among all the vast array,
scarce one so ignorant as not to be able
to read and write Glance a moment
at France, here we are told that the
republican leaders feel that the very
life Of the new republic, its perman-
ence. depends upon the diffusion
of popular instruction among the
masses, and with great vigor and great
liberality, they are directing their eff
forts to that point. They say that the
country must be covered with school
houses. That the smallest hamlet
must have one of its own, S23, $780,
coo, is to be expended during the
coming five years in building school
houses, Certainly this is Hberality in
the right direction. France does not
leave a question of so vital Importance
involving her very existence, to the
local option of a given portion of her
domain. No nation does except the
United States, a nation which least of
all can afford to do it.
As a result we find in one state a