Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-10-14
other Political Matters.
General Garfield on the Subject of Edu-
cation.

General Garfield on the Subject of Edu-
cation.
In a speech delivered in congress in
1866, Gen. Garfield mentions the mil
lions of dollars raised annually in Ohio
for the support of common schools, the
thousands of school houses that were
erected, and the hundreds ofthousands
Of children educated at the public ex-
lpense; and says in connection, '"Tris,
in my judgment, is the proper gauge
by which to measure the progress and
glory Of state"
At this time, he noticed the large
number of our illiterate population, who
are composed chiefly of free white per-
sons over tWenty-one years Cf age, and
the slave OF the south admitted to citi-
zenship. He exclaims, ''Such is the
immense force which we must now con-
fort by the genius of our institutions
and the light of our civilization. How
shall it be done? An American citizen
can give but one answer. We must
pour upon them all the light of our
public schools. We must make them
intelligent, industrious, patriotic citi-
zens, or they will drag us and our chill
dren down to their level. Does not this
question rise to the full height of
national Importance, and demand the
best efforts of craftsmanship to adjust
it?"
He give some pertinent extracts
from the speeches of our former lead
ers, and then closes with the paragraph,
''It is remarkable that SO many good
things have been said, and SO few
things done by our national statesmen
in favor Of education. If we inquire
what has been done by the governments
OF other countries to support and ad-
vance public education, we are COM
PEELED to confess with shame that every
government in christendOm has given Il
more intelligent and effective support
to schools than our own"
The National Bureau Of Education,
at Washington was established largely
by the efforts of General Garfield. This
is his most distinguished service for
the cause Of public schools. The Ma
tional Journal of Education speaks of
him as ''the boss carpenter on this
Bureau" Hon. Philetus Sawyer, a
member of congress from Wisconsin
when the subject was under discussion
in that body, testifies that General Gar
fields magnificent speech delivered on
the occasion, and his personal influence
With the members of both houses, Sc
cured the passage of the measure.
This is the most important scheme
ever adopted to systemize and nation
alize the work of popular education in
this country The prominent teachers
associations, state and national, had
petitiuned several years for its forma-
ton. Abroad, there was no public en-
terprise of the kind, which is more use
full and more highly respected. The
French Commission of ofEducatiOn to this
country in 1876 speak of it as "the
beautiful and simple organization, :"
which does ''more for the progress and
improvement of the scholastic institu-
ton than the deerees of an administra-
tive authority with the most extensive
powers could produce They represent
that the purposes Ofthe Bureau are the
publication of the annual reports,
of the whole Union, and offer compar-
atIve resumes of the official documents
Ofthe several states; and also reports
which are intended to give accounts Of
condition of education in all parts Of
the world, and to lay before educators
valuable statistics and essays of great
importance.
In 1866, General Garfield introduced
into the house of Representatives bill
to establish national bureau of edu-
cation. At his request, it was referred
to a select committee of seven men,
| 1O,,, IF 1nh 1Or 10 oho
Within two months the committee re
ported back the bill with amendments,
which elected considerable discussion,
and was defeated. 1t was opposed
strongly by the democratic m embers,
among whom was Hon. Samuel ].
Randall now speaker of the house. In
fact, they strenuously resisted the
measure in all stages of its progress
| through both branches of congress.
AfterWard, General Garfield secured
the reconsideration of the vote by
which the bill was lost, and in spite of
the lukewarmness of the members of
his own party, and the antagonism of
the opposing party, he then carried the
scheme by vote of nearly two to one
in the house. In the following year,
the senate concurred in this action, by
a very large majority.
In his speech in support of the bill,
General Garfield presented more con-
vincing reasons why such a bureau
should be created. He represented that
it was impossible to obtain from any
source, complete and reliable statistics
showing the educational condition
the whole country. The nation had
no means of knowing the amount of
the vast sums of money annually eX-
pended by the states for schools. The
general government is powerless to as
certain what use has been made the
millions ofsquare miles of land which
it has donated for the support of
schools. He argued that the reports of
this bureau would hold up to the ver-
dict of public opinion the delinquen-
cies of those states which have no sys-
tenn of common schools, and compel
them for shame to educate their chill