The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-09-11
0ar @lio.
State Education and its Tendency.
An Address Delivered ~ las. A. G. Bona,
Esq, before the Carroll County
Teachers fhstfaute, on sep
fember Rad, Iseo.


Mr.. Chairman, Ladies aud Geaflen,en
Of The Institute FL think Il can be said,
as generally true, that when We have to
provide for our daily wants, we are more
or less Inclined TO become dissatisfied with |
our employment. That, indeed, we are
disposed TO set the value upon our work |
in the proportion as il pays us; If il
prove unremuneratiye, we feel we have
but an inconsiderable work in hand, aud |
thus are lead to increase our efforts or de. |
press thenl as We perceive the substantial
fruits Of our labor in remunerative cur
rency. believe am correct 10 recog.
Dizing this tendency 10 most Of US, aud IL
so, know Of no class of laborers more likely
or liable to fall under the influence Of
this rule than the class now before me, the
State school teachers Of Carroll county;
but, pardon me, if pause right here,
aud with some emphasis suggest, that
though your quarterly installment would
not gladden. the heart Of Rothschild,
could apathy aud in6dslity to any trust or
duty be possibly followed BY more serious
consequences than from their appearance
in your ranks. For remember your pres
ent work involves d two-fold obligation;
the one to yourselves as individuals, the
other to society and the general good Of
mankind. So much then for these pre-
liminary words Of caution, spoken to you
at time when most Of you are about re-
nswing the hard labors Of the coming
school year; nor have l fears Of being
misunderstood by you. Now, / will take
up for discussion, in short paper, this
morning, several Of the current education
al questions of the day. Ny examination
Of them, were it thorough and complete,
could not in my Judgment fail to command
your most thoughtful attention; as il is,
with only short aud broken intervals at
my command to gather and weigh my re-
heetions, / can hope to do but little more
than present the outlines Of tho subject !
wish 10 consider. | shall adopt the plan
Of questions and answers as best tending
to illustrate and enforce the points under
discussion. Aud first l will ask you:
What is this contract between you and
the State2 And secondly:
In what way do you propose TO execute
il 30 as to satisfy both the State and your
selves
The nero presentation Of these practi
cal questions would seem 70 imply readY
answer, but in getting closer TO them yol
viii likely discover more difficulty thai
you at FIRST would probably anticipate, 70
an examination Of them leads on to othe
5 and very important questions.
You preceive that 10 the answer TO th
/, first question proposed there is involve
! the construction Of the contract betweeI
!, you and the State; nor indeed can you avoi
y constituting it; neither is it possible 70
Q you TO construe it specifically, since ther
y is not day in which your profession do,
s not call for the clearcst expression Of yoI
views on Il In all that you say and do
the school room.
Before, however, undertaking to answ
il, let us reach a position ia its furth,
examination which win possibly aid us
!, determining how we should best be guide
: to its solution. We had better ia d
!, , FIRST place inquire ofthe State her motive
|. policy aud theory in entering into tn
: contract at all, in order to understand Ii
indueement on her part to the contrac
When interrogated for her reasons an
motives in assuming and directing ii
instruction Of youth, the State repliel
7 that she is bound to il by the laws Of be
own self.preservation; that 10 no oths
way can she preserve her own aulonom
and transmit 10 those who are to folio,
the blessings of. civil liberty Of which sh
is the guardian. And now We can readil
comprehend what the State means in tak
ing into her hands the education Of th
people, aud We, too, get wider and NOR
animated view Of the design Of the Stat,
in securing your services as the instructor
Of her young citizens. On the one hand
we see her in the exercise Of the best ant
highest Of her civic functions; on the othei
you as the factors TO its execution. w,
can now, for the first time, 60 back 10 the
question put, comprehend Il in all il
parts and bearings and accurately define
it, The next question then presents itselI
somewhat as supplementary TO the first
viz-In what way do you propose to exc
cute il 50 as to satisfy both the State and
yourselyesp This is the open question
Of the day, with its difficulties. In other
words:-What sort Of education does The
State and you contemplate as necessary tC
compass the ends tho State has 10 view Ia
your employment as her teachers2
Shall il, for instance, be secular OF
notI The answer comes very quickly tc
this last question, from the advocates Of
the present system and il Is in the afirma.
tive. Then, her open policy is for secular
education. Then recurs this other ques.
tion:--Can you by any amount Of aiten,
tion Ia your profession; can you, BY exc
cutting your covenant with the State how,
ever faithfully, secure to her her ayowsd
purposes 10 the establishment Of the schoo
SYSTEM Can you, 10 palmer words, by
merely impafting secular knowledge to The
pupil, rear up such citizen as will BE-
fitted 70 guard the interest and secure the
safety Of the State I apprehend not
| apprehend We arc ventnring upon an
experiment, tending towards q novelty
Maybe, perhaps, perilous novelty, Are
you prepared to cut away from the moor.
ings Of the past altogether aud swing out
into the sea OF experiment and chance
there to try the winds Of new doctrine
Let US well consider il before we get away
too far. Why, education secularized, If you
can conceive such possible, would be as
fatal TO the life Of the nation as yiciousIy