The Portland daily press., 1880-10-16
Bricks Without Straw. <

when the tale of bricks is doubled Moses
comes," we are told by Hebrew
proverb. Judge Tourgee believes the
schoolmaster the Moses to lead the
South from the house of bondage, and
hopes his coming is close at hand. This be-
lief and this hope make the inspiration of
his latest book; and the propositions ad-
vanced therein and the inferences drawn
therefrom by so wise and judicial teacher
will win respect and careful study if not
general acquiescence. Judge Tourgee be.
lieves that education is the great need of
the South, and Bricks without Straw" is
plea for that education-how vividly and
and reasonably made those who
have read the book will testify and those
familiar with ga FOOLS Errand' can anti
cipate. By education he does not mean
wide acquaintance with books nor even only
the simple curriculum of the common
school, but political education as we'll
knowledge of and familiarity with the prac-
teal working of government. His hope
lies in those two great forces, the district
school and the town meeting, that have
made New England what it is. The one
will rescue the new Southern voter from the
deceptions and sperils to which his igno-
rance exposes him, the other will give him
an actual acquaintance with political meth
DDS, with government by discussion, with
the uses and ends of the ballot. The school
does away with the dangers of an ignorant
vote. The town-meeting teaches the voter
the art of self-government by giving him a
voice in the determination of the affairs of
his own community and leading him to the
consideration and discussion of policies and
actions in whose result he has the most i'm
mediate and intimate concern. He inter-
ests himself in questions of local taxation,
of internal improvements, of frugal and
honest administration, comes to under
stand them, and is prepared to use in wi
der field the knowledge thus gained. The
miniature government he helps administer,
whose policy he assists in shaping, and
whose servants he chooses, teaches him
somethingof the nature, interests, and limit
ations of the large government which di-
rects the nation, familarizes him with
economic and governmental questions and
educates him to the duties and RESPONSE
bilities and rights of the citizen in self-gov-
erning community.
The value of the town-meeting as politi-
cal educator has long been recognized by
the ablest students of the history of this
country But few, it may be safely asserted,
are aware that it is only in the free North
that the town-meeting plays its part. 1t
does not figure in Southern politics. One
great political party in this country, it is
true, and the party whose strength lis main
ly in the South, has, much to Isay for local
self-government and home-rule and against
Capitalization. But local self-government
does not exist in the South. The term is
only deceptive and pleasing mask for the
hateful phrase, State Rights. The thing is
not. Our township system, our little COM
munities regulating their own local affairs,
managing their own schools, building
their own bridges, and mending their
own roads. are unknown. On the
sBricks Without Straw. Novel. BY Albion
W. TouYQee. Nsw York. Fords Howard HUI
bert. Portland: Dresser M'Lellan and Loring
Short Harmon.