River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-10-07

labors i'll this direction have failed, thus
far, to attract us greatly the notice of
our citizens, as have his eminent SER
vices in the army, and in civil positions.
Yet they entitle him, as much as any
other efforts of his life, to the cordial
support Of the people-especially our
teachers and other educators, at the
presidential election this fall.
Let us examine with candor the points
under this subject. General Garfield
heartily endorses the principle IN the
present platform of the republican
party, set forth as follows 'The work
of popular education is left to the care
of the several states, but it IS the duty
of the national government to aid that
work to the extent of its constitutional
ability" The platform further states,
eve recommend that the constitution
be so amended as to lay the same pro
hibition upon the legislature OF each
state, and to forbid the appropriation
of public funds to the support of secta-
from one of the highest sources, of the
most precious interests of eighteen mil
lions of children and youth, for whom
it is sought to provide the best instruc-
ton in the schools fall the states and
territories. 1t is a pledge that this
party, if continued in power, will use
the authority of the general government
to strengthen, in all legitimate ways,
the educational movements OF the dit
ferent states, and to prevent the mlsap-
preparation of the school funds, which
have usually been derived from the
sale of lands donated by the United
States Th worth of such national aid
can be best measured by considering
its utility in encouraging the support
ers Of the public schools, where they
have been longest established, in Sc
curing needed improvements IN the
systems underlying these schools. Its
necessity can be understood by noting
the present educational condition of
both the white and negro population OF
the southern states, where at least sew
enty-fve per cent. of the children at
tend no schools, and one-half Of these
will soon use the ballot. There the
school operations are crippled and In
efficient, the school funds have been
largely misapplied or squandered, and
the intense hostility to public and free
education, which has so long prevailed
in many sections, has not been allayed.
The republican party and its chosen
leader comprehend that no more inn
perative duty now rests upon the coun-
try than the maintenance of efficient
school systems throughout the south.
In his letter of acceptance, General
Garfield writes on this subjet as follows:
Next in importance to freedom and
Justice is popular education, without
which neither justice nor freedom can
be permanently maintained. Its inter
ests are intrusted to the states, and to
the voluntary action of he people,
Whatever help the nation can Justly
afford, should be generously given to
aid the states in supporting common
schools; but it would be would be UNI
Just to our people, and dangerous to
our institutions, to apply any portion
ofthe revenues of the nation or OF the
states to the support of sectarlan
schools" The forcible meaning of
these earnest words can be judged from
the active and consistent endeavors of
General Garfield in his public life, for
twenty years, to advance general edu-
cation in this country. Their practical
import can be best weighed by placing
them by the side of the recent utter
ance of a prominent citizen of Nlr-
ginia, viz; "When millions of citizens
are growing up in the grossest ignor-
ance it is obvious that neither lndlvld-
ual charity nor the resources of I'M
poverished states will be sufficient to
meet the emergency. Nothing short of
the wealth and power of the federal
government will suffice to overcome the
evil"
Before Genersl Garfield's entrance
upon official life, he was essentially a
schoolmaster. His preparation in the
public school, academy, and college
was with the immediate view of engag-
ing in teaching. He gave instruction
in schools of all these grade, and here
acquired his first distinction. He had
rare opportunities to test the worth Of
the knowledge gained from our school
books, and the necessity of strict dis
cipline enforced in our schools in fit
ting men to be law-abiding citizens.
He has studied with true philosophical
insight the principles and methods
which form the basis of our system of
education. He has repeatedly shown
himself to be in full sympathy with
the aims and eXtertons of that class OF
our people who maintain the best
schools, at the cost of great labor and
the sacrifice of personal comfort He
understands, with the cleaness ofnoon-
day light, the important needs of thor
ough public education to develop the
resources of the country, to establish a
high standard of the general morality,
and to cultivate the sentiments of
lasting patriotism.
His views on this subject have often
been expressed in his addres sos before
students, popular gatherings and his
fellow members Of the house Of repre-
sentatives. In an address given i'll 1867
before a literary society at Hiram, o.,
he says, "The nation having passed
through the childhood Of its history,
and being about to enter upon new
life, based on a fuller recognition OF the
rights of manhood, has discovered that
liberty can be safe only when suffrage
is Illuminated by education. 1t is now
perceived that the life and light OF a
nation are inseparable."
In speaking of the establishment OF
agricultural colleges in this country,
and of what he terms 1.-The stupid and
criminal neglect" of our higher schools
to furnish proper instructions to the
tillers OF the soil, he says, The people
of the United States have found so little
being done or likely To be done to edu-
cate men for the work of agriculture,
that they have demanded and ut last
secured from their political servants in
congress, an appropriation sufficient to
build and maintain, in each state of the
union, college for the education OF
farmers. The scholar an1 the worker
must join hands If both would be sue
cessful. The measure had his earnest
support in congress.
He alludes to prominent defect m
our former systems of education, as one
of the causes of the dormant and dy-
ing patriotism" of the nation before the
civil war Seven years ago there was
scarcely an American college in which
more than four weeks ont of the four
years course were devoted to studying
the government and history Of the
United States For this defect / have
neither respect nor liberation. IL IS far
inferior to the educational system Of