, 1880-09-12
NATIONAL EDUCATION,

some months ago lie TRIBUNE; sue
ceeded in directing large share OF the pub
Lie attention to project for nationalizing thu
public7school system OF this country to the
extent at least Of lending National aid to the
States for the support II free schools under
proper conditions. The National Conventions
Of both the Republican and the Democratic
parties recognized the public sentiment IA
vorable to the extension Of the public-schoo1
system by incorporating in their platforms a
| general approval Of the idea President
| Hayes, In nearly every public utte1nnce he
has delivered during his Journey to Ca1ifor-
MIA, has made this idea the chief burden Of
! his discourse. The. New York Herald re-
Gently applauded the prominence which he
has given to the subject; and summed up its
own opinion In the following terms:
Mr.: Hayes may be in error IN maintaining that
the the Federal Government should supply facilities
The pabiic vii naosse rs Els veS
that the meanspf, education should he furn shed
has dune much in this direction, and mag prop
er1y do more. The large distribution Of surplus
revenue among The states more than forty
an education fund. Although nomtnally de-
posit, 1t will never be recalled. In all the new
States Congress hus made ample donations Of
pu6l1c lands FOR educational purposes It would
be difficult to show that Congress has exhausted
lts authority on this subject, and Mr; Hayes
late that body to do what it can.
"Congress has done much in this direction,
and may properly do more,"'. says the Herald;
and this is precisely the end at which THE
TRIBUNE has aimed. The country. needs q
thorough investigation aud broad discus
sion OF the .public-school system as 1t is
maintained North and South and in the
various States. This can only be obtained
through Congress, The statistics Of the re-
cent census will probably furnish useful
Information on the subject. The develop
ments of such scrutiny at the hands Of the
National Legislature will reveal In large
part, the causes for prevailing ignorance,
prejudice, intolerance, and sectioualism in
certain States, and it will suggest the proper
remedy. 1t will pay for the American peo-
pie to devote portion Of the surplus seve-
nues OF the General Government and
particularly part Of that revenue yielded
by whisky and tobacco, to the maintenance |
OF public schools In the benighted districts
upon common principle of perfect freedom |
and equality to all races, all sects, and all !
classes. The principle of Natfonalism de-
mands that certain sections shall be pre-
vented from teaching through textbooks the
cherishing Of false traditions and intoxicating
sentiment Of hostility to National-soyer-
eighty The same principle demands that no
ruling caste in any part OF the country shall
be permitted to deprive the other inhabitants
of all school facilities, and keep great masses
Of the people in dense ignorance. The
school system Of many Of the Southern
States is in aTdeplorabie condition. lis
mainly responsible for the sectional ami
mostly, race hatred, and class injustice
hat prevail in those States. There is
10 other remedy for its defects and its in
urfes than that Of exerting National control
the extent Of imposing the spirit of the
Sationa Constitution, and this can be- OBJ
AIMED through National aid. It will be bet
Ct to devote a portion of the surplus revenue
such a purpose than to consent to the
ctuai abolition Of the internal~revenue j