Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-04-21
Compulsory Education.

nual Convention Of the Southeast Missouri Teach
ers' Association, At Cape Girardeau.
In % much as we have republican form Of
government, every citizen is not only privi-
legged but is called upon to lend his influence
in making the laws BY which We ara governed.
There 10 no question as to there being .
greater responsible hty resting upon rs to edu-
cate than upon the citizens of country where
they have but little or nothing to say in the
making of the laws by which they are governed.
II possible, imagine the dangerous innuenc-
es that might be brought to bear upon our
Government by ignorant voting.
It has often heen said that no man is At for
legislator who Is not familiar with the his
tory Of his country. with its progress, with its
development, with the cmbarrassments It has
encountered, with the advances 1t has made.
and the causes of these embarrassments and
advances. And IL such knowledge il essential
for q legislator, it would seem to be equally
control their actions.
Perhaps you have no idea how great Is the
number of legal voters In our State who do
not know whether George Washington, in the
war OF the Revolution, was . friend to the
America rs or the En- nalish,-saying nothing of
the details of our country's history.
Can our country be safe controlled by such
intelligence!
1t is needless to say, 1t is of unspeakable
importance that power so vast and so far
reaching should be intelligently exercised.
1t may be admitted that the most ignorant
and unframed of all our people would not
wantonly imperil or destroy an institution 30
precious As our Government. But even hon.
est ignorance is dangerous. Many ignorant
votes were cast at our late election that might
have been intelligent votes but for the negl. ct
of the education of the voter when youth.
He was not sent to school because he had .
right to stay out when he felt like doing SO.
Compulsory education would not help the
present generation of voters much, but it
would work wonderful change in that gen.
erat on that is now in school, or ra her of
school age.
To receive q valuable present is an honor.
and one, toe, that we all like to have conferred
upon us. President Hayes considered it an
honor to receive from Queen Victoria a desk
made from the hulk Of Her Maj aj.sty's Ship
Resolute. An ancient on one occasion re-
ceived, as q present, a beautiful horse. The
FIRST thing he did after receiving this present,
was to build a shelter for the horse, hy which
he showed his respect to the giver for his kind.
ness, as well as to add to the comfort OF the
animal.
Not one of us did anything to release th s
country rom the tyranny of English rule-its
liberty having been secured by the patriots Of
seventeen hundred and seventy-s -seven, Con-
stitution framed, and the Government trans
mitted to us. Then why should not we, like
the ancient, manifest our appreciation for
this valuable present, as well as show our re-
spect for those who gave It, by devising q
plan to preserve it against the ch ling blasts
of ignorance, the most uncompromislng enc
my OF republican form Of government
The best weapon that can be placed In the
h -nds OF our people with which to defend our
Government, and to prevent its dying the
death Of the Carthaginian Government centu-
ries ago, Is an education.
What means can be improvised to put into
the hands of every citizen this weapon, whose
use Is the suresr defense against tyranny and
vicel
We have had the benefit Of public schools
for a member of years, and the establishment
of these schools is long step in the proper
direction. These public schools have been
the medium through which great deal has
been accomplished; yet they are inadequate to
the demands, insufficient to SUPPLY the needs
of the country. Tney are not crowned with
that supreme success which they deserve.
Some people profit by the public schools;
others, who enjoy equal privileges, do not,
simply because they neglect to turn to an ad-
vantage the op ortunlties presented them.
The latter class exists in all places where the
law of compulsion has not been adopted; and
it is my opinion that 1t will continue to be un-
til law of that character be enforced.
We are all aware of the fact that the thought
of parents being compelled by law to send their
children to school for number of years is not
met with warm appreciation by great num-
Der of our best ci:ixens-cause, q lack Of in
vestigation.
1t occurs to me that If the subject of COM
pulsory education was little more ventillat-
ed, that it would have in the State Of Missouri
many earnest supporters who are now its BIT
terest enemies.
We can arrive at very correct idea of what
effect this law would have here amongst rs BY
noticing the effect elsewhere.
Prussia has a school system supported by q
public fund; also, law compelling the par
ents to eend their children to school. from the
age of five years TO fifteen years. Switzerland
has q government similar to that Of the Unit
ed States; 1t has q system OF public schools
much like ours. 1t has no law OF compulsion,
but recently the feelings of the people were
tested on that subject BY vote. Having in
view the maxim of Pe-talozi, that the best
antdote to distress and poverty and the sur
est road to public welfare is enlightenment,
and, as means Of disseminating this antidote,
nothing would equal . law OF compulsory edu-
cation, the result of the vote was largely In
favor of adopting t. Their public school sys-
TEN, though the best In existance, they con-
sidered, in . measure, incapable Of reaching
the masses.
have said that the compulsory law OF
Prussia requires the children 10 enter echool
at the sge OF five and remain until fifteen. A
little change there might be made, and thus
render It more acceptable to the average Mis-