Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-04-14
A Reply to '.Llmner.o
Ed. Register-

Ed. Register-
j I notice in your last issue that "Iim.
ner" attacks our entire system of public
schools, and says he has "more serious
objections to our present school system
than he can compress into newspaper
article" He says it is ''illiberal, /" Sim
moral" and "impolitic;" and intimates
that none but fools will defend it.
Now, I am SO fortunate $50 think
as to differ with him widely in opinion;
and, of course. don't think am foolish
to any great extent. And I venture to
hope that my intelligence will compare
favorably with his.
| 1t is just as liberal to compel man
to send his children to school (even
against his willy for the good of the
Government as it is to force a man to
pay taxes against his will for the sup
port of the Government.
There are great many people in the
United States who think this Govern
lnent is not free Government, because
it will not allow people to do as they
please-that it is not liberal to force a
man to obey law that he does not ap-
prove. We hear a great deal of this
kind of talk about the liquor laws.
They will tell you it is not free coun-
try where a man is not allowed to sell
what he pleases, and sell it as he
| pleases.
Education is in the interest of moral
ity and religion; few intelligent people
will deny this. Experience has proved
that the only way to educate all the
people is by compulsory laws.
ask Mr.. 'Limner" to carefully eX-
anime all the records of school attend
ance he can gain access to, and notice
how many children are reported of
school age in the district and how
many are enrolled on the school regis
ter. He will find that MANY children
do not attend school at all, and more at
tend only occasionally. We all know
the result.
There is not more than One-half of the
people in this county that have acquir-
ed a good common school edueation-I
do not believe there is One-third-and
a great many have no education at all.
Why, the privileges of education
are so sadly neglected in this State
that we fill most of our offices with ed
ucated Germans, who obtained their
education under compulsory laws! II
you notice carefully think you will
find that majority of the offices in
this State are filled by Germans. Why
is this? Are there so many more Ger
mans i'm Missouri than there are of any
other class: Are the Germans better
people than Americans? I think not.
Then why this state of affairs? Simply
because they are better fitted for these
positions by reason of their superior ed
ucation. Hence it is not only our privi-
lege to educate our children, but it is
Our duty. 1t is our duty we owe to
our children, to society. to morality and
religion.
10 our children, because it will make
them happier, purer and more useful.
To society, to enable them to be useful
members, and fill their places credita-
bly, in the drama of life. To morality,
because education is the foe to vice, and
will go far towards clearing our prisons
and work houses of their inmates. To
religion, because education will give us
better thoughts and purer motives; it
will enable us to appreciate more fully
the mercies and blessings of our Divine
Master, and enable us to serve him bet
ter.
Again say, it is not only our privi-
Iege to educate our children, but it is
our duty, and a duty that should be
enforced by law.
MONROE House.
IRON Mt, Mo-. April 18th, 1881.