Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-15

never come. II is not within the scope Of its
power to compel its citizens TO bear the bur
den Of this broader parental responsibility to
the child. II die, or wickedly or even in
nocently neglect TO give my child the legal or
art training which his highest happiness re-
quires the state cannot Justly tax my neigh
Dor to give it to him. Christian love may do
it by private or organized benevolence the
state has no power in the case.
But with reference TO the second kind of
responsibility OF parent with respect TO his
child-his responsibility for him TO society
the state must have a care. Parents, as / have
said, owe 1t TO their children to train them TO
be good citizens; that is, TO vote wisely, to
serve well as public officials when called upon,
and TO be no burden to the state, either as
paupers or criminals. They also owe it to
society to give them such training. IT, then,
any parent is remiss in this respect, society
may compel him to discharge this obligation.
II he is unable to do it, society may assume
the duty for him. II child is left without
parents, by their death or crime, society may
assume this parental duty for him In these
cases. say, the state may assume this obi-
CATION to the child. More than this-it must
assume it. The fundamental idea of the state,
as the organization of society for the defence
of human rights, compels it 10 assume this
duty. We may state 1t concsely thus: Il is
good citizen. The state may, and, If neces-
sary, must, compel him to do this. II he
fails TO do it, the state must take the parents
place and discharge this duty to the child not
for the child's sake--that is not the province
of the state-but for its own sake, in the dis
charge of its own duty 10 society. This is
the precise duty Of the state. Beyond this it
cannot legtimately go short of this it cannot
safely stop. II it should be asked who shall
decide what training is necessary to prepare
the child to be a good citizen, the answer
must be, The state must decide. Here is the
business Of craftsmanship in relation to state
education. In determining this most difficult
and important question, certain general con-
sideratons, derived from the Fundamental
idea of government must be observed. The
largest liberty must be left to the individual
consistent with the object sought The
amount of training required will depend in
part upon the degree of civilization attained
by society, and the state should not attempt
to give a training beyond the requirements of
the society for which it acts. 1t should care
fully consider the ability of society to bear
the cost Of such training as it attempts to
give. 1t should not attempt to give a degree
of training which the great body Of the chill
dren cannot in the nature of the case receive
The best educated community is the freest
and has the most complete use of its natural
rights. The principle of protection would
therefore give warrant for the requirement by
the state Of a very high degree of training;
but 1t would be gross violation of the prin-
ciple of equality of rights for a state in which
the people are dependent upon their daily la
Dor for their daily bread TO require that all
the citizens should receive university educa-
ton No doubt the liberties Of a people are
best protected when all the citizens are quail
fed for the highest duties Of statesmanship
but it would be both unjust and foolish to re-
quire that all the citizens should receive years
of training in history, political economy aud
international law. The maintenance OF the
liberties Of the people seems to require the
special training of some Of the citizens for
the bloody work of war, and, because citizens
IN their private capacity cannot give this train
ing, and, indeed, cannot be trusted with so
perilOus power as such training creates, the
state must maintain military and naval train
ing schools but what oppression may be
wrought by the attempt to give the whole
body Of the people years Of such training, at
an immense cost of time and money, the
great military nations Of Europe are now H.
lustrating. Great practical wisdom is requir-
ed to determine what school training the state
shall require every citizen to receive. But
the very difficulties of the problem illustrate,
not only the principles involved in it, but also
lIN hNNNebAAl Vi bAhte GuuChllOus
and not only this necessity, but also that state
education should be kept strictly within its
own limits. The state is competent to require
that every member Of society should be train
ed to good citizenship. To this extent, and
this only, has it anything 10 do with the edu-
cation OF the people.
One further question arises in this connec-
ton: How shall the state secure this training
for its citizensl There can be no doubt that,
in the main, the American public school sys-
tenn answers the question correctly. have
said that it is the duty of parents to give their
children the best possible education for them
in view of all their interests, whether tempo
raj or eternal that they also owe it to society
TO train their children to good citizenship. 1
have further pointed out that society, through
the agency of government, must require and
compel parents TO give this latter training to
their children, and must by its own agencies
give it TO those who in any way lose their par
ents. Now, If all children had parents, and
all parents would and could discharge their
whole duty to their children, very simple
governmental principle, recognized by mod
ern statesmen-that the state should never
attempt to do what the citizens would natu-
rally do as well or well enough without state
supervision and aid-would release the state
in practice from all part in the work of educa-
ton but, as many children are orphans by
the death or crime of their parents, and only
comparatively few parents are both able and
willing to give their children the training
which the welfare of society requires, the
state must provide educational facilities for a
large proportion of the children of each gem
Grafton. 1t is therefore plainly the part of
wisdom to open the state schools TO all the
children, and provide accommodations for all.
Just here very important principle appears
in the theory of state schools. The state
must require that all the children receive the
training needed for good citizenship, and
therefore should provide facilities for such
training for all but it would certainly be a
violation of personal liberty if the state should
compel parents to send their children to the
public schools, provided the parents will give
their children the needed training in any 9TH
er school, or by home instruction. Its juris-
diction is over the fact of training, and not
over the mode of giving it. But out of this
jurisdiction over the fact of training-the re-
suit to be obtained-oomes the right and duty
of the state TO inspect those private schools
in which children not ia the public schools
are trained, and even the instruction given TO
children at home, who are not sent to the
public schools, SO far as 10 make sure that the
future citizens receive the proper preparation
for their duties, and do not receive instruc-
ton hostile to the liberties of the people and
the permhhehce OF lhe STATE 1hls pIlhclple
of the right and duty of society to inspect
the education of children not in the public
schools, so far as that education has to do with
good citizenship, is of supreme importance.
American citizens, knowing their rights, priz-
ing their liberties, and resolved to maintain
them, should never forget this principle.
They will be very careful to make use of it
with all possible patience and clemency. A
very little abuse of the principle would con-
vert it into a most abominable source of tyr
amy. But it is easy TO see that the case
might arise in which it would be the duty of
the state TO say to certain parents; The
training you are pretending to give your chill
dren at home, and are Offering as substitute
for public school instruction, is preparing
them to be a burden to society as paupers or
criminals, and you must therefore send them
to the public schools or TO say TO the teach
ara and nnirnna of a nrivniA snhnnl. Ynn