The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1881-02-02

too many instances In which facts do not appear
to support this theory. There are cases OF parent
al brutality and neglect which demand the cor
the father loses control of his child who becomes
a terror and menace 10 the community. From
such dangers society has right to protect itself
I but when there is no such oeplorable result APP
parent or threatened. would 10 not be an imper-
linency for an officer OF the law to enter mans
castle and demand 10 know, in the name OF the
Continental Congress. whether his seven year-old
infant had yet learned his a-b-abs?
| But laying aside. for the time. al sentimental
scruples il may be well 20 consider the question
whether compulsory school law can be efficient
been executed" But where? Why. IN Prussia and
some other countries of Europe. where the
the machinery Of Government IS so vast, and its
power centralized, where the individuality of
the subject Is lost sight OF in the mighty and over
shadowing presence of the royal prerogatiye.
Here. there are no citizens, only subjects. In
least his three years in the Army. officials and
paid spies of the Government are everywhere.
Not so with us; nor would our people brook such
threatening dire calamity.
Several States already have
COMPULSORY SCHOOL LAWS.
but in none is non attendance made prima facie
evidence OF violation of the law. They require
that every child between certain ages shall be
sent TO school for a certain number OF consecutive
weeks every year. unless otherwise furnished
| already acquired the branches taught in
the Public schools How then Is
officer whether
an absentee has other means of instruction or
has acquired the education demanded by law?
The law prescribcs no mode except by inquiry,
TO devise any other mode. If the inquiry be made
of the parent how easy and what temptation il
would be to falsihy for the sake OF avoiding the
must be of the child and to avoid the same dan
ger OF deception here the inquiry must be in the
form Of an examination. Aud. indeed. such is
lOsOpher and statesman. John Stuart Mill, who.
am sorry to say, Is not on my side of the quest
ion.
''I regard il almost as an axiom" said he.
THAT the state should require and compel. the
education, up TO a certain standard, OF every hu-
man being who is born a citizen" He goes on
further TO say. 1.-THE instrument for enforcing the
law r.. c. OF compulsory educatiOni could be no
other than public examinations. extending to ali
children. and beginning at an early age. An age
might be fixed az which every child must he ex-
amined to ascertain il he or she is able TO read If
the child proves unable unless he has some sufii-
cient ground of excuse, the father might be sub
jected to q moderate fine. TO be worked out, If
necessary, by his labor. and the child might be
the examination should be renewed. with a
gradually extending range of subjects, 30 As TO
make the universal acquisition, and. what is
more, retention OF a certain minimum OF general
knowledge virtually compulsory"
Ii there is any practicable method of giving
effect TO compulsory education except that of re-
quiring every healthy Child actually 20 attend
school, without leaving 10 the parents the option
OF home instruction, or the plan quoted from Mr.
ing. No one proposes to take from parents the
privilege of home instruction. There is then no
other alternative We must have an annual
public examination extending to all children,
and embracing gradually extending range of
subjects from year TO year, an examination in
which the victim sub judice Of the lawyers will
allow one a slight miSapplicatiOn of that Dhrase)
is not so much the child as the hapless father
Subjected 10 thIsteSt there is many boy who at
tends school year in and year out that would
bring his poor father 20 grief. Our school chill
dren surely could not in fairness be excused from
deputies our hOnored Superintendent OF Public
Instruction would have to employ in this new
| service What thrilling and exciting experiences
too, would they be likely to meet with In the per-
Torrance of their arduous duties; chasing un
tanned little wretches into cutters, up hay-l0ftS
through corn fields and in the brush! Imagine
these urchins after they have been caught, stand
ing with tuttering heart ard trembling knees be-
fore the awful magnate of the law and repeating
phasis and infection: telling the polar
diameter of the earth and the width
ries weight, and triangulatng the distance from
the upper corner Of room to the lower opposite
corner In vain the father pleads in behalf of his
panic stricken childs hereditary stupidity or
i natural difidenee The officer consultS his book
of instructions, aud finds that the State requires
| healthy boy of thirteen to be familiar with the
properties of right-angled triangies and hypJte
muses.. If the minimum OF knowledge is not
forthcoming. the father may take his choice.
currency work il out on the streets.
| But" says the objectOr. mo such means or
results are contemplated By the advocates of COM
pulsory education. We expect the officers having
! this matter in charge 20 use large discretion.
| Very true; but suppose an officer should now and
\ then be found upon whom nature had not been
very bountiful in the article of discretion"
II Is; moreover. an essential property
| of civil law TO be exact and memorable. The mo-
ment An executive officer turns aside from the
letter to exercise his own discretion, that moment
the law becomes nullity. or the officer a die
tRtOr ii the law requires child ten years of age
/ to know all the multiplication table, and lays
/ fine Of not less than q nor more than SO upon
/ the father Who has failed to have bis child edu-
Gated up to that point. what discretion is the of
icer at liberty to exercise except to determine the
/ penalty between the extreme limits, according to
the degree and culpabilty OF the failure
THE Law MUST DEFINE
the minimum of knowledge required at each sue
ceSslve examination. lt must be minute, going
/ into every detail II must specify the manner of
conducting the examination. Ii must state in full
/ what excuses may be accepted for deficiency and
what is to be the evidence that these excuses are
not fictitious. Unless the law is thus clear in its
instructions, the one who is charged with its exc
cution is liable TO meet with troublesome
obstacles at every step. and is himself liable TO
prosecution if he in the least oversteps his llmita
/ lions.
/ That il is no fancy sketch which has thus been
drawn OF the conditions that likely TO lead to
| n most lame and impOtent conclusion in the mat.
/ ter of compulsory education may be made to ap-
pear by a study of the operation of such laws in
other States of the Union. We can devise no prac
/ teal conclusion from the experience of Prussia
I
/ sentiments of the people are SO different from
\ those existing here.
/ Massachusetts has had a compulsory law since
1852 Its provisions. so far the compulsory part
is concerned almost precisely those of the bill
now before the Indiana Legislature. The prOvi-
siOns for its execution are quite ample-i. G., APP
I parently so. IL is made the duty of the Town or
| City Treasurer 70 prosecute for viola
! tion OF the law upon information
| furnished by School Committees or truant officers
and neglect TO do so renders him liable 10 a fine
| of SO. The Secretary of the State Board of Edu
cation issued instructions to the responsible Off
GERS in the following emphatic words: ut is not
! sufficient for Committees and truant officers TO
wait for information to be given 10 them of neg
| lect of duty by parents and guardians, but they
and pursue the delinqucnts according to the re-
guirements of law. ''ln no other way" says he.
''esln portions of society from the barbar-
/ ism which ones ancestors would not suffer"
Nine years after the passage of this law. and
after these instructions were issued SupeIintend-
ent Philbrick of the Boston Schools. says in his
annual report: 1T appears that no complaints
have been made by the School Committees or
truant officers for violations of this statute" He
| urges the mildness and business of the law, and
says that il seems highly desirable that some at
tempt should be made to put il in force. -Four
years later. or thirteen years after the law had
been placed on the Statute book he says again
mo prosecutions under these provisions have as
yet been made in this city g. C.. Boston,. 1t is
expected however" says he, that the truant
| officers will in future endeavor 10 ascertain
whether these provisions of law are violated and
to take the proper steps TO secure the prosecution
of all persons liable 20 penalty in consequence of
such violations" IL is. however. true that about