Tombstone weekly epitaph., 1882-09-30
Secular Education Not Always q
 prOPhyIactic to Evil.

PrOphyIactic to Evil.
 EDITOR EpITAPu - Moralists of ad- vanced views tell us, and with some ap- pearancc of truth, that the only and most effective and natural prophyactic to evil is education. They, however, attach DO qalifying adjectivcs, hence we are left m ihe dark as iu the kind of education they deem best suited tD the prevention of crime. That they, however, mean that which is founded upon morality and rell- zion is evident from the fact that the ac- quisltion of the mere secular knowledge of the school curriculum when derivcd from moral and religious instruction, does not always, in after years, sufficiently for tify the mind against evil whisperingS.
 But taking for granted that mere secular education acts as prophylactic to the commission of crime, and all manner of worldly wickedncSs, it is in place here 10 ask, Why it is that we find figuring in the criminal records of the cOuntSy so large proportion of well educated persons? Bankers cashiers, mercantile account ants, high political office holders, eminent politicians, and men occupying positions Of trust and honor, may ali be taken as fairly well educated 8uf what does it avail them III moments of temp,ation? Does the knowledge it glves them make them in such moments ony the stronger or better able tJ resist tue evil influences that unceasingly, as il were, urge them tp dis re gard the teachings 0l the seventh com mandment and overlook the moral incul. cated by meum ct tuum? Not always, unfortunately, else we in no wise would hear of SO many bank failures, defalca- tions, forgeries and kindred practices. In the ordinary affairs of fife 1t is n0' difficult to draw and recognize he line of demarca- tion separating honesty from dishonesty, but if a mans conscience, as 1t often Is, happens to 0e of the elastic sort, which IS | influenced by no moral principle or con siderati0n, then the law may h., a; 1t Ire quently is, invoked to remind kim lh t m | violating moral he also violates human l law, and is to the eXtcnt of his offence, amenablc to its authority. Some of the most consuWmate Scoundrels that have l ever known, and have met with and sui. | fered from not few of them, were pol ished, highly educated men, who would have won honorable distinction in any 0t | the bread-wlnning vacations of life, had | their early training been of character to | inspire them with a love for all that is great, good and grand in morals and reli- | zion.
 But it may be doubted that to defective | education alone were due the vagabOnd
 leanings of each and the disrcputable rep
 utltion he finally acquired from them Il
 not to that, then to what cause must be
 ascribed their turpitude of disposition | Not to ignorance surely, for more than | one of them were college bred. Not tC
 want of means or influence, for each had
 powerful social, and political friends
 Nor did each have his degradation to tho
 "wet damnation" of the bottle, which SC
 tortured poor, stammerng Charles Lamb
 for his abstemIousness would have w0I the admiration of Cough himself
 In the schools in which those men wer'
 educated, it is safe to say, that 10 the heat
 and not to the heart was given the most al
 tention. Knowledge they possessed, ye
 it did not prove the prophylactic to exec
 it would, had there been blended with
 the quality of morality, which in moment
 of temptation, acts like a talIsman in pre-
 serviua the weak and hesitating from it
 baleful influence.
 Even in the present day, with all ou
 boasted educational freedom and advan
 tages, how often do we find the youthfG head educated at the expense of the yonti : ful heart and Sensibilities. It IS in atle
 years when the youth emergcs into th
 adult state, and when the serious work c
 life actually begins that the defects of suc
 a system of education are more clear
 discovered. Still, what have we done, u what are we now doing to remedy an evi
 which, like the Upls tree, overshadow
 the existence of men and women so edu
 cated? Simply nothing ot wholesom
 or practical nature Under our publl
 school system the moral faculties of tn youth of both sexes unfortunately receiv , but little attention from teachers, who's
 own moral perceptions may be, and ir' ouently are none of the clearest.
 The public schools l am aware are lr
 quentiy invcighed against and even b
 people too, whose religious and nationi
 learnngs are not friendly to denomlna 5 ;ional systems of instruction. But to whI . extent this unhealthy feeling against ou { national school system is justified by faci
 is a conundrum that 1 shall for the preser leave to others more interested to solv : Sufficient for my present purpose , it to relterate that complaints of very s : rious nature have been from time to tim { made and are being every day made b parents and guardians throughout the F. citic Coast, in opposition to not onl . "cramming' but also to what they hes tate not to denOunce as the "Godless" sy z tens of instruction practiced inEthe publ schools of the country. That Opposltio l based upon such grounds is eminently ju an1 proper. View things from whatev'
 standpoint we may. nobody will questio V and if such crammng and Goddess sy 1 tems of instauctiOn are nracticed and De l. mitted in the public schools the sooner u }. legend "reiorm" is inscribed on the dO' !. pannels of every public school in the R
 public the sooner will the cause of Amer . can education be subservcd, and the mo Il certain may we feel regarding the stabiIi " and maintainance of it's grand institl tions. NOvALIs. P. Tombstone, A. T., Sent. 3S.