The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-08-12
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

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or nation depends upon the virtue and
| intelligence Of its citizens Universal
| education Of the rising generation, is
the beacon of hope to our country and
the emily safeguard to her institutions.
The more general the diffusion of
knowledge throughout the rising gen
Grafton the better qualified do they
become TO exercise the grave response
hilities of citizenship. There is such
an intimate relation between mind and
matter that the more acute the intel
lectual power which directs and CON
1'trols the animal or physical man. the
greater becomes his capacity for good,
and the more rational and energetic
and industrious are his actions. The
more learned, refined and moral the
citizen the more happy and prosperoas
will be the State or nation. Tie in
crease in wealth and population in our
young and rising State of Oregon de-
mands more liberal and extensive
system of education, so that the oppor-
tunities of obtaining good and thor
ough mental and moral training will
be Within the reach of all children even
III the r3ost rural districts. How this
+ is to be accomplished is one of the
problems for our Legislature, which is
soon TO assemble
That thorough revision of our
school laws is demanded, is patent from
the fact that IN many Of our wealthiest
rural districts they do not have FREQ
schools to exceed three months in the
year, and that 1T such times and inter
vals that It is impossible for the chill
drcn # The poor and needy, living in
these localities to obtain even the rudi-
ments Of an education from the public
patronage.
The general government has made
liberal provision by the donation of the
sixteenth ard thirty sixth sections, and
other donations of the public domain,
for educational purposes, to ierm nu-
cleHs for the free school fund, by which
all children may be thoroughly educa-
| ted A mixed system, of free and pay
schools in the same house, in the same
district, is Il species of injustice and IN
tolerance which should at once aad ttor-
ever be dispensed with in free State.
Nothing would be more natural than
| for tie children of the wealthy who
have the advantages of six, eight and
ten months schooling during the year
10 outstrip those of the poor who only
get the privilege of the two, or three,
Or four months Of free school, in their
advancement, and thus yoiing men and
women, the sons and daughters of
honest toll, become mortified at being
crowded into classes with mere fEfants,
IN the primary departments, wien the
term fel the free school commences
AS consequence they refase to attend
school, and grow up without learning,
prey to Ignorance and vice
We are not objecting that any class
get too much education, but that 9th
ers get too little. Provide for from
| eight to ten months of free schools in
| each district, and fer those who can af-
ford it snd desire further advancement
let theFa provide colleges and universi-
ties. But the district school is the
hope and pride of America, so keep it
always free, where it's advantages may
be equally shared by the most humble,
as wei as by the most wealthy. It is
a duty .se owe to the State, the country
and posterity as well as tie ris;ng gen
Grafton