The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1882-10-12

to detract from the sum total OF theil
usefulness.
The Post continues the subject In
its Issue OF Sept. 9th. as follows
A number OF gentlemen, for whoss
opinions we have sincere respect
and whose services as practical edu
Gators have been Of great value. have
expressed disapproval Of the views
on the mission ofpublic schools con
tanned in Post editorial on the 26ti
inst. These gentlemen call our at
tention to that provision OF the Fed
cral constitution andthe constitutions
of most Of the States, which author
ICES the legislative department. tt
provide for the general welfare--t.
raise money for any use required fol
the public good. Our friends hold
that in this provision there is ample
warrant for the support, not only Of
higR Schools, but Of colleges and uni
versties by general taxation, be
cause such schools conduce to the
general well being of society.
We cannot agree with this conclu-
sion Conceding that the most lib.
eral education of the few who have
time, capacity and inclination to OBJ
tain it would be advantageous to the
public, we are still impressed with
the belief That the education of those
few at the cost OF the many is a
stretch OF constitutional authority
aud OF fundamental right; an appro-
priation of one mans money to an
other mans beneftnot warranted by
the principles on which our social
structure rests.
The public welfare is promoted by
the fine arts. Shall we have free art
schools in every town and city? The
public good demands the best medi-
cal and surgical skill and the most
thoroughly educated lawyers. Shall
we have free medical and law schools
all over the country? If so, why
shall the poor man whose labor pays
for these institutions be denied an
opportunity to send his children
where they can learn any of the
trades at public cost? Does not the
public good require the best develop
ment of mechanical skill? Is not the
artisan as important as the painter,
the sculptor, the litcrateur, the law
yer or the doctor?
There would be no end to this gen
eral welfare theory, if carried out un-
der lax construction, but practical
communism, the paternal system run
mad, the State taking the place of
the parent.
1t is next to impossible, under ex-
listing conditions IN this country, for
boys to get chances to learn trades.
Fifty boys apply where one is accept
ed. There are, therefore, stronger
reasons for opening and supporting
free establishments where the trades
may be learned at the public cost
than for teaching boys and girls to
read Homer, Virgil, Humboldt and
Hugo in their own respective Ian
guages.
But who is there that desires SO
radical change in our system? We
apprehend that the advocates of free
colleges would protest against free
machine shops, free carpenter shops,
free brick yards, free shoe factories
and the whole line of industrial arts
on the same basis
The only safe rule is to stick to
the theory that the free schools are
based on the right of the
State to protect itself against
ignorance; that thorough ed
ucation in the English language and
in the branches taught in grades be-
low the classical, is all the protec-
ton that the State requires. Let us
do this work well. Let us improve 1T
in many ways, so that thoroughness
may be the rule, and not as now the
exception. Let rs put into the field
thus limited, the money, The energy,
the interest now expended on a
broader field and the greatest good Of
the greatest number will be best pro.
NOTED.