The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1883-03-24
Written for the CHIEF.
OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Evils which Mar and Injure It-Apath
of the People.


Evils which Mar and Injure It-Apath
of the People.
DoNALDsoNvILLE. March 12 1888.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Under this general head, in our last, w
referred to a very serious evil, and on'
which has injured our system of popula
education very much and we said ther
was no one of greater magnitude. In
difference OH the part of the State, ii
regard to popular education, is seen il
every nook and corner of its territory
Like sleepy and disinterested sentinel
this feeling permits the enemy to come il
and carry on the work of destruction
Such being the fact, it's magnitude as al
evil cannot he oyerratetl. We will refel
to two fruitful sources of this evil.
1st. We may mention lack of informa.
tion on the part Of the people as mass
i'll regard to the Importance of education
1t is very evident that persons who are
uninformed i'll regard to the Importance
of a thing, will take no interest in it.
And such appears to be the state of the
public mind, as far as universal educ;.
ton is concerned. A disposition prevails
which leads the mass to act unconcern
edly i'll regard to the acquisition of I,
| proper amount of erudition. This lispo-
sition is produced by very erroneous
impression in reference to the object and
use of learning. Many attach no more
consequence to education than that of a
mere aid in the prosecution of business.
And having this view they feel disposed
to confine the education of the mass to Il
very narrow sphere. A tolcrable acquain-
tance with reading and arithmetic is
deemed sufficient for the farmer aud me-
chanic and the laboring man. 1t is sup
posed their business is of such ii cllarac-
ter that more than this would he super
fiuons. And indeed, our laws indirectly
countenance This gross opinion by point
ing out such branches as the complement t
of Il common school education. If TIE
mind of the mass is to he chained down
to the drudgery ofthis world, this amount
of crudition may suit, but every member
of our own State and of these United
States is called upon to investigate Ger
tain great principles,and give his opin-
ion i'll regard to them at the ballot box
and can our farmers, mechanics and la
boring men do this, if their learning be
limited to those branches of education
which barely fit them for their callings 2
10 DC good citizens every man should
know more tlnn merely to read, write
and calculate. 1t is necessary that the
mind Of the mass should be refined by
education III order to establish beauty
and perpetuate our systcm of govern
ment and All education confined to these
simple branches cannot accomplish this
desirable end.
end. This apathy is found among Il
class which cannot be placed in the same
category with the above, and is produced
rather by pride and seltishness, than
want of information in regard to the im-
portance of education. We now refer to
those who are learned and wealthy.
They are highly sensible that good
education is both desirable and necessary,
but they take no interest in common
schools, aud for this reason their children
are not sent to them. 1t is IL fact that
select schools,a ,as they are termed ,have done
and are doing much towards producing
in the minds of many intel
ligent and influential persons upon the
subject of popular education. It is a
script,Iral declaration, and one which az
plies to temporal as we'll us spiritual
things, "Where your treasure is, there
Will be youriheart also" Now, if a parent
has provided select school for his child,
his treasure being there, his heart will be
there also, and as far as he is concerned |
common schools will have to shift for
This diseased condition of the public
mind in regard to education causes much |
harm. We have already noticed some of |
the bad consequences attending popular
apathy upon this subject. These visible
md existing results are lamentabe. But
those which are likely to be are still
more so, and sufficient to cause every |
and admirer of our insti- !
Lntions to tremble with fear. 1t docs
not require supernatural gifts to foretel
he fate of our country if there be no |
more zeal awakened in the cause Of edu-
;ation. Our government is peculiar. eJld
one of their peculiarities is, that its pc: a
'etuaton requires every member of it to |
% well informed. An unedncated person
perform the part of il citizen Of
he United States. To be a worthy men,
)er OF 'ur nation requires much wisdom,
which is attained only by u we'll etluca-
ed mind. Ills all easy matter to vote
my person possessed of natural powers
AN go through the proscss-but it is
lot so easy to determine what set of
Jews we shall support by our vote. It
y easy to follow the directions of one
Who prstends to give instruction in re-
.ard to our true policy; bat it is not so
asy to tell whether his instructions are
or good or bad. Every man should be
bic to examine for himself, and our
hlldFen should be taught the Importance
# investigating every means proposed.