Daily Republican., 1884-04-17
Public Education.

THURSOAYs AFklA I1s AoS1s
Public Education. Va
Every true friend of education must ~
feel gratified at the passage of the Blair VA
bill through the Senate, ~
which appropriates seventy-seven MIL ta M
lion dollars for the cause Of educatloh u
to be distributed amongst the states IN ~
proportion to tho illiteracy existing IN
those States at the time of the taking OF "
the last census. The fund Appropriated :, u
is 80 carefully hedged around with safe IL IL
guards that it will be the next thing 10
impossible to spend it for any other y
purpose than that originally intended.
Statistics of the late census furnish
unmistakable evidence of condition eI
illiteracy in some portions of our coun-
try that is absolutely alarming when l
we contemplate the logical sequence OF
this condition of things. Ignorance, as
a rule. begets vice, crime and revolu-
ton. Good government is impossiplel
where Ignorance predominates, and es-
pecially in a representative nation ike
ours. A government Of the people, byl
the people and for the people, to be en-
during, must rest upon the intelhgence
and moral worth of the people.
Nothing more imperils and endan-
gers the stability and perpetuity OF gov
ernment than ignorance, and the vice
and crime which follow in its train.
The ignorance which pervades great
mass of the population of the country
ia a standing menace to the stability
and perpetuity of our government. Ihls
statement cannot be successfully con-
troyerted. What, then, is the PLAIN
duty of the government in the premi-
ses? Nothing more than that 1t must
provide q remedy against the evils
which threaten It,
This can only be done in one way,
and that is by educating the masses at
the expense Of the public Treasury
wherever it is necessary to do so !; to
expepd public moneys in this dlrectlon
is lust as legitimate as it is to expend
money to raise and equip armies ana
nayies to repel an invading foe, or 10
suppress a rebellion.
Ignorance is q foe, more insldlous anu
sutble than any and all other dangers
combined that now threaten the stabili'
tv of our institutions. Therefore II
should be made the plain duty of the
gov ,,rnment TO enact such laws anu
make such appropriations from the
public Treasury as shall furnish schoo,
accommodation to all persons OF school
age between six and sixteen years III
elusive, and to make the attendance
upon the public schools SO estaolshee
compulsory for period Of not less thar
six months of each year unless, per
hans, excused by competent authorlt.
where the labor of such children IS ne
cessarv for the support of the aged an'
INDECENT. =,
1t is true that greater part OF tn
money appropriated by the Blair oil
will be expended in the Souther
States but while this is true II Is ais
true that a larger proportion Is heeoe
there, and wherever illiteracy mos
abounds there is where the most none
should be expended. One great ner
of the bill is that it recognizes no Mort
nor no South, and there is an utter a
sence in it of any sectional STRIFE
preferences. Every true Amerlcan
proud of the fact that we stand to-ua
an undivided Nation, with one fag,ol
common interest and one destiny. II
education of the rising generation VIII
ont distinction of sex, race or color, Is
matter of great national importan
tn the end that every citizen shall
nrepared to perform well and intel
gently his duty in wise use OF I
franchise conferred upon him. Inc
penditure by the Federal GoVernme
of fifteen millions dollars annually,
more if needed for the purposes here
stated, must be regarded by all prudt
men as a wise and judiciouS use OF
public moneys.
IT. Las been claimed by Mr.. Bays
and other constitutional stlcklers u
for the government to enter the helo
secure to the rising generation a &C
mon school education in the seVe
states and Territories, would De
toward the Capitalization OF more
greater power in the General Cove
went While this may or may not
40 it certainly is the most dlrect'
p]e and inexpensive method tnat
nossibly be adopted to establish OF
Arm and enduring basis the lnstltut'
we all should cherish, a free gov
ment by the people; the grandest
har;tance ever youchsafed to man.
there he no backward step in this
ter of public education.
DonunIicnns Have 10