The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-05
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Our Public Schools.


work the common schools have done and are
now doing, we must admit that the facts, in re-
gard to the attendance, or rather non-attendance
81 the school children between the ages Of six
and sixteen, as shown by the Journal are just
causes of alarm. The suggestions made by the
journal as to the duty of school boards to select
the very best teachers for the lower as well
as the higher grades, is good one,
That the real intention of our com
mon schools has been, to some extent,
at least, inverted cannot be doubted.
We have too many studies ia our schools.
There seems to be a disposition on the part of
large number of our educators to make our
high-schools take the place, usually occupied by
academies or private schools in preparing
students in Latin, Greek, German and French,
to enter college. This might all be well enough
if the great mass of children in the lower grades
are properly cared for and the real intention of
cur common schools-viz,: to give every child
within the boarders of the State chance for
good common English education-is not lost
sight of. The statistics collected by the Journal
as to the per cent of children out
of school, relate more especially
to cities. But the same trouble
exists in all the towns of any considerable size in
the State. Something must be done to have
children attend GU" schools. Many reasons may
be given why many children do not attend
school. Doubles the mode of conducting the
schools and the teachers themselves have much
to do with this. But teachers and school officers
cannot do this work when parents are wholly
Indifferent as to whether their children attend
school or not In some cases the parents are
too poor to send their children to school 1t is
really remarkable the indifference the public
seem to exhibit on this subject. Good men and
good women are working hard in velious fields
of usefulness and doing what they can to better
the condition of mankind and yet here is a field
offering SPLENDID opportunities for laborers al
most wholly neglected. Unfortunately a large
majority of the boys who are out of
school are not only losing the advantages
thereof but are growing up in idleness and
crime. They are being educated to crime.
These idle boys about our towns will furnish
6heir full quota to fill up the ranks of the army
Of drunkards and criminals for all time The
recruiting Offices for these armies need be at no
loss for recruits as long as our towns and cities
are filed with idle boys On the other hand,
the instruction now given in our public schools
is Of an elevating and healthy nature. The
ext-books in use are Of a high standard. The
great army of teachers, as a rule. is made up OF
our best men and women, whose influence must
necessarily be for good. Fifty per cent of our
boys between six and sixteen are out of school.
Is it not time for the State to step to the front
aud assert her rights! In other words, has not
the time come when we should have compulsory
educatonl 1t certainly has
But before the State consistently. impose
compulsory education she must make her schools
free in fact as well as in name. Let the State
furnish her schools with all necessary supplies.
including school books free for all. rich and
poor. Let the State say to all the children with
in her borders, here are the schools. come in and
share their privileges on equal footing The
children of the poor have plenty of opportunities
to ascertain the fact that they the children of
poor parents without having badge placed upon
them. as the children of the poor in our com
mon schools. The idea of compelling poor
children to be listed poor children, as is some
times done in order for them to procure books,
sAyors Of brutality. Let it be understood that
in our common schools the children meet a
common level First-We believe it will be
cheaper for the State to furnish supplies. Second
There will be uniformity of books in use
throughout the State Third-It will do away
with the frequentand often unnecessary changing
Of books But it is not so much a question as to
whether the State can afford to do this, 1t is
whether she can afford not to do it. 1t is a good
deal better and much cheaper to expend several
hundred dollars in the education of poor boy and
thereby make good citizen ont of him. than in
after life eXpend from $500 to 81 900 in sending
him to the States prison. The State cannot af
ford to allow 50 many Of her citizens to grow up
in ignorance. A writer has well said '"The com
mon school-house is an enemy to despotism, and
che friend of free government" Intelligence
qualities the citizen for self government. A re-
public like that of the United States is the best
possible form of government for an intelligent
and yirtuous people On the other hand, it is the
very worst for an ignorant and depraved people.
IL country where the people SOW
ereign, surely that people should be intelligent.
While it is true that very many good people come
to this country from foreign countries and make
excellent citizens it is equally true that the old
world is continually casting its worst elements
the very scum of sOciety-upon our shores.
Many Of the latter class come to this country
with ideas wholly antagonistc to our free insti-
tutions- antagonistic to all forms of government.
Hence the greater necessity that our citizens be
educated to uphold our free institutions and pro
tect the life of the republic As Mr. Lincoln
once said in speaking of the colored people, 1T
may be necessary at some future time to call
on them TO keep alive the germ of
liberty" We dot our land all over
with costly, and in some instances extravagant
iy constructed court houses and jails, while on
the other hand, our school houses, in majority
of cases, are mere make shifts constructed on
the cheapest plan. without regard to ventilation,
convenience, or the comfort and health of the
children. This is wrong Our school houses
should be constructed with care; they should be
mad0 attractive; they should be made comforta-
bic, and constructed with reference to the best
known laws of light and ventilation r. w. B.
MARION, Ind.
The Supreme Courts Mortgage Decision.
To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal
In the journal of the oath ult. 1 see it is
stated that the decision of the Supreme Court,
In the case of Dodge VS.. Kintzy, will render in
valid very large per cent. of the mortgages on
real estate executed since Sept 10, 1881. This
fact will, as it should, induce the most careful
and critical examination of the grounds upon
which the court rests its decision.
If the decision can be questioned at all, it must
be upon the ground that the contract by which
the wife with her husband mortgaged the land
in question does not fall within the meaning
and spirit of section SIG of the code of 1881
Section SIG provides that married woman
shall have no power to enter into any contract
of suretyship as indorser, guarantor, sr in any
other manner and that such contract as to her
shall be void. The first section of the same act