Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1885-02-26
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTROVERSY

THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CONTROVERSY.
"A Baltimore lawyer of some dis
tinction in his profession, Charles ].
Bonaparte, recently delivered lee
ture on the defects of our Public
School System. We have not read
the lecture and all we know about it
is what we have gathered from Mr..
Morris, the President of the Balti-
more School Board, and Prof M. A.
Newell, both of whom have challeng-
ed Mr.. Bonapartes positions. One Of
these we suppose was, in substance,
that it would be better for American
boys to follow the trade Of their faith
ers than to pull up stakes and try
something easier, as the Professor
says in reply, that certainly very
few American boys will want to be
tied down to the trade of their faith
ers. 1t is this proposition Of the
Professor that Tile Democratic Advo-
cate objects to and against which it
files replication, which is as follows:
Commenting on the Professor state
ment in regard to boys not wanting
to follow the avocations Of their faith
ers. the Advocate SAYS
"That is just one of the drawbacks
to development and prosperity in the
older States of the Uuion, and it may
be charged in a large degree to the
advanced system Of education. In
the larger cities the high schools are
better than many of the institutions
called colleges; while in the larger
towns and country districts advanced
studies are taught. As Prof. Newell
says, public schools are not charity,
neither are they a right; but as the
government is wise or unwise as the
people are intelligent or ignorant, it
is the part Of wisdom to provide for
public education as matter of self
protection and governmental preser-
walton. We did not read report of
Mr.. Bonaparte's lecture, but infer
from Prof. Newell's comments there
on, that he took the ground that too
much was embraced in the system of
public education. If so, he uttered
fact. The preservation of the State
and wise government does not require
a high grade of public schools. If so
community Of scholars would have
the wisest government, and the high
er the education the nearer would be
perfection. Everybody knows that
is not trne, for many learned men
bave not as much common sense and
as practical ideas as some who have
never advanced further than the ru-
diments. Reading, writing, arithme-
tic, grammar, geography, history,
coupled with knowledge Of the State
and federal constitutions, are all that
are necessary to be taught in the pub
lie schools. A knowledge of these is
all that is necessary to qualify citi-
zens for the ordinary affairs Of life and
to enable them to discharge their po-
litical duties intelligently, If per-
lection of education would produce
perfection in government, we should
favor such education. But no one
will contend for that.
Now as to Prof Newel's remark
Certainly very few American boys
will waat to be tied down to the trade
of their fathers" Why not ? Are
not tailoring, blacksmithing, wheel
wrighting, plastering, thinning, &C.,
respectable is it disgrace to work
on farm If not, why is it that
very few American boys will want to
be tied down to the trades of their
fathers 1t is because of the high
grade of public education for which
Prof. Newell contends-the education
beyond the needs of protection and
well. being Of the State itself, When
the boy gets well advanced in his
studies, he gets too high-toned to help
his father on the farm or in the work
shop. He has an aversion to soling
his hands, and aspires to be clerk,
a teacher, a doctor, dentist or lawyer.
These occupations he regards as an
elevation and not arduous. He tries
one, is failure, and ekes out mis-
cradle existence, for the remunera-
tion is not enough to maintain his ad-
vanced ideas of living. So with the
girl graduate of the high schools.
She paints, draws, and is well up in
English and French. Her parents
are not able to support her in idle
ness while she INDUCES her eultiva-
ted tastes. The grammatical mis-
| takes of her parents disgust her, and
her social position is distasteful. The
avenues Of occupation are very limi-
ted, and folly aud ruin often follow.
This is not true of all boys AMI
girls who are highly educated at the
public schools. lSntil is true Of many.
All The lr i~-sia; > ara crowded with
20 ng- .hvli Nhv are failures, who