Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1885-03-07
The PgbIie school sys!gm IN GsnetaI.
(Continued from last aveek.)


OF the relation which the state bears
To the schools wish To speak here, and
also sUmeLhtng of the reason why it sup
ports hem. The theory of public sup
port Ot the schools is me ely a theory uf
self protection. ! he state supper the
schools becau~e the welfare OI the pupils
IS It's veITaa e. IL aids them Tor its own
bench; and not from Consideration OF
character a, is sometimes supposed
he cove nment says that if il would
perpealate itself IL must secure the INTEL
ligenCB of its citizens. This it under.
takes 10 do through the agency Of the
schools. II Is ut cessary that We under
stand Lhis matter rightly, The state
owes iOthing of This To is pupils, but It
owes { u itself 10 educate hem. The
public has no right 10 be taxed to sup
port anyLhing that does not result in the
public good. The property of persons
who have no pupils in the schools should
not Do faxed TO support thems unless
the influence of thuSe schools should III
time serve TO p. OLecJ that property, and
maintain that Condition OF law and Vi der
which only can render that property
valuable. / his is line only legal sense
in which the public can be SAID to owe
an educ itiOn 10 its youth. As To the
COZ CJllC55 "a Dl4l5 lL4CNl GAlCl T5CLL4S ~
be little doubt, / am told that in some vi
The older states where poverty and ignOr-
ance show their lad forms III way
more menaciug than ) ct met with here,
that those who own large amounts OF
real esJare, who are WealLhIe-C and
whose taxes are largest ay hat the best
applied of all their public take, IS that
which goes 10 he public schools. They
say il gives 10 the youth of every class
al in-ig hi into our institutions and 10
some extent The ability to understa d
them It teaches them the great prIvi-
leges which they will enjoy under those
Institutions if they aIs seize rnCrOlnng
and law abiding; shows them the equal
il, VII ch they enjoy with Their men be-
fuIe the law, tire nigh estimation which
th,. law places upon honesty and virtue
and turnis hes them with those aids 10
true citizenship viii, b a knowledge o.
these things given. 1t gives them
better knowledge of the correct use OF
the ballot, anu makes them Jmpetent
I'd right public wrongs it gives them
better idea Of public affairs and more
confidence in the way in which those
affairs are administered.
here are moral reasons too why the
public school should be supported. 1t
freedom of speech, Tree dom o. the pres
and freedom % the ballot be given. Il
is not enough TO stop with these, for TO
do SD would be to place in the hands OF
our people the instruments al their own
destruction There Is q moral duty ~
ing at the end 81 all government and 1t
is nowhere better illustrated than here.
The so-called privileges which ha,e
mentioned ale accompanied with cor
responding responsibilities. We have no
right ID confer those privileges
without at the same time prepa. ing them
To meet those possibilities. For, TO
do 50 won d be IN tue end a burden 70
them and detrimenJ 70 good govern
ment.
Then that a thing which is of such
Importance as the education of the you b
Of the country ought 10 be made gener
a. i manifest. They are gong tJ he
come the citizens Oh the near future and
hold IN their hands all the great qUe>-
tiOns, control all policies aud manage
all The industries.
What the state may have a right to
q, maud IN return for these advantages
" b en- il gives TO all, has not y et been
fully de 81 miued. Whether il should
CUmpei lis pupils 20 accept these PTiVi-
lsggs by com pulsOry educ ton laws has
n. been cry satisfactorily determined,
becau perhaps as ct the need OF ssch
laws here has not been very fully felt
ri. B. Traxler.