Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-12-24
RosEBURe, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1886
THE STATE AND EDUCATION
By Hon. E. B. McElroy, A. NJ, Ph. D.,
Supt. Public Instruction,
Salem Oregon.

property and life in that country. II
! is not at all conventional or limited
but has its source in the nature oil
human constitution in the ends man
should aim at in life, and in the duties
he has to perform. A child has right
to grow physically, because God has
| made him SO, and because strength Of
body is necessary for his own well be-
ing and fer the work he has to do.
So child has right to grow mentally
for the same power has endowed him
with that gift, and bscasse he -asve-
could be man in the highest sense
| without such growth. Is it worse to
starve the body or the mindl Rather
let both be fed. This doctrine of uni.
versal education is applicable to Ore
gon This Government and State ac,
cord the tight of suffrage to its citizens.
Should there suddenly be established
an educational standard for all who
would enjoy this right, there might be
more non-voters than we would sus-
pect. Granting the existence of a
large class of non-voters, such existence
would be inconsistent with the theory
of the republic, and, if not, it would
certainly be frought with so much dan
ger to democratic institutions that
whenever it is found in republic, all
the energy aud arts of statesmen and
citizens should be exerted to remove it.
If all citizens should vote, all citizens
should bc educated. Where the peo-
tie are sovereign, the people should
exercise the functions of sovereignty,
inteligeutly. In a republic, means
Of education should be provided for
all, as it is a thinking, intelligent peo
pie that render republic secure. In
the history of republics, thus far, pop
ular ignorance has been the one cause
of their overthrow. On the other
hand then, the universal education of
the people is more important than all
other interests in republic. This
universal education of the people will
diminish crime among us; it will add
to our wealth, it will increase our
rower, it will give us influence abroad
and promote peace and plenty at home,
1T will advance us as nation to a
higher plane of civilization than any
to which the world has yet attained,
and it will yield as its best fruit race
of people who will cherish and uphold
forever the blessings of free govern
ment
Education can only be generally diff
fused among people by Icing made
free There are people IN every coun-
try who set so small value on educa-
ton, that they will not voluntarily pay
for it. Hence we have system of
school taxation. There are other large
classes who have not the means of pay
ing for it. Both these classes ENJOY
all privileges granted by the State, and
the interests of the State as well as
those Of society demand their education.
This end can be approximately reached
by making education free, AID can be
reached in no other way. Private
means have never vet made education
universal among people Again; it
requires all the mind-power of nation
to do that nations thinking The
most perfect educational system isa
system that would evoke the great
amount of this kind of power, and di-
rect it to the best ends. The great
purpose of education will not be fully
subserved by educating a people up to
certain point, and then ceasing to
make any provision for their further
progress 1t is doubtless mere essential
to mankind in general, so far, at least,
as material interests are concerned,
to be acquainted with the common
branches of knowledge, than to be
versed i'll the higher branches; and, in
providing system of instruction for
state, this fact should not he lost sight
of. But no state can do its Whole
duty to its people or itself, until it has
made provision for generously encour-
aging liberal learning. A country
situated and governed like ours, wants
among its people something more than
superficial knowledge; it wants an ed
ucation that imparts solidity, strength,
refinement, and presents as it's best
fruit the highest type of well-balanced,
self balanced men and women. 1t
wants an education that reaches down
to the lowest and up to the highest.
Every state, then, should encourage
the establishment of sufficient num-
Der of Colleges, Universities, and
Normal Schools, and not only these,
but every city, town, village, and dis
trict should have its free school-free
alike to rich and poor. And where
these cannotbe established, there ought
to be established Academies and Semi
naries, recognized and aided by the
State when conforming to the condi-
tlons the State might impose. All in
stitutions Of learning in state should
be incorporated into system with
mutual relations and interests, and
wise supervision. Those which now
exist could notin any way be interfered
with in respect to their vested rights
chartered privileges, or denominational
differences and preferences; but the
State cannot and should not under
| take to free itself wholly from respon-
slbllity concerning them. The people
Of every state need the education fur
nished by Colleges, Academies, High
Schools, and Common Schools, and all
these agencies should work in harmony
for common end. It is narrow
view of our public educational systems
to hold that they are intended to pro-
vide an education for those only who
have not the means of educating them
selves. The view broadens greatly,
when it is held TO be the design of such
! systems to educate all, rich and poor
! up to the point which is necessary tc
enable them to discharge the ordinary
| duties of citizens and matters of bust
mess. But that view can only bt