The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-08
GEN. SHERMAN AND TIE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

and party regard than ever before"
GEN. SHERMAN AND TEE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The aphorism, 1.-THE pen is mightier than
the sword" does not apply in all cases. Gen.
Sherman, who was great soldier, has had ex-
tremely bad fortune when handling the pen.
He is careless in the choice of words, and
does not always mean what he puts upon pa
per- His "would have" for 'might have"
used in connection with the possible fate OF
General Grant, had General Smith survived,
is anillustration Of this. That, however, was
a palpable slip of the pen; he did not mean it,
and it was unfair to catch him up on it, for
it was contrary to his well-known opinion OF
the great commanders abilities as soldier
and general But 1t demonstrated that he
was not discriminating, not an exact, wri-
ter. He shows to much greater disadvan-
tage in the letter now made public, written in
answer to one asking aid for certain lady
who has grown old in the public-school serv-
ice, and unable to do more. He, unquestion-
ably, had the privilege of declining to con-
tribute, nor would anybody feel like CRITICS
ing him for failing to do so. The General as
he declares, is, doubtless, subjected to heavy
demands from ex-soldiers, and would readily
be excused from contributing toward the
purpose named, and without detriment
to his reputation for generosity. But
when he uses the incident as a text for a
TRADE against the American public school
system he exposes himself to criticism. It
matters not particle to the American public
whether Mrs. General Sherman, or any other
lady or any gentleman, would "no more con-
sent to have her children enter the public
schools than common tavern" The public
schools of this country are as fit for the chill
dren of General Sherman as for those of any
mechanic, and are fit for princes, so far as
their moral influence is concerned. It is a
gratuitous insult to tens Of thousands Of the
noblest and best women of America engaged
as teachers to compare their influence to the
public tavern, with its bar-room, its crowd of
loafers, and its questionable conversation.
The prejudice that rails against the public
schools Of America is not founded on fact,
and can come from only the narrowest fanat-
icism, that dare not come in direct contect
with what might prove better and more in
telligent way. It is admirable in the General
to come to the defense of his wife and her
religious belief, but the opinion of Mrs.
Sherman, on some points, at least may not
be in consonance with the American idea.
lie it is not, it is undemocratic to urge it upon
the American public, or use it as an apology
for not coinciding with the popular belief in
this country,
In another sense it was not worthy of the
great soldier to fire from behind the bulwars
of his wife's opinion. It would have been
holder to have put forth his own belief, as he
did when he declared that he had .paid
thousands of dollars in taxes, and never
received cent in return" It is astonishing
that man of theintelligence of General Sher-
man can give utterance to such views of the
benefits resulting from American citizenship,
and the great good resulting from a school
system making education free to the poorest
in the land Tens of thousands of parents
are unable to pay for private instruction, and
E,,d bate 1o
found in any private primary school in the
world. comparison of the boys and girls
who are able to 60 to the public schools with
those that attend private schools of the same
grade will not be unfavorable to the former
1t is all right for any man. who can afford it
and who so desires, to send his children to
private school. That is his business. But to
set up this exception as a rule for the whole is
asking too much.
There are any number of illustrious citi-
zens who are the product of the American
school system; men and women who laid the
foundation Of grand lines of usefulness and
honor in the very schools that the General
likens to public tavern in their influence.
Splendid soldiers have come from the Nations
public school at West Point General Grant
never attended a private school in his life.
Sheridan and Hancock came up the same
way. IF General Sherman himself ever at
tended private school it was before he en-
tered West Point. There is the essence of
ingratitude in disparaging system that has
made man what he is The best wisdom Of
this vountry has pronounced in favor of the
democratic idea of common schools
and, through them, universal education.
IF the public schools of America are good
enough for Potestants. for Israelites, and for