Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-10-09
Real Issue in Wise

1t is folly for the true democrats
of Wisconsin to shut their eyes TO
the importance of the surrender that
the Milwaukee demagogues have in
vited them to make. They may ig-
more the facts now, but if they do
a time will come when they will be
compelled to consider them and to
act upon them.
The offensive foreigners who have
declared that the Bennett law must
go assert that they are in favor of
compulsory education and of the
widest instruction in the English
language, but they oppose the Ben
nett law "because it interferes with
parental rights" This is mere play
ing with words. The Bennett law
contemplates nothing at all but
compulsory education and reason
able amount of instruction in the
English language. 1t interferes
with no parental right. The parent
may send his child to any sort of a
school that he pleases so long as it
is one in which some portion of the
time is devoted to the study of Eng
lish. Amy parent who believes in
education and in the English lam
guage will never know that there is
such measure as the Bennett law.
II will reach all parents who do not
believe in education and all parents
who do not believe in the English
language, and it ought to reach
them. If this republic is to endure
there must be education, and if the
American people are to remain a
nation they must speak and read the
language in which their constitution
and laws are written.
Clearly enough the controversy so
far as these offensive foreigners is
concerned depends upon the answer
that is to be given to the question::
What is education and who is to
decide what is education? The Ben
nett law is resisted because it very
properly asserts the right and power
of the state to determine this mat
ter for itself Offensive foreignism
admits that education is desirable
and that instruction in English is
desirable and it even comedies the
right of the state to declare that
these things shall be obligatory, but
it denies the right of the state to
determine for itself what is educa-
ton and what is proper course of
instruction in the English language.
The power that can say there shall
be com pu'sory education is sufficient
also to determine what is education.
There can be no division of that
responsibility. The state of Wis
consin cannot declare in favor of
compulsory education and then per-
nit the bishop of Milwaukee, the
pastor of church in Ozaukee or a
political boss in Oshkosh to decide
what is education.
1t is this dishonesty and this de-
NAL of the proper sovereign of
the state over everybody and every
thing within its limits that consti-
tute the weakness of the entire anti
Bennett law movement. The law is
lied about. The people who support
the law are lied about. True de
mocracy, national pride and indi-
vidual self-respect are all tlouted be-
cause it is hoped on these sorry |
lines and at this cost to gain pal
try victory at the polls. The relig
ious and race interests that origin
ally assaulted the Bennett law made |
mistake grievous enough but
pardonable. They will see the error
of their position in due time, and
will recede from it. The noisy |
democratic demagogues i'll Mil
yankee were dishonest at the be-
ginning and are dishonest still.
They care nothing for any church
or for any race. They merely hope
to win and, in order to win, they
would pull down the strongest pill
lars of the state. But for them the
misguided foreigners who in a mis-
taken zeal set at defiance the
sovereignty of an American state
would soon have seen their error
and recanted. On them, therefore,
should fall the accumulated wrath
of the people.
As at present supported the demo-
cratic state ticket in Wisconsin de-
serves to be beaten by an over
whelming vote. 1t is not a fit ex
ponent of democracy. 1t stands for
an obnoxious foreignism. 1t is an
alien, a stranger. 1t degrades de-
mocracy. Democracy should be
foremost in pulling it down, before
election, if possible, but at the
polls, if necessary Chicago Herald
(DeDa.) Oct. eth.