Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-10-09
Address Upon Education.
BY REV. GEO. II. IDE,


at appears that we have a com.
mon school problem in the state of
Wisconsin. What is the problem?
There ought not to be but one prob.
lem for consideration in connection
with our public school system, and
that is, how to develop its efficiency,
how to improve its methods and its
work. This is the only kind of
problem that could be started by
true American spirit. If other
problems of a different nature have
arisen, by which the public school
is put in jeopardy, we may feel GER
tain that these have originated an-
der ausplcies that are un-American
in spirit and sentiment.
at must not be overlooked, it
must not be forgotten, that our sys.
tenn of popular education belongs
to the very warp and wool of our
national life; it stands singular and
alone as the outworking of the true
American idea based upon the doc
trines of freedom and equality.
Sparta had her system of education
the severe, the heroic; Athens
had hers-the polished, the refined;
Rome had hers-the robust, the
muscular. Each had system of
rejecting its own peculiar clvillza-
ton. Our system is the genuine
growth of American institutions. 1t
is a constituent part of the Amerl-
can idea; it helps to create what we
call our national life. What, then,
does it mean to be al enemy to the
public schools? 1t means the same
as to be an enemy to the doctrine OF
freedom as understood III our repub-
lie; it means the same as to be an
enemy to the doctrine of equality as
understood in our form of govern
ment.
"Shall the little school-house on
the hill stand as an exponent OF our
civilization, progress, enllghten-
ment, patriotism? Shall 1t continue
to be in the present and future as 1t
has been in the past, the creed or
cardinal part of the creed of Ameri-
can citizenship? Is the school
house threatened? Yes, it is. There
are those who openl y declare that
they would like to see it RACED to
the ground. There are others who
by indirection show their hostility
to it. The man who opposes COM
pulsory education is really unfriend-
ly to our system of public schools.
1--WE start out with the assump-
ton that education is the safeguard
of the state. But if education is a
safeguard, then illiteracy is peril;
and if compulsory education is IN
tolerable, then the conclusion Is
reached that the state has not the
right to provide against Its own
peril. Gladstone says, "A real'state
must be supreme within It's own
sphere What is that sphere IN
which the state is supreme! II IS
supreme along all lines of national
peril. Whatever threatens the well
being of the state must be provided
against by the state. Is ignorance
danger, a peril? 1t is. Then the
state is supreme III this sphere, ana
it can make legal provisions that all
children shall be compelled to go to
school and receive instruction. Inc
state stands above the parent to the
extent of requiring him to discharge
a duty which he owes to the enid.
Compulsory education stands to-
day as an absolute requirement IN
connection with a republican form
of government. But when you get
your compulsory education, IS there
anything to be said in respect TO
what that education shall be? Does
the state require our children 70 DC