Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-28
~ wonla BE a n,.n.,rous r..ue.

The following able and vigorous article
from the pen of Editor Murphy, of the
Dubuque Telegrapl. in regard to com,
pulsory education, has the right ring and
bristles with good common sense and
reason:
The Bennett compulsory education law
of Wisconsin. which caused so much ex
citement, and which was made the issue
in the late city election 10 Milwaukee, is
essentially the Illinois law on that sub
ject. and it is said that the issue may ex-
tend 10 that state We do not anticipate,
however, that tue democrats will under>
take campaign on that issue They
cannot afford 10 do it. The Bennett lsw
is in the line of American thought; if this
republic is TO endure it must have intelli
gent citizens. acquainted with the forms
and principles of the government under
which they live; il is q duty which the
state owes TO itself for its own protection
aud preservation 10 see that the youth are
taught these principles in the public and
private schools, as well as the rudiments
of an English education, which the Ben
nettlaw provides for. This nation should
when be lands upon our shores, should
from that moment resolve that he will be
come thorough American, and show by
his conduct that it was for that purpose
he left his native land. The man who
does not do this can not become a thor,
ough American. He ought not TO come
here bringing with him the prejudices of
the old world. We don't want them here
We can get along without them. Billions
OF Treasure vas spent and rivers of blood
shed TO show to the world that this is a
nation. We cannot permit ourselves 10
retrograde. To do so would be to have
fought in vain for natural unity. Ii
ought not to be objected to BY citizens of
any sect or nationality that in their pri,
vste schools they teach the branches of 8
common English education. There is no
Just ground for objection TO this, and il
they fully understand their duty as Amer
leans, they can not object Men OF al
nationaiities shed their blood in the
struggle for independence to make this
country not alone nation. but an asylum
for the oppressed of all nations who may
come here aud not be debsrred through
the accident Of birth from striving fol-
honor. fame and fortune. No party can
afford to seek supremacy in opposition to
the principles OF the Bennett law, for the
reason that they are the principles which
are today uppermOst in the minds of the
American people. The party that would
sntagonize the Bennett law, aud 90 be-
fore the country on such an issue, would
be buried so deep that its disorganization
would in all probability follow. The peo-
pie, to fight that issue and show their
loathing for the party making it. would
eschew politics, and vote with the party
that was American and believed in the
state having the right to provide for It's
protection and preservation. The re-
suit of the war choked to death the heresy
OF states rights; and if the national gov
eminent had the right to fight for its pre-
servatlon In that instance, il certainly has
the right to do go in all others. Ignor
sDce IS the worst foe to this nation than
was slavery, because that institution was
something which had been recognized
from the foundation of the government
up to the period of the war. But what
caused its death7 Education and en-
lightment an education and enlightment
which told US that our flag was q false.
hood so long as human beings were held
in bondage under its ample folds What
is 1t that tells us the state has a right, by
compulsory means, if necessary, to pro-
vide for its own protectiorl Education
and enlightment Ignorance Of the fun
dsmentsl principles Of our government,
among our own people, is foe more 10
be dreaded than was slavery and when
we consider that there is no valid reason
why this worst of foes should have au
abiding place in this land, we are con-
strained to believe that those who persist
ingly manifest a desire to keep their
youth in ignorance of our system of gov>
eminent By not teaching the common
English branches. are q menace to the
nation