The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-09-25
THE speech of R. Q. Mills of Texas,


delivered at Racine on Monday night and
again at Wankesha on Tuesday, is a mag
ni6cent one In it's treatment OF national
issues. But like the democratic state
platform, its excellent features are sadly
marred by infamous Misrepresentation OF
the purpose Of the Benne' law. Mr..
Mills came to Wisconsin w.t. a national
reputation and knowing, as he did, that
the democracy Of the state was divided
on this local question he should have
maintained silence on subject in which
he had no interest as citizen. II he is
SO intent upon doing missionary work in
the educational field, his services are
needed much more In his own state than
IN Wisconsin, whose people have man.
aged their educational matters tolerably
we'll in the past without the gratuitous
advice of any person from section OF the
country which has not yet built up
public school system OF appreciable value.
The suggestions Of a bankrupt to pros
porous business man as to how he should
manage his affairs would be no less i'm
pudent than advice from Texas as to how
Wisconsin should manage Its public
schools Is the condition OF public
schools in the south such as to warrant
Mr.. Mills in lecturing democrats az to
their duty on local school question IN
which he has no possible interest? A
sufficient answer to Mr.. Mills arguments
against the Bennett law is furnished by
contrasting the schools Of Wisconsin with
those OF Texas where is reasonable to
presume his ideas on popular education
prevail.
He assumes that the Bennett law takes
complete charge of the education of the
child, when the fact is the only demand
made is that the child receive lnstruc-
ton ID English for three months in each
year, the parent being permitted to take
any means by which, or select any school
at which, this instruction shall be given.
This grievous wrong in the eloquent
words OF Mr.. Mills "brings tears to the
eyes of the parents from hour to hour and
night after night" ooh, piteous spec
tacle!" Parents weeping because their
children are obtaining knowledge OF
the English language And that, too, in
state in which We are assured all the
schools teach English, so that the choice
of the parent is in no wise limited.
But Mr.. Mills would have the bible the
basis OF all instruction and would fight
ANY law which would compel him to
send his child to school where he could
be taught there was no God and no hell"
There are no such schools in Wisconsin.
Mr.. Mills evidently means the public
schools as those which teach "there is no
thing for Mr.. Mills children they are bad
for the children of other men and should
be abolished. There is no escaping
duty for the public good by a statesman
who acts for the public. II Mr.. Mills is
sincere in his argument he must be OPP
posed to the public schools because the
bible is not the basis of their instruction.
He has, apparently, followed with fdel-
ity the plan of campaign outlined by the
chairman of the democratic state central
committee who expressed the opinion
that the public school, without the bible,
is no longer a desirable educational
agency.
Mr.. Mills dwells long on Individual
rights and exhibits lamentable ignor-
ance of American history on the part of
man who poses as authority on the
question of popular education. He refers
to the extreme danger which threatened
the government in 1898 because OF the
Alien and Sedition laws. He tells us
these laws were such an infringement GA
individual rights that the amendments
to the constitution known popularity as
the National bill Of rights" securing
freedom of speech and OF the press and
the right of trial by jury, etc. were adopt
ed,-chiefly through the fundamentally
of Thomas Jefferson" The fact is that
these amendments were adopted lmmedi-
ately after the ratification of the consti-
tuition and eight years before the enact
ment of the Alien and Sedition laws.
What Thomas Jefferson did promulgate
because of the offensive character Of the
above mentioned laws, were the Virginia
and Kentucky Resolutions" which after
wards became the basis of the ARTICLES
of Secession" Mr.. Mills should attend
one of the public schools of Wisconsin
and learn a little history.
Does it follow, as Mr.. Mills would have
US infer, that because this bill of rights
prohibits the establishment of any relig-
ion that law guarding the right OF a
child to an English education is an un-
constitutional requirement., Each man
is capable OF governing himself" is all
right when each man is mindful OF the
rights of others. The child's rights are
often sacrificed to the parents selfish
ness. There are many parents who look
upon their children as property, and who
are more intent upon realizing from their
LABOR than In preparing them for the
needs of their own future. Are such
children to receive no protection from
the law
The prohibition question is lugged in
to emphasize the principle OF individual
rights. With reference to this matter
Mr. Mills says that so long as she Injuries
no one he is responsible only to himself
The child will hardly come under the
classification of mo one" Isn't he in
lured when denied an education? Isn't
he injured when portion of that educa-
ton is not in the English language?
And being thus injured. has not the
state the right to interfere in his behalfs
WIN. OBRIEN claims to have informa.
ton OF plot against a celebrated Irish
man which was shared in by many gov