The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1890-10-04
STAND BY 1T!

STAND BY 1T.
out of the enactment of the Bennett
I law, and pron0unces that measure just
and necessary. The league was formed
| by Hugh Ryan and w. II. Timlin, two
leading Democratic lawyers Of Milwau-
kee, and embraces fully a thousand
patriotic Democrats. who live in all
parts of the state. The text Of the ad-
/ dress is as follows:
| To OUR FELLOW DEMOCRATS: There
are times when blind allegiance to party
/ leaders becomes treason to party. TO the
state, TO reason and to conscience. e be
lieVe that the Democrats of " lSconSin are
now confronted by such a crisis; that the
/ political conditions of the state campaign
are such as to Impose upon them the grave
necessity of choosing between submission
to the unWarrantable dictation of leaders
and their duty to the party. the state ana
! themselves. To ascertain if this be true,
let us examine the situation.
THE BENNETT LAW.
In 1889 the Legislature OF this state en-
acted Il statute tCh. 519. Laws 1889, com
monty known as the Bennett law. Il law
which has been widely discussed and gross
! ly misrepreSentcd. but which comparative
ly few persons have read. Omitting that
portion Of it relative to child-labor i'll fact
Ories. etc. as TO the wisdom of which there
is no dispute, its provisions are briefly rs
| follows:
|. That all children between the ages of
I and Ii years must teXcept as hereinafter
/ prOyIdedl. be sent to school for a certain
number OF weeks III each year. the number
to be fixed by the School Board, and to be
not less than twelve nor more than twenty
four weeks.
. That no school shall he deemed one
within the meaning of the law unless read
ing. writing. arithmetic and United States
history be taught therein in the English
language.
3. That those who wilfully and persist
ertly diSobey the law may be prosecuted.
but only by authority of the School Board.
before a Justice OF the peace, and shall, II
convicted. pay certain fOrfetureS or penal
ties for the benefit of the school fund.
4. That any child shall be excused from
the attendance at school required by the
law, upon its being shown to the Satisfac-
ton of the School Board: q. that the parent
or guardian is not able to send such child
to school: b. that instruction has otherwise
been given for like period of time to such
child IN the elementary branches common
Iy taught in the public schools: 9. that
such child has already acquired such ele-
mentary branches: or. q. that the physical
or mental condition of such child is such as
to render its attendance neXpedient or
impractcable.
5. That any child between the ages of 9
and If years. who, without the leave and
| against the Will of his 'parents. guardian.
ETC.. habitually abSentS himself from the
school to which he is SENT etc, may be
arrested and dealt with as a truant child.
The above Is a fair statement of all the
essential features of the law; if any
question or doubt its correctness. we beg
them not to accept the bald statements of
the laws opponents, but to carefully read
the law itself.
We believe the true grounds of their de-
nuncatiOn of this law have never been
stated by its opponents: that they dare not
make public the real motive and animus of
| their opposition. But chief among their
oStenSible objections are the following:
DIRECTIONS URGED AGAINST THE LAW:
l. That it compelS parents. etc. to send
! their children to a school within the dis
trlct IN which they reside.
=. That it is an attack upon or an un-
warrantable interference with parochlal
| schools.
3. That it denies to those prosecuted for
/ lis violation the right of trial by jury.
! 4. That ii is unconstitutional.
/ ). That it is ''paternal.'
ANSWERS To TIE OBJECTIONS.
| These objections can only be urged either
! by those who have not read and do not un-
! derstaud the law. or by those who are inter
/ ested III wilfuliv inisrepreSentiHg it. We
! will consider them separately.
|. 1t is true that the first section provides
! that the parent. etr.. shall cause his child
| to attend a school III the district III which
! he resides. but this objection is wholly re-
! moved by the next section, which. as above
/ shown. eXemDts from such attendance any
/ child TO whom construction has otherwise
/ been given for like period of time in the
! elementary branches commonly taught in
/ the public schools, leaving the parent alb
/ sOlutcly at liberty to send his child to
school wherever he pieaSes, or have him
4 educated at home if he prefers. pro-
( yided he in any manner causes such child
! to receive. at any school or place, the re-
quired amount of instruction, part Of
which shall be given in the English
! language.
1 .. The prctense that the law attacks or
/ inteTfercS with paTOchial schools has its or
/ igin either in Ignorance or III dishonest in
/ tent To mlsStatc the facts.
/ Tie only shadow of a foundation for any
! SUch claim is that the law requires that
children be taught certain elementary
studies in English. and that there are paro-
/ chial schools where that language l. an un-
/ known tongue. Their" are many who be-
/ lieye that English should be taught in every
| school in the United States. but this law
/ does not 90 so far as TO apply that rule to
! the state of Wisconsin. Large sums are
! annually paid ont of the school fund for
| teaching German in the public schools,
! and ii mig hit not seem altogether unreason-
/ able to ask the parochial schools to teach
/ a little English. but this is not done, the
/ state having wisely retrained from max
i ing any demand which might be con-
strued as in any manner interfering with
private schools. Under this law, if a pa
/ rent chooses to send his child TO parochial
school. and the church sees fl to have all
! the instruction IN such school impaired in
7 a foreign tongue. SO be il, only. in that
! case let the parent see to Il that his child.
4 growing up as a citizen Of an English
! speaking state. shall receive, in some other
4 school or at home. the requisite amount OF
! instruction in English, and he will have
/ complied with the law. 1t is at once
/ absurd and monstrous to accuse the state
/ of unlawful usurpatIon of power because,
for its own self-protection and 10 secure
/ the proper equipment of its children for
/ the duties of citizenship. it demands that
| such children be taught TO speak. read and
| write the legal language OF the state. 1t Is