The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-05-01
Common School and Republic.

lie, the prowcss of armies, the craft
of statesmen, and the resources de-
veloped by inventions, have been
grasped by the historian and clearly
embodied in our histories; thus the
ground has been cleared for an ex-
haustive study of those powers and
influences, silent and strong, which
have been necessarily at work in the
inner temple of the Nations growth,
breathing life, soul and character
through the goodly framework
formed by legislation and supported
by the blood of her children. These
creative forces are just now assum
ing an Importance in public discus
sion that will eventually place them
at the head of all other social and
political questions. First and fore
most among these must stand the
common school system of America,
which was born of purely demo
cratic spirit, and is essentially "of
the people, for the people, and by
the people," All other republican
institutions are sequences and re-
suits of tradition: their history can
be traced throughout all the past:
they are not original, but derived.
The proposition to educate each
and every individual at the expense
of all, and to educate all without re-
gard to sex. race, class, or standing
in society, in the same schools, was
entirely new with our fathers. 1t
was the first great step in breaking
down all aristocratic and class dis
tinctions; and to-day it stands alone
in the world, in the depth and
breadth of its scheme and scope.
A DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION.
The common school system is not
only rigidly democratic in it's origin;
its growth and development have
been also in the highest sense purely
democratic; it has been and is abso-
lutely dependent in every step of its
progress upon the will and opinion
of the people; it has never risen
above them and never can, SO long
as republican institutions are main
tanned. Every change in the system
for better or worse has been made
after open and prolonged debate, and
under the immediate sanction of the
people.
The old school district Of New
England, into which the towns were
divided, was perfect autonomy; the
voters met in the school-house, voted
taxes to support the schools, elected
a prudential committee with full
powers to engage and discharge
teachers. The State could not i'm
pose any condition upon school
district except that it must have a
common school, and must teach GER
tain branches. Gradually, in most
States, the autonomy of the school
district has been changed to the town
or the county, by a vote Of the peo-
pie, as a result of the customary agi-
tation and discussion. The people
of State have founded and sup
ported normal schools through their
legislators, but only as a result of
the fullest and freest discussion.
This democratic development is
the antipodes of the monarchial or
centralized school system. The
King or Parliament, with absolute
power, establishes and regulates the
system. The Minister of Education
Pounds the school, dictates the
courses of study, determines the
standards of examination of candi-
dates for positions, and makes all
minor regulations, even down to
methods.
1t would seem at first glance that
this centralized plan is far more
practical and efficient than our dem
ocratic one, with its much slower
movement. 1t is certain that the
children get more immediate benefits
from it. One would naturally argue
that the inevitable crudeness, lack of
plan and uniformity, the long and
bitter struggles for reforms, the slow
progress, the petty caprices and ig
nOranCe OF the majority, the openneSS
to attack on the part of the oppon
ents of the common schools, the po
litical corruption that sacrifices the
welfare of the children to the emolu
ments of office and to the short
sighted necessities of political sue
cess; in short, all those deplorable
evils which constantly menace the
very existence of our schools, would
be avoided by strong dictatorial
central power.
MONARCHIAL SCHOOLS.
The monarchical plan of immedi
ate and strong control, the plan that
seems to reach results by the shortest
line of resistance, is very attractive
to those who do not understand the
spirit and tendency of true demo
cratic development That custom,
law, or habit, social, political, or re-