The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-01-21
A COMPULSORY SCHOOL
LAW.
By w. 5. kREsEe. PzIxcIPAI OF sTcSER-
VILE Frsuc SCHOOLS


shall be educated, and what provisions
shall lie made requiring such edncation
are qnestions to which decision must
ere long be given, and that by the
state.
Theoretically, these are questions to
which our State has tins far not rendered
any verdict Il has surrendered liz true
dignity and power &c the discretion Of
individual By investing him with the
right net 70 educate
II feducztion sustains vital relation to
the state, this relation should be recog-
nizsi BY legislation. The State should not
hesitate to enact such laws as ara essen
/ tiaI TO It's stability and the welfare Of its
citizens Ifthe Safe Is dependent uuon
education, such Dependence must be
eyinced BY 3 Compulsory Setool Las,
by taking from the individual the unlAw-
faI right not to educate. Edncstion is the
pillar Of the state, anc to make ed1cz-
tioa voluntary act Of the individual IS
70 surrender the very principles Of gov
e-nment.
Ignorance Is the mother Of crime 50
history testifes from il issues those evils
which, If it wers to become universal
world sabyert and extirpate government
itself
As ignorance auzments. the strength Of
State declines. Nurture ignorance. and
I you encourage anarchis1n. The State has
an anq1estionsble right to enact law
which vii remove an evil that threatens
its stability It has right to employ all
/ legitimate means for selfprotection if
education is necessity to the preserE&-
tion Of true government, II sho5ld De
compelled By the State. and not lei .
the option Of the individual
The state has no moral right to trans
fer the power, which II should exercise,
I to the discretion Of the individual the
lack Of compulsory school Law invests
the individual with power which should
be cenfered in the state; il leaves the in
dividazl to determine whether ignoTaEce
or intelligence shall prevail The non
provision ef q compulsory school law in
! wolves the maintenance Of avenues for
the subsistence Of ignoranee Il signifies
a provision for the perpe.gation Of IN
morality and crime Of every gradstion.
I There Is large ilIiterate element in our
State an element disposed lot TO edu-
cate. The State, by not enacting q con-
puisory school Law, authorizes and sane
tons such non-educatiOn, notEithstand-
Z ing its dependence upon education. Bu.
there Is an individual who L not in sym
( psthy with the public schools !; the state
says 70 him, viii support and protect
you in your sntagonism. by permitting
yea 70 exercise the power and right not
to educate. Pope says, worth makes
the man, bat what makes worth Sure
ly not the State tha. toleratss impenetra-
Die recesses for ignorance The State that
directly or Indirectly s1s;4ins ignorance
fosters disloyaiiy and nurtares crime.
Does not the State. by the non-P-ovision
/ Of q compulsory school law, approve and
sustzin Ignorance Would Il not be zd-
vantageoGs. both to the STATE and % It's
subjects, 70 employ ample means for the
prevention rather than for the punish
men1 Of crime Edneation Is the safe
guard Of life, liberty, character and prop
ertY. The State should have for It's ain
ana function the preservation Of. these,
rather than the punishment Of infrzction
upon them, and, therefore, ought 10 de-
vote is energy 70 the maintenance q the
safeguard which can only be effsctaalIy
done by the enaeting Of a compulsory
school law Every ehild Il, and should
he, regarded IS a component part CT The
[ State. Rot merely by iis liability to pen
ishment. if found vieiating its laws, bot
( by being plaeed under the care Of the
+ state, to Be bronghs in a condition 70 dis
Z eriminate fairly between the right znd
the wrong. The mother who sanctions
and suffers her children to be brought up
IN neglect and crime, has 10 right to pm
ish them for doing wrong. The State
that tolerates and indirectly approves its
subjects to be brought gp in neglect and
J ignorance, shO7ld have no poxer 10 pun
isa them for erimiuzlity
There are incentives to evil which the
State one has the power and should re-
move. The state has not failed to pro
vide millions Of dollars for punishment
the enaeting Of Compulsory School
Law vii be provision for prevention
il wiz signify State economy IF II Is to
the supreme interest Of the state and %
the interest Of all families 70 have their
ehil3ren educated, should not such means
[ be employed as viii necessitzte and con-
pei such education ? But We are net BY
the alleged arguments that q Conpulso-
ry School Law i essentially un-Ameyican
and tha; il interferes with the rights and
liberty Of parents
What IS true AmericanisEn , Does Il
consist IN the tolerzsion and perpetnation
Of an evil which is incompatible with
the very principle Of Democracy
Does the spirity Of q Republican form
Of government demand that ignorance,
the source Of anarchisrn shall De main
tanned It IS true Americanisn for the
state 70 permit It's subjects TO manafac-
ture weapons 70 undermine its stability ?
Is it Repablieanisn for the State indi-
rectly 70 license It's subjects to commit
every variety Of crime2 Does the State
that invests the individual with the right
not . educate grant such license Does
true Americanisn involve the perpetua-
ton Of the source Of disloyalty? l.? q A
f Compulsory School Law IS essentially
un-Americzn-@ Is II un-Americzn for
the State to provide measure Necessary
for self protection ?
Is il un-Americzn for the State 20 re-
move the source Of unnecessary expendi-
turez and exorbitzns t1xztions > Is il an
tagonistic to the spirit OF Democracy for
the state TO enact 5 lAw which viii be to
the interest and benefit Of every citizen ;
The State has an incontrovertibie right 10
demand loyalty Of every subject hence
would il be 1n-Americza for il to enset =
lAE which viii compel thai which Is IN
Gispensi5le to loyalty II the safe has
= right % demand loyalty, how does the