The National tribune., 1892-05-12
A BACKWARD STEP.

A BACKWARD STEP.
The German Lutherans of Illinois have
formally notified the two great parties IN
the State that they will vote en- masse for
the one that favors the repeal of the COM
pulsory school law of the State, and the
Republicans have promptly come to terms
by promising to repeal the present law, and
enact one more in harmony with the views
of those who oppose any State interference
with the parochial schools. Thus we have
what the advocates Of better education for
the people in Germany call Krebsgang-crab
movement. 1t is the same fight which has
been going on in Germany, and has produced
the ministerial crisis there. The Lutherans
and Catholics propose to educate their chill
dren in their own way, in schools managed by
priests and parsons, and they fight desper-
ately against non-sectarian public schools,
which they denounce as Goddess"
1t is unfortunate that the Republicans of
Illinois have been compelled to take a back
ward step in matter Of such deep concern
TO the public welfare. Compulsory educa-
ton is of vital importance to this country,
and nothing should be allowed to stay its
progress. This education must be in public
schools, maintained by the State, and care
fully supervised by public officials. No
school, and they never are. The united
testimony Of all the railroad officials, mer
Of educated and skilled young men and
women is to the effect that those coming
to them from parochial schools are much
more poorly prepared for their work than
those who have passed through the public
schools. This cannot help being the case.
The public schools have revenue sufficient
to employ the best teaching talent, and they
have a system which develops the best
teachers and the best method of teaching,
and secures the best results in discipline.
None Of these is possible in the poory-sup
ported parochiai schools, which must depend
upon any kind Of teachers who can be Sc
cured for the meager stipends, and are con-
! Quoted according to the limited experience
of those who may be set over them.
The plea that public schools are inimical
to the religious faiths of the pupils is alb
surd. There is nothing sectarian about the
multiplication table, nor about the use Of
the globes and the maps. If textbook is
| introduced which contains anything obnox-
ious to any creed, its use can be stopt at
once by proper protest 1t is the same with
any teacher who attempts to teach whatever
savors of sectarianism. The general prin-
ciples of morality which may be taught
are common to all creeds. No one has a
monopoly of them or patent right on any
have the pupils but few hours each day,
and but five days in the week, during a
portion of the year During the rest of the
days, the week and the year, the parents,
priests and ministers have exclusive control
of them, and can teach them what they
please as to their own creeds and doctrines,
with the certainty that they will hear moth
| IL IL 7
doctrines. There are no more rigid sec
tarians than the Jews, nor none who need
have greater alarm about their children
hearing things in the public schools that
may be obnoxious TO their creed. Yet the
Jews send their children to the schools in
perfect security as to their being disturbed
in their religious ideas, and no youth of the
land stick more firmly to the faith of their
fathers than the Hebrew boys and girls
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE firmly believes
that the State should compel every child in
the land to be sent to a public school a Ger
tain number of hours every day, and be
taught there nece ssary rudiments of educa
ton to fit him or her to be an intelligent
useful citizen, and better discharge Tho
duties Of life that devolve upon every in
diyidual.
A DECIDED Improvement seems to hav,
taken place il the morals of Seymour Ind
Not many years ago it was noted as tn,
camping ground of a gang of desperat,