Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-09-22


Chicago. The governor knows IS well
as all of the people of Chicago know.
that there never were any relations what.
ever of any kind or character between
Mr.. Mcdonald and myself. other than
those of ordinary acquaintance. These
who are intimately acquainted with Mr.
Mcdonald. however. inform me that he
is one of the ablest business men in Chi.
cago. and that his word may be implic-
lily relied upon. The governor. though,
seems to be in great need of some cause
for attacking me personally. Il have
been careful to tvoid personalities of any
sort in this campaign. 1 have merely
inquired into the conduct of state insti-
tutions. and this l propose to do while
the campaign lasts. The governor may
resort to mud singing and abuse, but l
will not. 1 may say to you that
L have visited every county in
the state and in every one representative
and prominent republicans have come to
me with information tending to reflect
upon the governors honesty and good
use such information, ard will continue
to decline to conduct the campaign from
the standpoint on that basis. The gov
ernor may adopt any methods he may
see fit to evade the truth and avoid de-
Tense of the charges 1 have specifically
made, he may attack me personally, he
may conduct a campaign of mud-slinging.
but will not"
THE SCHOOL QUESTION
Judge AItgeld then gave an exhaustive
review Of the Edwards school law. He
| spoke of the common school system of
the state, its advantages and the money
| that had been expended and pains taken
| to build it up on a basis that is the equal
| OF any in the country, and source of
| pride to the people of the state. He also
| alluded to the fact that we have private
| and parochisl schools. Some people see
| fit to send their children to the private or
| parochiai schools. So long as these
people do their duty to the state and pay
their taxes for the support of the COM
mon school. so long as they see to it that
their children are educated, the judge
said that it is nobody's business where
| they send their children to school. That
is matter in which parents have the
right to act in accordance with the die
tates of their own judgment. 1t is vital
to the perpetuity of our institutions and
the maintenance of our free school sys-
tenn that the state should not be permitted
| to interfere between the parent and child
and dictate how the parent shall educate
his child. The relationship between par
ent and child is too sacred, too delicate
and too tender, for the state to delegate
the power TO any school directors
TO establish themselves lords of
the situation where the parent
| speaker went into an ANALYSIS of the Ed
wards compulsory education act, reciting
| the dangerous and tYrannicsl attitude of
| the republican party regarding it. The
| law originally was sent TO Spring.
| field to be introduced as a law. DR.. Ed
| wards the superintendent OF publ c
| instruction examin ed it and altered it to
suit himself, and it passed the legislature
| and it became law. being known as the
| Edwards act. 1t constitutes no part of
| our public school system. but stands by
| itself alone on the state statute books.
II first provides that every child ofschool
age must 60 to school so many months.
But then 1t provides Bext that every child
of school age must go to the district
school, unless the local board of directors
see fit to permit the child TO go TO a pri-
vate or psrochisl school. The right to
determine this question is wholly discre-
| tionary with the local DO ard. whose power
to decide is absolute and beyond which
| there is no appeal II the private or par
ochial school is within a few rods of the
child's home and the district school mile
away it matters not-the child mus, be
sent to the district school if the directors
SO select. The right of parents to say
how their children shall be educated is
taken oIt of their hands entirely and DEL
egsted to the school directors who shall
dictate as to the government of the
child's education aud whose word in the
pr emises is the law. The law worked
particular hardship to parents accus-
toned to educating their children in par
ochial schools. the German Lutherans of
the state in particular. The provisions of
the enactment were soon discovered to be
tyrsnnical and unreasonable and instead
oflooking after the fatherless and pro-
viGing them with al education its intent