The Irish standard., 1893-01-28
'IHE IIlIsH IAKDzRD!' 81 TURI1k D ~


the greatest country on earth today
Education has always been fostered here
since colonial days, and were the colon
lists an unlettered people they would not
have known the enormlty Of the grievan-
ces imposed on them by the "mothsr
country" nor have risked their lives and
liberty to shatter the CALLING chains and
establish government of the people, by
the people and for the people in this
glorious land of the West. The public
school system has been in use for many
years in every state Of the Union, and
the children Of the poor have at their
very doors public schools in which they
can acquire an education; and then they
can enter higher institutions Of learning,
as the lamented Garfield did, to prepare
them for being legislators and presidents
and to fill other positions of honor and
responsibility in every walk of life. A
people with such educational facilities
cannot help being intelligent and pro-
gressive and the lovers of human liberty.
But some parents do not appreciate the
value of educat icn to their children and
deprive their sons and daughters OF
the blessings thus freely given them by
the state,Eso that the state for self .protec-
ton must pass compulsory laws to en-
force attendance at school. The great
state of Minnesota has not yet enacted q
com pulsory education law, but in our
opinion it should have passed such bill
before the Winston free text book bill
goes into operation. The compulsory edu
cation bill should be free from the objec-
tionable features which characterized the
Bennett and Edwards bills passed in
neighboring states, and should take pre-
cedence OF the Winston bill which ought
to follow as legitimate sequence of the
compulsory law. Both laws may be OBJ
jected to-, but we see no valid reasons
why they should not be enacted during
this session OF the Legislature. The Win
ston bill has been criticised somewhat
unfayorably in some quarters on the
ground that it will increase the taxation
on those parents whose children attend
parochial and private institutions, and
who derive no direct benefit from the
public school system. Such objections
are puerile and unworthy of serious Con-
sideration. It must be apparent to
every thinking man that the state has
the right and the power to regulate the
schools under it's OWL control, and tue
free text book bill is calculated to COM
plete the system. We favor it on the
principle that "the tail should follow the
hide" and after careful perusal we tind
it to be about as perfect bill as human
ingenuity can devise without infringing
on the rights Of those who cannot con-
scientiously avail themselves OF the
public school system as at present con-
s,ituted and conducted. The contract
feature, however, needs to be modified OF
eliminated altogether. nc
The author should also try to have text
b ,oks used which shall be Of such char
actersas to be acceptable to citizens OF
every religious persuasion. 1t is Gif-
f ,ult matter to get books entirely free
from defects, but an effort sho Id be
made to render them as unobjectionable
as possible so that children of all creeds
could drink at the fountain of fee
public instruction without running the
risk of imbibing mental knowledge that
is repugnant to their moral and religious
sensibilities. The Winston bill, briefly
stated, empowers and requires school
,ards to buy books and other requisites
from any firm dealing in such supplies,
but no contract shall be made for term
Of less than one nor moro than five years,
during which the books shall not be
changed. The firm supplying the books
must furnish the state superintendent q
sufficient bond as guarantee to perform
the contract with the school board, or it
the dealer resides in the school district
he may file bond with the board in such
sum as may be required. No member OF
the school board shall act as agent, nor
shall any official connected with schools
in any way have any interest whatever
in, the purchase or sale of the supplies
The books shall be furnished to pupils
at cost price, and if pupils return them
when they have no further use for them
or when they are removing from the
district, they are entitled to the actual
value of the books from the school board.
If the free use of the books be given, the
pupils are held responsible for any dam
age to them or for failure to return
them when used. Every pupil can have
the free use of the books if desired, and
no distinction shall be made between So
called INDECENT and other pupils. The
board can recover from parents and
guardians the value of any books that are
damaged or destroyed or not accounted
for. There is nothing in the act to com
pel school boards to continue furnishing
supplies in the manner provided it the