The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1893-08-01

education free of expense II very
properly requires all tax paying citi-
zens to contribute to the support of
these schools. With equal propriety
the State insists upon controlling these
schools, uninfluenced by any church or
other organization"
1. How can the State educate the
children of all its citizens at public
expense and at the same time "free of
expense 2" The fact is the parents of
all the children who are not pau
pers pay according to their ability for
the education of their children. o My
the children of pauper parentage are
educated free of expense"
2. 1t is by no means an axiom that
it is right for the State to require "tax-
payers to contribute to these schools
/ have my doubt about the right Of
vagabond who does nothing but be-
get children for the State to maintain
and educate, to vote tax ON his in
dustrious bachelor neighbor to main
tain his "brats." This question is very
much mixed in my mind. This writer
who has nothing to be taxed is very
chary about voting tax on those who
have.
8. The State properly does not place
the schools under the control of any
denomination. This would be dis
elimination against the best. But as
we have shown, these schools are not
only under the influence, but they are
the creatures of Professionalism. The
Protestant denominations of this
country point to them with pride.
There their children play together,
learn together and grow together, not
only in stature, but in sympathy and
patriotism. Rome alone stands by and
sulks, though enjoying equal rights
rights which she does not deserve, be-
cause rights which she denies to others
when she has the power. Again:
"More this, the State has the right
to insist that every child within its
borders shall attend some school cer-
tain number of days in each year dur
ing school age. This sovereign pre-
rogative belongs to the State by vir-
tue of the right which inheres in or
ganized society to protect itself, as far
as possible against the crimes and
the vices of ignorance"
The State has no such right--has
never exercised any such right. The
State has no right to come between
parent and child in this way. 1t has
no right TO invade the sacred privacy
of the family in this way. This is
holy ground. The government should
move very slowly in meddling with
the concerns of the home. The State
has just as much right to say that
every man shall attend church so
many days in the year, and read so
many chapters per week in the Bible,
and shall hold family worship every
morning and night as it has to say ]
shall send my children to school so
many days in the school year. If the
aim is to protect itself against the vices
and crimes of ignorance, surely little
church going, Bible study and prayer
would be quite as efficient as little
"readin,' writin' and cipherin' picked
up in the public school.
The State does provide schools to
which all have access. She does not
compel all to attend. She provides
asylum9 for the blind, but she does
not compel the blind to enter; for the
insane. but she does not compel an
entrance; for the INDECENT, but she
does not compel them to enter. She
puts it within the power of all these
to be merciful to themselve, but she
does not compel them to do SO. She
should place educational facilities With
in the reach Of all that she should
compel them does not appear.
EDDA.
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