New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-05-23
Wednesday May %. 1894.
A Compulsory Education Law.

a Compulsory hducaGl0n Law
A law has been enacted by the New
York legislature and signed by Gov.
Flower providing for compulsory educa-
ton, the chief features of which are as
follows:
Children between 8 and 10 years must
attend public, private or parochlal
school or be instructed at home during
the whole school year. Children be-
tween 10 and II must attend school or
have private instruction 80 days, one
half of the legal school year. Children
between IA and 16 years must attend
school when not lawfully and regularly
employed. Children not in proper NEIL
tai or physical condition are, Of course.
exempted. Persons responsible for child
zen who fail to comply with the law are
subject to fine. Persons employing child
rea unlawtully are subject to fine. At
tendance officers are provided for the
execution of the law in cities and union
free-school district. Truants are to
be arrested and turned over to their
parents or teachers. Incorriglble truants
are to be brought before magistrate.
Truant schools are provided for where
needed. The state superintendent will
have general oversight of the execution
and enforcement of the law.
This measure has been Endorsed by the
educators of New York. Its terms can
not be construed as hostile to any secta-
rian interest. 1t simply declares that, if
parents are inclined to neglect public
as we'll as private duty, the disastrous
inclination must be stopped by public
law. It clearly assumes that, while the
lawful rights of parents or guardians
must be amply protected, yet the claim
that either parent or guardian has any
shadow of right to be contributory to
the criminal and ignorant and lawless
element of the state by refusal to send
these children to school cannot be rec
ognized. No plea of interference with
private right can weigh feathers
weight in this matter. No one has
right to be Indifferent about the educa-
ton Of his children.
It will be observed that ample means
are provided for the enforcement Of the
new New York law. There will doubt
less be objection to such rigid compul-
sion. Some people will think it all out
rage if their truant offspring are arrested
and forced to go to school. But they
have no justification for letting their
children become truants; no justification
for unlawfully employing their children.
The public good is 20 be consulted and
the upgrowth of an illiterate class with
distinctly marked criminal tendencies is
menace to the public good. Every child
in this republic at some school, public
or parochial, should be taught obedience
to constituted authority. If the parent
won't teach the child obedience at home,
he should be aught obedience at school.
1t is great disadvantage to the child to
get no home instruction as to obedience;
but if he does not get it there the next
best thing is for him is to learn the
fundamental principles of good citizen
ship at public orparochial school.
The New York law seems to be well
devised to correct great evil, to save
the state from = dark menace. It will
aid in the rescue of many neglected
children from evil influences and
example, if the politicians do not sue
coed IN making it dead letter. For the
professional politicians succesd in de-
feating many other benefcent statutes,
or in making them of no effect if enact
ed.-Minneapolis Journal.