Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-01-03

the standard must ascend. 1t Is great
and dangerous error.
The educational test cures nothing. IL
only tends to perpetuste the evil, Tor d"
disiranchised class is properly cared Ter by
a dominant ciass. SO long as ignorance
vis,bly endaugers lite and property, as is
the case sn long as ign norance votes, vast
efforts will be made to educ ate ignorance.
But deprive it OF all political power, and 1t
will be left to its own devices, TO grow
more and more degraded still. 1t il a
great mistake to suppose that the desire to
vote would be sufficient motive to induce
the ignorant voters in onr cities to learn t.
read and write.
Again, millions of ignorant people can
read and write aud what does 1t amount
10; while not a few intelligent people can
not.
This country is destined to be ruled by
the whole people and we may as well re-
cugnize that fact early as late.
These are quack medicines which have
been hastily, and unwisely recommended
by some of our W ould be reformers, hat II
wanted is not medicine but a preventative
1t is idle vaporing to talk of limiting suf
frt ge now. II is no novelty to advocate
compulsory education. Now % State,
and Territories of the Union, and 30 coun
tries of the world have compulsory sch0o
laws IN force, with flattering results.
We raise by appropriation and by taxa
ii on sixteen millions of dollars OF the pee"
ple's money in this State, ana one-third q
the children OF school age do not attend
scnoul.
The people of the State have come I,
the conclusion that such law is the only
sound solution Of the problem of ignorant
mlsrule.
Even accept the proposition made by
some obiecJurs to such a law, Thou shal
not allow any man To interfere with tn,
liberty OF any other man., and am una
bic To- see any such restrictions as its sup
purters imply. If my next door neignb"l
chOses to allow MS drains To be in such 4
state a. To create a poisonous atmospher,
no one would doubt the right To make hin
clean up and abate the nuisance. And il
ne allows his children 20 go unvacclnated,
he might as well be allowed 10 l. ave poi
son III the way of my children. And If b.
Drought up his children untaught and una
b IL earn a living. be is doing all be Cal
To restrict my freedom, by increasing tn;
burd ems of taxation for the support OF poor
houses, i4lls, etc. for " hich | Will have 1,
help 70 pay.
The pl nposition that a child has a right
To Oe educated, which no parent has Il
right to infringe or violate, has probably
never occurred TO many people Yet thi.
Is one of the propositions by which | rs
crlbe to the State the duty OF enfurclng
universal education. Children have rights
aS truly as their parents-the more 81 be
cause they neither know them nor know
now To maintain them. Ii any parent vi
ulates the child : right Ia be -ducated-nis
right t. fair chance in hie- his right uo
euter on career which shall not have for
It's fureOrdained terminus, the penitenTiary
ihrn the State has as much rign, To compel
respect for this as for any other law vluiat-
ed. The parent who 81 abuses his author
ity over his child is neither more nor IesS
Iuan criminal and II brute, and he should
Oe compelled To Cease his crime.
Iu one sense all education is "cOmpulsu
nv" since no child Will work or study il he
can play instead.
| scout at The idea that it is compulsory
10 guarantee tn children their native right
70 be educate ed and this Is all compulsory
education Is.
| should not approve a requisiti"n tha
all the children should be Obliged To attend
the public SCHOOLS. Make if you can the
public schools good thar the parents
sGall use them by preference
The State has No right To say where the
child receives ais education. bat the State
p, ha 4,,as ,,i
tiun
Wnat fleet has education upon paupe!-
ism end cIime7
The ursnd DuchyOf Baden in seven years
under system ot compulsory educauun Ii,
he elementary branches reduced pauper-
sm % per cent
In IinuOis. Indiana and Pennsylvania
one IN t9n Oi those who cauDot read an
~rite Is a pauper, wuile the rest ut tnt
population furnishes only one pduper Ia
800
An investigation recent made inl5state-
If inmates ui almsLouses SO per csIt cunl1
neither read aud write, wniIe in those
taLes of the oral population the average
uliterates was only 6 per cent ana from
his q per cent came that % per cent "i
pbupers
In France at the census of 1870 one hall
bi lut pduptlS GoLlu u'l Itdl anu WlltS, huh
tois one halt furnished 95 per cent of the
persons arrested Tor crime. while the edu-
Gated class furnished only D per cent.
In New England in the Same period Z
Der cent OF the inhabitants were unable l"
read and write, that Is of those above 10
ears of age and yet this pr cent. pro-
uuced so per cent. of the CRIMINALS. TnI>
fact alone IS complete vindIcatiun of the
moral effect of the New England 81 stem OF
education.
In PennsJ lvania about 16 per cent of
rhe people cannot read ana write and yer
That number produces over "a per cent Of
the crimes committed.
Compulsory education is right:
lst. Because it Is the right of every
child TO secure that measure of education
that will make him useful citizen, aud
IT this right Is withheld by the parents or
guardians ii is the duty Of the State ~ in
trrpose and secure the child tEls greai
right.
2nd 1t is manifested injustice to TAX
from the pockets OF It's tsxpaying citIzens
large sums of money, whether they have
children or not, for school purposes, aud
then allow one third ui the children To grow
up in iguurgnce. The parents in so DUNG
are not conforming To wnat experience aud
conditions of society regard as right He
Is not acting IN reasonable mauuer. aud
he law say he is not acting 10 a lawful
manner-
1t is claimed such laws create a new
crime. So they ought to. To bring n
child up III ignorance is a crime and should
be treated as such. As the most prolific