The Newtown bee., 1899-08-25
WEST CORN WALL.
EDUCATION THE NEEDS OF CORNWALL,
., BY WILLIAM d. BOSLER. -5

EDUCATIoN,-THEN NEEDS OF CORNWALL,
49, BY WILLIAM D. BosLER. .#5.
Since the earliest dawn of civilization
education has been the potent factor H.
the progress and development OF the ties-
TIMES of nations. We find those nations
and races who have fostered a love OF
knowledge the ones who have left a
shining mark on the fair page of history
| Wherever the desire for knowledge has
been epgendered there we find a higher
| plane Of life and moral development.
| Those people who have never partaken
of the benefits of education have been
little more than failures, besides being a
detriment to those of higher aspirations.
Education has been the great civiliZer
of all humanity. A lack of it to-day
| would mean a relapse into state far
worse than medieval barbarian. In it's
sunshine lies all of the hope, glory and
fame 20 which the human race is heri-
tage. Without 1t there would be no re-
alization of the mighty plan that lies
unfolded before our daily view. The
worst event that could happen to our
universe today would be to hamper the
great work of universal education. The
history of sl human liberty lies embed.
ded in it. The struggle against all tyran'
! ny that has ever existed has been giver
| its first impulse by education. It is the
great power which reveals to every being
the good that there Is in every other
| being. w. --~, .~.s--.~
The nations that have realized the es-
sentiality of this great potent power have
| sought by every means possible to uni
verealize and extend it so that the mean
est individual may partake Of it's en-
nobling benefits. And it is an aetna. fact
that where we find universal education
q IL ~ ri
! elements that can be found in the
composition of civilized government.
All civilized nations exist by it.
| The developing of it means q
| breaking away from the subsection OF
| tyranny and misrule and the harmoniZing
| of all OF the factors that constitute CIV
ilizstion, to the good Of the masses.
| SO 1t is not to be wondered at, with the
examples of the past before their eyes
and while yet their settlement was in its
infancy, that our Pilgrim Fathers should
take steps to lay the foundation OF the
mighty system, which is to-day our COM
mon school. The Prov OF the Mayfiower
had hardly touched the rugged shores OF
New England. her sails were hardly furl-
ed when the thought of the mighty pur-
pose that had brought them hither re.
CURED to them and they set about to es.
tablish a system Of free education. They
knew what tyranny meant They had
suffered under the rod of oppression and
it was with the thought in mind that they
would give the future generations the
right to think for Themselves. even
though they had been denied that priv
ilege. Education would do this, and 90
| the Massachusetts colony voted that
every child In the colony should be
taught to read and write aud all settle.
ments having more than so scholars
should maintain a grammar school, with
the view of preparing for college those
who might have aspirations in that line.
Only IS years after the landing OF the
Pilgrims, in 1886, 1.-THE Massaehuse it's
court agreed to give 400. pounds to q
school or college and two yearslater Rev
John Harvard. willing a sum- total of
200 pounds was raised and the first class
was formed" That small beginning liz
Harvard University. u
A few yearg later, in 400, 10 OF the
clergymen Of Connecticut came together
and each laying = number Of books upon
table, said: 81 give these books for the
founding OF a college In this COLONY"
This was the beginning of one OF the
greatest institutions of learning in exist
ence to-day viz, Yale University
These instances are merely given to
show the desire of the early founders of
New England to make education the
corner stone of their government. Our
purpose is TO deal only with the common
school system, for we believe In this lies
the hope and power of the nation of the
future. From the small beginning in the
New England township the system of our
universal education has so. enlarged till
to-day every hamlet in our broad land
can boast of schoolhouse where is
taught the principles upon which rest the
bas is of our existence. The common
school graduates the mass of citizens of
our country and for that reason it should
be given the greatest advantage that we
can give it. 3 The great mass of our chill
dren never pass beneath any door otht 7
| than that OF the common school.and with
this knowledge In view it is for US to