The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-29

charge
Lydia E. Pinkham Med Co., Lynn, Mass.
of such medical schools and teachers. The
/ keys of knowledge are no longer the ex-
elusive possession of the church.
The civil state claims the right to
teach. Few Americans at the present
stage of our national development will
question this right Since a fell-ordered
modern state but expresses the general
| Intelligence. the public opinion and the
enlightened viii Of the whole body of citi-
zens, this right to provide that the re-
public suffer no harm from prevalent ig-
norance and barbarism cannot be chal-
lenged.
And the duty of the civil state to teach
may be equally clear. The modern demo
cratic state must demand that every citi-
zen, at the period of adullUhood, shall
have reached a certain high level of aver
| age intelligence. It may command any
parent, negligent of parental duty to pro-
vide for the instruction and moral train
ing of his child-itself fixing and pro-
claiming the required standard of such
education-and may visit parental refusal
or neglect with severe civil penalty.
1.-The state may also seize and remove
from the parental presence and authority
neglected and ill-trained children, placing
such children in state schools, subject to
its own sole direction and discipline.
"The state may ordain a system of
general public education, embracing all
departments and grades of scholastic in
struction, the kindergarten, primary, sec
ondary, collegiate. university. industrial;
appointing all officers, agents and teach
ers necessary to the successful execution
ofthe system in all its parts, and levying
on all private property within the state
limits for the revenue essential to the
support and efficiency of the public
schools. 1t is the duty of the democratic
state, according to our modern view, to
make generous provision for the education
of children and youth; and then to see to
it that the end sought, univyrsal popular
intelligence, is practically attained. Moth
ing is so much dreaded by the enltshten-
ed state as public nliteracy and ignor-
ance; such ignorance is the prolific
mother of vice and crime; since stable
public institutions. good order, the due
and safe administration of law in de-
mocracy, are possible only where the
equal citizens are generally intelligent
and Of good character.
Especially will this duty Of public edu-
cation by the state be urgent where the
population is made up of heterogeneous
elements, immigrants unfamiliar with our
free institutions, of diverse races and
tongues, often the besotted subjects of
centuries of depressing tyranny in their
former homes. Only the common school
common to high and low, rich and poor
native and foreign born, can mould these
diverse elements into a composite but
harmonious citizenship; can take the chill
dren of Latins, Celts, Huns, Czechs,
Slavs, Lapps and Asiatics. Cog and Ma
gog.' and make out of them intelligent,
law-abiding, patriotic Americans.
"All hon0rto the American system OF
common schools! No other single cause
has contributed so largely to the develop
ment and perpetuity of civil freedom here,
and 20 our marvellous progress as people
during the last 100 years.
But the civil state cannot Justly claim
the right and duty Of universal and ex-
elusive education. 1t may not say to
the parent: You must send your chill
dren to the public schools. You shall
not employ a private t1tor TO instruct
your child Nor may the state say to
the Christian church: You shall not es-
tablish parochial schools. academies and
colleges in which to educate your sons
and daughter This would be the es-
Of
Of all real freedom OF the citizen.
The duty Of the state in respect to the
education Of the young is, in its nature.
essentially supervisory and complement
airy TO parental, Individual and church
initiative. The parent is the natural in
structor Of his child. so far as ability and
circumstances viii allow and the director
OF his education. Next 10 the parent in
the duty OF initiative in the education OF
the child stands the church. II these two
natural agencies OF the intellectual and
moral training Of the young fail not IN
their e6ucative efforts, but successfully 1T
their wards for intelligent and useful citi-
zeuship. the state is content and should
not interfere.
The state cannot teach theology. the
hlloNlHNSe OF Nuu ana the immortal NE,
the basis OF religion. II cannot teach the
theory OF religion
IN all other countries theology. the
theory Of mans relations 10 God, religion
in broad sense. is taught in public
schools % every grade from the kinder
garten 10 the uuiversity-in the latter
theology holding Hqual dignity with philo-
sophy and law. Orher great states have
A national religion; the United States has
none. In Germany, religion is as much e
part Of the childs and youths daily .n-
strCotion in school and college as the
classics. mathematics or science. Only az
the door Of the university does the obi
cation Of the German student 10 make o.
religion s psrt ot his daily scholastic
regimen cease-at the point where general
education ends and professional education
begins.
Exclusive secular education canno,
furnish the young with the nest-wirA