Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1900-09-26

which go to make up ii constitutional
citizen as it were, law abiding and able
exponent of power.
Governments are said, without dispute
no doubt, to derive their powers from the
people and the character of that power
is measured by the knowledge within its
opponents as a matter of fact, the term
knowledge being almost unlimited in its
capacity for conveying the idea OF
strength. Hence it is a fundamental
necessity that in order to make law and
order beneficial there must be some
means of making known to the weak and
the unrestricted the things that are re-
quired Of them by those who characterize
the nation in its entirety; by those who
are matured as it were.
Arising from this necessity like a Nee
ca for the uninstructcd but growing
mind, grasping for the full realization OF
its hope, the government has instituted
and established the public schools, the
greatest prime factor in the whole system
of civil life and liberty. In them the
children are taught the manner and
means of expression as well as the
method of exchanging them with others
the understanding OF which in a COM
plete degree puzzles many older ones by
reason of their careless disregard and
thoughtless use OF perverted sayings;
they are taught the various Characters
tics Of the natural surroundings, the car
dinal points, etc, and they learn OF rivers
mountains, valleys, plains, oceans, lakes.
cities and countries, and something OF
the starry armament and of the mother
earth, and many OF the instrumentalitles
by which they may have an idea and
knowledge of things and places; they
are taught to reckon the value of related
things and learn the fundamental princi-
pies that govern transactions OF common
matters of exchange, which if they did
not know they would, by reason of their
ignorance of such things, have to submit
to the doings Of others for them or be
come relegated to barterng and slave
to the unjust who might reach them.
The schools teach the children some
thing OF the form of government, the off
GERS who execute the laws, how the laws
are made and how various governments
in general way differ from or compare
with their own. In the first and last les
sons Of history they are taught patriot
ism, the love of their country as it has
struggled for liberty and nationality.
They are given some little Insight into
the use OF air, water and vegetation as
well as animal life to us, and are given
some idea of what they should do to care
for themselves. Moral principles that
make good life and citizenship are incul-
Gated. In short the public school puts,
or should put into the child's life and
faculties the primary and fundamental
principles and rules, which as il grows
and uses them, creates within its powers
genius that knows no bounds.
That nucleus of knowledge impaired
at the hands of the government in the
school house to the minds OF the rising
generations enables them to become eX-
perimental factors in the everyday course
of events, and the more they use it and
their reason dcvelopes by that use the
more they gain in their powers and as
time passes. into the beyond and events
come and go in their lives, these things
which they have learned to use develop
new conditions and the instruction given
them in the first principles and the con-
tinued exercise of them and the advanc-
ed education into the more scientific,
classical and practical realms brings
them far up into the period OF reason
where they are able TO take up the broad
field open to all. Edncaton along with
their natural experience will put them
in possession of the possibilities of the
age and anon their power finds place
in high positions OF influence and what
was once a little school urchin beginning
with the a b C's may now be great
person of ever increasing knowledge and
power and even though in the everyday
walk of industry is a person well fitted
through an active understanding gener-
ated through careful training at the start
The school should be made the great
est means of government there is and
accordingly the government not only fur
nishes general information but gives all
| the opportunities in the industrial and
| technical training that one would desire,
and every branch, including laws, seem
to be the special attention of the cduca-
tional system Of the country.
If there is lack Of interest and enthus-
iasm in the parent, little crusade of
education carried into the home might
be of some benefit. A desire for know
ledge in the parent will more readily
| impel him OF her TO procure the same for
| the children. Il the parent IS inordlnate-
| ly careless in matters OF education and
| deprives the child of its first necessary
means OF success in life by keeping il out
of school, that parent has certainly COM
mittea crime against die government
by rendering the child Incapable OF
| governmental functions q a citizen. The
government cannot execute wholesome
laws or restrain lawles Saess when the
sameis the outgrowth ofagnorance and
! hence Ignorance excuses5ho one, and if
man is responsible for sons ignor-
ance and that son through ignorance is a
transgressor Of law, the primary guilt
rests upon the father and the ends of
| government are defeated whenever il is
| too late to remove the ignorance on cause
of LIBERALIZATION of law.
! 1t IS for this reason that while the
parent may Of right reserve the aid of
| the son in the domestic affairs, yet the
government has a claim Upon that son
that cannot be denied both on account of
the governments and the sons welfare.
1t upon this principle think that
comp sorry school law is based, and the
law Is not onlyJust but should be eufore-
ed Compulsion is only justiable for
the necessity that exists, and perhaps
three months limit of schooling "a the
compulsory time for attendance is suffi-
Gent in a way. but the fact of Gohipnl-
sion as matter OF necessary qualihca-
ton if for no other reason renders such
an Injunction Imperative. ~
II might be well to add to the burdens
of the teachers the duty of enfotcihg
attendance byansti;uting proceedingsin
court as an executive officer TO compel
attendance as required by law, with 4fine
or penaltv attacked TO the teaCf SIS