Amador ledger., 1901-10-04

velopment, and in conjunction with
legislation, bold the cases already de-
veloped in quarantine. as it were.
AS the country now stands, we have
no national system or standard of edu-
cation. Each state provides more or
less generously for the free education
OF all the children within its borders.
Yet there are hundreds of children
growing up without any chance to ac-
qulre good common sense or practical
educatiOn-the foundation of good
citizenship. Millions of dollars are ap-
propriated annually from the national
treasury for purposes of defense from
external invasion or attack, and for in
ternal physical mprovements-th i'm
provement of rivers, harbors, ETC., for
eXpositiOns, memorials, ETC., which |
grant are very useful in arOusing civic
pride and national patriotism in those
whose education enables them to ap-
preciate such things, and profit by the
silent lessons they teach. 1t seems to
me our nation is now old enough, rich
enough, firmly enough established,
that the education of her sons and
daughters should be national charge.
Let the great tragedy that has just
been enacted unite all honest hearts in
national effort to prevent such a
thing ever happening again.
Under the state systems of education
the children living in the rural districts
and pioneer portions of the country
have either no school or short terms,
and inefficient teachers, while the more
populous districts and cities have long
terms and well paid teachers who are
usually well worthy of their hire, yet
abuses and political pulls" are not
unknown. But the tendency in cities
is towards an ornamental rather than
a practical education. characterization
is all right in its place, but diamond
pin cannot make sOiled clothing and
an unkempt person look nice. Let US
have national schools provided at given
distances apart all over our country,
where there are children to be edu-
Gated; let the nation provide for one
teacher at each. school for term of
ten months; let the salary Of each
teacher be the same as that of every
other teacher; let there be national
course of study, and compulsory at
tendance between the ages of s and Is;
let all teachers certificates be national
certificates with high standard of
scholarship, reinforced by high moral
character and high pure patriotism as
requisites for such; let no apprentice
teachers" but only professionals have
charge of this important work; let us
have national tax to provide this
much. ct might be levied like the war
tax so that the poor would not feel the
burden.) Then the state and county
taxes could be appOrtioned according
to population, and thus provide for all
additional teachers needed in populous
districts. Additional school room to
be built as now, by local taxation.
Teachers could be employed and all
other business conducted the same as
now, only teachers would present
national instead of local credentials of
their right and ability to teach. If all
the children in the land were thus
brought directly in touch with the
nation as whole, and that in way to
benefit them, it does not seem proba BILE
that after the age of Is, anarchy could
find many disciples among them. 1t
may be necessary or desirable to modify
our immigration laws also. Be that as
it may, our stability as a nation, and
prosperity in the future, depend entire
fy upon our children.
MRS. r. E. HORTON.