Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-09-13
$l.OO PER YEAR.
Compulsory Education.
Correspondence

men throughou: the Stale, in the r
homes. on their farms, in their
offices, shops, and places of busi
ness, more or less engage in the
seIilus pastime of "constitution
nakIngn. Not to be left out, will
with Your permission make sug.
gestIon or two. through your COL
umn along liz Q little Il ay, len by
Que Delegates at Richmond, or our
people generally. One carefully
avoided, by the practical politician
of every pursuasion and grade, /
mean the line that leads to "Com.
pulsory Education." Don't stand
and roll your ey es in shockedhorror
L mean exactly what | say, and Ibe-
lieve If | had time, and youths patti
ence usp ibility aud p acability, l
could demonstrate to you, and the
convention at Richmond, and TO
all really Interested in "Primary
schools, its Importance for he up
lifting an I advancement of the best
in eresis of the state to create an
intelligent citizenship, educate the
peOpleand that to promulgate new
organ.c law for the State, with a
primary school feature without
'sOompulsory Clause, in it, would
be to have tho play of "Hamlet
with Hamlet left out ] speak from
twenty odd years of interested
4 experience both as an officer,
and patton of the schools of the G.
aud State, as one who has. closely
and carefully observed all these
YeaIs, the working of the system
throughout the State. ALI of which
has forced upon him the conviction
and it Is unslteIabe, that a free
primary school system such as we
have, without a Compulsory feature
properly guarded, ia a farce, a
gigantic! expensive, ridiculous,
ia u farce, whep closdly summed,
aud carefully considered in view OF
the end toIght for, when primarily
organized and ,'uJ into operation.
Ii would be too great tax both
upOn your patience and space, to
enter into, even a brief discussion
OF the many good rea:Ons why there
should he a Compulsory clause,
always carefully guarded, in our
apiimarv school system" With
your permission will, as briefly
As pos ible, mention a few reasons
pr. diced as have said, upon an
active experience of more than &c
years rs an officer on both County
and district boards.
1t will be admitted, that prim
arially the system was organized
and put into operation for all, but
more espicaily for the poor, those
who by the accident of fortune
~exe not able 10 pay for the educa
stinn Of their children, and / tax,
of my hat yet to the grand ole
State, standing as she was under
the burden OF debt and disaster
q legacy from the recent war, reel
Jug from weakness, and In
tensified by the brutal blows OF re
construction DAYS, when l witness
cd unparalleled devotion to dut!
and to hersons and daughters a
shown in taking up the heavy bur
.deu of providing for the edncati, !
szOt only O. the youthe of her dom
.insnt lace, but also OF those whor
accidents aud exigencies of va
had thrown upon her bounty an,
charity. To the poor OF 10th race
th, system was inpeed boon. II,
sons came nObley andchurfully I
her aid, and out Of their scant an
hard earned pIttances, for the mo-
part, cbeerfnlly paid the tax nee
cessary to make good her promii
TO the helpless, and with VIII,
result.
Thirty years have come and gOI
the system as now operated, b
for the most part, been faithful
tried, and l confidently upon to t
Office of the "State Board" to t.
c., seeks Offices and district Offic'
for answer, not to the Preside
-Pfofs, and Faculties, of our semi
ax.:aa .aixarclt .c.Il<..a "a.