New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
AS TO 4 SECRETARY OF EDUCATION.

Somebody Is always wanting to create new
Cabinet office Probably it is one phase Of the
popular passion for getting an act Of the legis-
lature. The government cannot attempt any
benefcent activity without subjecting itself to
demands from the benefcaries for the estab-
lshment Of a full fiedged department to give
the subject dignity. From time to time appeals
are made to Congress to create a Department
Of Commerce, a Department of Labor. and it
would be hard to say how many other depart
ments. The latest proposal is for a Depart
ment Of Education, with Cabinet minister at
the head Of "the educational system of the
country"
But there is no educational system of the
country" and there cannot be any such system
That is the fundamental objection to the crea-
ton OF Department of Education, with seat
in the Cabinet for It's head. and it would call
for the abandonment of any such scheme quite
aside from the objection which in general for
bids the multiplication Of government depart
ments to fiatter particular interests. The gov
eminent departments have been established to
do government work of universal concern. The
nations foreign relations finances. army and
navy and legal business were first cared for.
The navy was then separated from the army
for public purposes. The head Of the postofflce,
n national concern, next went into the Cabinet,
and then the Interior Department was created
for the care of the vast number of internal con-
Germs In which the Federal Government was
obliged TO take interest. Finally the Agricult-
ural Department established, and that
the first Cabinet post which was devoted
TO interests not strictly and necessarily Of gov
eminent concern. The activities Of that depart
ment, however, were not new, were necessary.
could not be performed by the States and were
SSI1o IT.
The same cannot be said Of the proposed De-
partment OF Education There is no Federal
educational system, and the person who tries
to create one will merely be interfering in mat
ters which the constitution has relegated to the
several States. There is now a Commissioner
Of Education who gathers statistics and does
satisfactorily all that the general government
Is called upon to do or can properly do in the
matter OF supervision OF education. Otherwise
education belongs to the States. Each has its
own system, and its administration is az purely
a domestic concern reserved to its people as
are It's police and its criminal law. Where the
United States has given lands to promote edu-
cation, either for common schools or for higher
learning, as II did back In George Washington's
time, when 1t made provision for a college In
the then Northwest Territory, and later when
1t made the gifts, one of which bore fruit in
COrnel University. the whole administration
and control of everything pertaining to the
education so promoted have been left to the
States The government has merely reserved a
certain part of the lands it was giving away to
individuals and devoted it to educational pur-
poses.
With such home rule in education and such
utter lack Of anything approaching a national
system even Of an advisory character, Score
tary Of Education would be merely q drum
major marching down blind alley while the
procession moved in another direction under
other leaders. He might be a spectacular figure
He might put his finger into great many
educational pies, to the annoyance of the cooks
legitimately employed upon them. But he
would have no serious function as an officer of
the United States Government little study
Of the constitution will MAKE clear this point
Even the general welfare" clause does not
authorize the usurpation by any official in
Washington of supervision and control over the
domestic concerns Of the States or the building
up of national system of education to inter
fere in one Of those domestic concerns.