The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-09-11

A IA Il. HERBERT Spencer In his
hV latest book, "Facts and Com
Nv ments," devotes chapter to
state education. Mr.. Spencer
rs not believer in state education.
he has much to say against it and he
blames it for many of the evils that
hamper the onward march of civiliza-
tion. In making an attempt to show
that Mr.. Spencer's argument against
state education is not free from de-
fects, desire, first of all, to state that
/ cannot conscientiously accept the
conclusions reached by Mr.. Spencer.
Two honest men may honestly differ
on such a theme as state education,
even if one of them is confined in the
penitentiary.
Mr.. Spencer, after few Introductory
remarks proceeds as follows: 81 am
not about to enter at length on the gen.
eral question of state education; other
wise should demur to the assumption
that any government is competent to
say what education should be, either
in matter, manner, or order; 1 should
contest its right to impose its system
of culture upon the citizen, so that
under penalty for disobedience his
children may be moulded after it's ap-
proved pattern; and / should deny the
equity of taking, through the rates, the
earnings of A to pay for teaching the
children Of B"
Government derives it's powers from
the consent of the governed Excep-
tion may be taken to this assertion;
yet, if some form of government is
necessary it seems that form of govern
ment which governs in accordance
with the wishes of the governed is the
most acceptable. Now, if the governed
not only consent to, but even desire q
system of state education, then there
is no more reason to withhold it from
them than there would be to withhold
from them police protection, or kindred
regulations, which conduce to the well
fare of society. And if it is inequita-
bic to take the earnings of A to pay
for teaching the children of B, then it
is ineQuitable also to take the earnings
of B, who thinks he needs no police
protection, to pay for the protection Of
A. And if this rule were adhered to in
all kindred measures or regulations
instituted for the good, or the supposed
good of society, it follows all govern
ment would come to an end, and we
should have condition of affairs as
prevailed in the days of the Judges of
Israel, when "every man did that which
was right in his own eyes,"
Mr.. Spencer further states: "To
measure the influence for good or evil
which forced intellectual culture pro-
duces on a nation, there is no better
way than to contemplate the teachings
of the daily press, and to observe the
effects wrought. An extremely apt
Introduction to the subject has recently
been exhumed from the pages of The
Idler. On November II. 1853, DR..
Johnson wrote as follows: sIn time
of war the nation is always of one
mind, eager to hear something good of
themselves and ill of the enemy. At
this time the task of news-writers is
easy They have nothing to do but to
tell that battle is expected, and after
wards that battle has heen fought, in
which we and our friends, whether con-
quering or conquered, did all, and our
. enemies did nothing 49,. Among the
calamities of war may be justly num-
bered the diminution of the love of
truth, by the falsehoods which interest
dictates, and credulity encourages I"
To which passage from DR.. johnson
Mr.. Spencer remarks that, GA century
and half seems to have made but lit
tie difference. Day by day the reports
of the South African war have been
full of fictions, exaggerations, gar
blings: much has been faleifed, much
suppressed" Mr.. Spencer then makes
an effort to prove that the dlsl atches