The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1902-08-01

instruction is practically turned
over 10 the state, we should see
that it Is in devout and competent
hands Neglect here may mean
peril both TO church and state.
Some have sneeringly character
lied the public school "a the
fetish OF the American Republic"
But such writer's evidence is a
cheap appreciation of the sublime
mission OF education, and a strange
innocence OF its magnificent his
tory. With the vast amount of
illiteracy in our country we are
not yet in danger of this excessive
attention 10 this vital concern of
the nation.
Those were noble and states
manIike words uttered by Presi-
dent Lamar in his great message
10 the Texas congress in 1899, in
Sisting upon the establishment of
general system OF education
throughout the young republic:
Cultivated mind is the guardian
genius of democracy. and while
guided and controlled by virtue Is
the noblest attribute of man. Il
is the only dictator that freemen
acknow ledge, and the only securi-
w that freemen desire.
ION the other hand, the greatest
! foe to democracy stealthy, subtle,
unrelenting and undermIning-is
! -. .ff..,~..,, of4;vo,ol;, Nth ~
without the powerful weapon OF
/ the elective franchise. Universal
education saturated with moral
principle Is the only safe and en-
during foundation of republic.
/ Our constitutional fathers, there
fore. showed consummate states
manship in adopting the motto
afterwards enunciated by Lord
Macauley: The first business of a
state is 10 educate its citizens
The whole doctrine of public
education grounds upon the idea
that illiteracy is dangerous in the
body polite. Statistics are APP
palllng and overwhelming, show
ing the immediate and almost
mathematical relation of ignorance
to crime. The criminal classes are
largely recruited from the illite-
rate. The state. therefore. taxes
all her citizens in order to furnish
instruction to the children of the
poor BY this means. as history
has triumphantly indicated, she
decreases crime. reduces the eX.
pensc of government, and multi
plies the productive capacity oi
labor, thus adding 10 her source
and supply of wealth.
1T is argued. and wisely SAID
that the state had better expend
money on schools and thus i'm
prove her citizenship. than to in
crease her outlay for the courts oi
Justice, shelters for the indigeur
and large and expensive con
stabulary The able and voluminous
reports issued by the department
of education. under the editorshiI
of DIR. w. Il. Harris, are an almost
inexhaustible treasury of facts and
arguments on this vital doctrine
My own somewhat extensive
travels and studies in many lands
have only deepened and strength.
ened the conviction of years
Look at Brazil for instance, with
territory equal to that of the
United States, exclusive of Alaska
wonderfully fertile soil. UNTOLD
mineral resources and every varie-
ty is in men and their weakness is
in their ignorance. Nearly eigh-
ty-five per cent of the people are
illiterate.
Now if this doctrine of public
education is sound in principle, il
must have universal application in
the state. The only question that
can be asked. Is the child an off
spring of a citizen of the state? To
grant these advantages to the
children of some families, and de-
ny them to others, undermines the
whole theory of public instruction
and cfpikoc a doofh h1Ouv ~ ono ri