Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-07-04

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short, to develop the child nat
urally i'm all its faculties, moral.
intellectual and physical. Only
the State can do this. The Uni
ted States Government has
nothing to do with the public
schools or their organization.
The power to regulate and the
responsibility to provide for the
public education of our citizens
was left to the State Govern
ments. 1t is true the National
Government has established a
Bureau of Education. which has
existed since 1867, but its func-
tions are only advisory and for
the purpose of collecting and
disseminating information. 1t
is also true the National Gov
ernmcnt exercises IL certain
amount of control over some in
situations of this and other
States, which are the beneficial
ries of government funds; but
that arises as a condition at
tached to the acceptance of the
appropriation. T h S limited
right of governmental control,
therefore, springs from con
tract and not from any provi-
sion of our own or of the United
States Constitution. Hence, as
| have stated the public schools
are peculiarly the wards of the
State. 1t is left for each State
to provide as it sees fit for pub
lie education.
"Our system of local self-gov-
eminent is the basis and main
spring of the public school
system. The reason is easy to
see.
1T has been well said. IAN
Ignorant people can be govern
ed. but only an educated people
can govern themselves, and
under our system of political
Organization we must govern
ourselves. In thi $ country
where every citizen is II sovcr-
eign and has a voice in the
Government, education must
be universal, else our govern
ment will sink in the darkness
of crime, ignorance and mis-
management.
The public schools are in the
hands of the people, and the
people are too sensitive To the
Importance of securing the
most efficient service which can
be had TO ever permit them to
be made a tool for purely polit-
ical purposes, or to be used to
advance the selfish interests of
anyone.
ANY man who attempts to
retard the advancement of the
schools or prevent their legiti-
mate purpose will die political
ly with his boots on. Amongst
public questions education oc-
cupies the foremost place. The
highest and best interests of
the nation are indissolubly
bound up with that question,
because nothing affects the pco-
pie more intimately than the
schools For it is there the peo-
pies children are taught by the
peoples officers who are con
trolled by the peoples repre-
sentativcs. 7 he cheerfulness
with which the people contrib
ute in the payment of taxes
for the support of the schools
is "A continuing pledge of their
appreciation. Indeed the NOR
al right to tax all the people for
the support of the schools is not
now any where questioned. The
American people, whatever
their differences on other pub
lie questions. are practically
unanimous in favor of free pub
lie schools. because they rccog-
niZe that viewed from Il purely
economic standpoint it pays to
make our citizens producers OF
wealth which will bear its
share of taxation and contrib
ute to the support of the govern
ment and the prosperity of the
State.
1.-The great Martin Luthur many years
ago explained the true relation of the
State to public education when he said,
Government as the natural guardian