The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-02-11
COMPuLSORY LDAEALLlN

We are in receipt OF u bIli recently
introduced in the Legislature pro
viding for compulsory education,
accompanied with the request that
we would comment on the same.
The general principle that stream
can rise no higher than it's source
and hence Il republican government
can be no better than the people
from whom it originate, cannot bc
successfully coutroycrtod. 1t fol-
lows therefore that no heavier re.
sponsibillty resrs upon a republic
than to use every proper means to
educate It's electorate.
No less true isthe proposition that
when the state, by the strong arm
of her taXgatherer, collects IA tax
from every property hold-r IN pro.
portion to his means and lrrcsprc.
tive OF whether OF not lie is "A direct
beneficiary, n duty rests on her
to see that lac gets back the worth
of his money by accomplishing lhc
end for which the tax WAS laid. 1t
follows, therefore, that the least he
state can he expected to do in the
matter of public schools is to eco
nomically and lntelligenly provide
the best schools practicable with the
public school funds; the most that
can be expected is that She SHOULD
exercise her authority and cOeIcc III.
to attendance those children, who
through their own indifference or
their parents actions, do not take
advantage OF their rare opportuni.
ties.
And, SO Tar rs parents are concern
ed, there are cases where the state
exercises her right to conhscatc and
take under her fostering care chill.
dren where they either from lack 81
ability or lack OF means fail to pro.
vide for them according to the ac.
cepted standards OF enlightened SO.
ciety.
On the same ground the state
doubtless has the right to place and
keep in so valuable II nursery as the
school those children which Tor some
reason would not otherwise b,
there
This is the theoretical side Of the
question, but the practical side fur.
nlshes some serious stumbling blocks
FIRST, like every other state south Of
Mason and DIXon's line this state
ilnds It necessary to provide two
sets OF schools for white ana culur,d
children. This necessltates dJubl,
expense which is intensified when we
recall that the expense OF the colured
school is heavy while the revenue dc
rived from its patrons Is little more
than nominal. Without discussing
the advisablllty OF educating these
people as "A whole to the same aver.
age standard of the whites (and It
will be generally conceded that this
is theme on which much may b,
said by either the s.arr5man, tn,
philanthropist or the taxpayer, to
do SO would require AN increase in
the tax rate to Il degree which pub
lie opinion would not sustain, and
which an agricultural peopI. could
not bear.
Already a number OF the southern
and Eastern Shore counties, with
considerable truth, lay the weakness
OF their schools on their colurrd bur
den, and ask the state to come to
their relief with u higher state school
tax.
But the onl Y excuse for ,hccNist,nCc
of a law is the need OF 1t, and ior he
most part the need OF compulsory
school.attendance law in Mary land
is not sufficient 10 Justify its ,rtatiun.
In manufacturing and urban sections,
where the greed OF parents and the
alluring temptations to chlldtcn are
an ever fruitful source of non.attcnd.
ance at school, the state has this
plain duty to perform, and III the
great city of Baltimore and the MN.
ing county OF Alleghany she has not
failed to stretch forth her strong arm
through the trnant officer to save
the child but such conditions do not
generally obtain throughout The
state.
There is a saying rs true as /; is
trite that the American people are
easy to draw but hard to drive, and
IN no case does it apply with such
force as where the child is taken to
school contrary to the parents will.
Ii the merry ring OF the school bell
on an attractive school house, in the
hands OF q capable, tactiul teacher,
charms the chlldrcn of itscommunity
to come within it's bcnthcr inllu.
ence, the fruits of such attendance
far exceed those where the truant
officer rounds up" his sluggish herd
There are in our own county, as well
as everywhere else, cases OF couSpic.
uous neglect on the part Of the par
ents, but a somewhat extended en-
perience leads us to believe that they
are not numerous, and that III many
homes where parents do not appar-
emily measure up to their duty there
are skeletons which would make a
truant officers visit little less than
a crime.
Under existing conditions we be-
lieve that the state and county !
should furnish the very best schools |
a quickened public sentiment will
support; that teachers should not |
conhne their labors TO the school
room, but should mix with the com.
munity;thateverygoodc citizen should |
help TO stimulate and keep alive a
universal sentiment in favor Of send.
ing all children ESPECIALLY those still
too young to he valuable at home
to school during the whole school
year; and that "a compulsory attend,
ance law should not be enacted un.
less it be for certain urban popula-
tons Of considerable size,
The Cows Winter food is not so rich Ia
ronss quently winter milk is not rich in
butter-fats Fairdrld'E Milk Producer sup. |