Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-05-02


the views of good people, and especially
when they aim at a good object. 1t has
given me pain, therefore, to disagree
with the views of some good people in
Georgia concerning compulsory educa-
tion and free school books. / do not de-
spise the views of these good people,
and have read attentively what some
of them have had to say about the sub
ieCt. But what l have read has not
changed my views, but rather confirmed
me in the opinion that both the pro-
posal of compulsory education and the
proposal of school books paid for out
of public funds are indefensible. L am
more opposed to compulsory education
than to free textbooks, but 1 cannot be-
lieve either the one or the others is to
be approved.
The dangers in compulsory education
are not small The state elects teach
ers, chooses textbooks, and constrains
attendance upon its schools under this
system, and when ] say 1.-The state"
do not mean the government of the
commonwealth, but the civil authority,
whether that authority be that of the
state, the county, or the city. Now, it
is too obvious for discussion that when
the civil authority selects the teachers,
'''CCA'N'
ents to send their children to these
schools. a perfect scheme is devised by
which any sort of instruction may be
forced on children whether such in
struction is or is not, in accordance
with the convictions of parents. A
more perfect machine for small body
of men to create and control public
opinion cannot be conceived
Boards of education select the teach
same boards select the textbooks.
Thereby these boards determine what
is taught, and who teaches it. Suppose a
board of education selects a booi, of
history which offends the political opin-
IONS OF citizen, would not this board
be in position to force into the mind
of child of such a citizen views re-
pugnant to the convictions Of the par
ent?
In some states, where a system of
compulsory education exists. some of the
schooI boards are insisting that dancing
De taught in the public schools There
are great many people who do not be-
lleVe that dancing is proper, yet they
would be powerless under such a svs-
tenn TO protect their children from that
which they condemn. There lies before
me now a vigorous article written by
that distinguished preacher, Rev. Matt
s. Hughes d. D., of California, in which
he protests against the introduction of
dancing ipto the public schools. Some
weeks ago the citizens of Winchester.
KY, held mass meeting to protest
against certain books which had been
adopted by the school board, and which
contained infidel sentiments. 1t is per-
fectly clear that under a system of
compulsory education a small body of
men, called a board" may force upon
the children of the community any sort
of teaching and doctrine which they
may feel able to enforce.
Again, if compulsory education in the
common schools is proper, why stop
with that grade of education? Why not
compel parents to send their children
to high schools, and then to colleges?
1t has been said "A little learning is a
dangerous thing" and if this maxim be
true, we may inquire, why compel at
tendance to secure little learning and
not constrain attendaice to secure the
higher learning that would reduce the
danger involved in a little learning?
There is no logical ground for limit
ing compulsory education to elementary
branches. IF the state may take control
of my children at one age, it may con-
troll them at all stages of their minority.
The proposition to provide by public
taxation free text BOOKS is nothing more
nor less than a socialistic proposition.
Why not so further and provide free
lunches for the children? Or, why not
provide free clothes for children who
can not dress as we'll as Their children
in the schools? The truth is. that many
children are kept away from school
because they are ashamed of the clothes
they would have to wear and the food
they would have to carry in the lunch
boxes.
once the state adopts socialistic
r.rogram, there is no aTresting the
movement until 1t goes to its full
strength: and free text books is the
initial step to call for everything else
cree.
In all this matter, there is an over
valuation of education. The argument
for compulsory education frequently
rests upon the assumption that educa-
ton diminisnes crime; but this assump-
ton is not justified by the facts in our
own country, or any other county in the
world. Education apart from moral
principle increa ses power and multiplies
crime. In celebrated message sent to
congress by the late Grover Cleveland.
he arrayed statistics and set forth facts
which established beyond all question
that the literate classes in the United
States committed more crime than the
illiterate; and this Is the history of