The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-01-12
Compulsory Education Wrong.

1@ LM@ EllLOE
Farmers in most all tlIe counties
or the state have given expression to
their contempt for the compulsory
school law, but it has remained for
Carroll county to- have the first ar-
rests end tO So TIM first legal test
tOf the law The Baltimore Sunday
Sun OF January 7th stated in dis
patch from Westminster that farm
verS of the county are up in arms
against thu law Some declare they
will never follow 1T, I'D 1T ID unjust
and places them under the regula-
lions of slavery times" 1t also
stated that Attorney H. O. Weant
would Represent the accused in the
Forthcoming trial
There is not one point that has
been made in favor of compulsory
ireducatinn, that experience in the
States that have i'll has not TO-
tally knocked IL in the head The
foremost plea has been that 1t makes
far better citizenship. Boston and
Chicago have led i'm the compulsory
trials. In both these cities the boys
that have been turned out Of late
years are criminals beyond endur-
ance-they are educated away from
work and are fitted only for sharp
practices and crime. Country boys
are wholly educated away from the
farms To such an extent that there
is now on foot movement called,
Back to the Land"
AIr. Eemillar and other truant Off
GERS will say, "Oh, 1T iS Thu law it A.
the law Nothing ID law that Ii not
the will of the people. The school
law has never in any State been sub
mitted to the people Every law of
the kind has been sneakad or rushed
through at the closing hours OF the
legislatures by small cliQues Of self
interested educators, club women and
others. have myself opposed those
cliouas in this State fOr 16 or AIS
years prior to the last meeting Of our
legislature, ana kept the law from
Statewide application all that time.
AT the last session I said / would let
nav work stop and the law would be
passed. and sure enough III was
Some people say parents no longer
have any regulation Of their child
rem and compulsory education is
needed to regulate them, but it was
the cOmpulsion that took authority
from the parents. Listen TO one or
our State governors:
81 am absolutely opposed to COM
pulEnry education Compulsory edu-
cation in tine hands of The State
means the disruption of the home, for
1T dethrones the authority Of the par
.ents and places the paid agents OF
the state i'm control of the children,
thereby destroying family govern
ment. These agents stand between
the child and the parents They I'm
press upon the minds Of the children
TIE view of the state and virtually
saw, I'VE have taken you out Of bon
Haga and made you free; w. are g1y-
ing YOU what your immaterial par
ents would not give you.
No child on earth can be, subject
ITO such influences and teachings anc
escape imhibing The spirit of rebel
liDn AGAINST parental authority, and
consequent disrespect and ingrati
tude Children are too easily infected
with the idea that their parents owe
hem everything, while they 0W'
hem nothing in return, and with tht
design and law Of God set at defiance
who can compass, by the
tretches IF the most gigantic mind
condition that will follow?
Family government and parenta
onsibility antedate all others, an'
ii possible for wild extravagan
a.d madly enthusiastic men, who Sc
theory and theory only, to destro,
Emily government, ALLEVIATE childrel
fom their parents ana force the lan'
Into a scene or strife, rebellion OILY