The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-01-28
Vol. 1=FRipAv, JAN. 2e, 1e17-No. 8
COMPULSORY EDUCATION.

SOMI SG0Sh'
The formulation of effective com
pulsory-att enhance laws has been one
of thes problems confronting slegisla-
tors and school officials for the past
seventy~yeaFs, Since 1890 a, very
marked advance has been shown. Up
until that date only twentys seven
states and the District of Columbia
had compulsory laws, and in these
they were not EVENTUALLY carried out.
Now forty four states have them. We
cannot. know yet how effectual these
laws are, bat we do know that thirty
nine of the states of the United States
have statewide compulsory attend
ance laws of different degrees OF com
pulsory-and, enforcement. Five South
ern states have compulsory education;
viz, Maryland, Tennessee, Louisiana,
and Georgia. OF the laws of these
states, perahps those of Arkansas
reach the greater number of children.
South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mis-
SlSSlpply CAGo Oh y NV "A1iAOA'
any kind Of compulsory education
laws.
The purpose of compulsorygeduca
ton in our Democracy and Southern
land is-to make good, intelligent, 10y
al, and prosperous citizens" We are
so educating these future American
citizens that they may be able to make
and administer the laws of a great
nation g}
If we-are to hold high place among
the nations of the world we must
have an intelligent, efficient, and or
derby citizenship. Many people do
not know that ten per cent of the
white voting population are unable
to read the name of the ballot. How
do we expect to get a good president
with such voters?
The opponents of compulsory edu-
cation say that the people will send
their ctrtrdren to school without being
compet1sd toAdo so, if they are only
shown Their duty and obligations to
their children They think also that
the younger generation of children are
already in school The question now
to be asked is, where are these illit-
crate children and why are they not
in school o. Some of them are the
sons and daughters of ignor$nt par
ents who are unable to perceive the
advantage of education because they
have "got'. along in this world with
out it; some are the children of faith
ers and. mothers who are willing to
make wage-earners and bread-earn-
ers of their untaught children at the
expense of their future manhood or
womanhood 4 Many children are at
work in the stores, some in the mills,
while others are roaming the streets,
Has the state a right to compel a
parent to send his children to school?
There isepnly, one answer. The state
wants ~. make every citizen intelli-
gent and serviceable. The state com
pels the-rich man to pay taxes TO help
support-5he. schools, not because it
gives the poor mans child an edGca-
ton. but because the state needs the
intelligent services of that child. And
when the state has provided a school
for the.:children it has not completed
its duty II universal school tax
is justiffable on the ground that pop
ular education is a necessity com
pulsory attendance by the state is al
so justifable,. for it is a crime, for a
state ta==collect taxes for a specific
purposeszand then not carry out that
purpose. Is Il
Has the helpless child noHright?
Has the=state no privilege? One of
the essentials of fitness is what we
call education. and when the home
refuses or .neglects TO prepase the
child 9er society is it not ofay the
privilege but the duty of the Fate to
see that the child is fitted for Ms part
in the world? People who argue
against compulsory education would
not fora moment deny the right of
the state to compel the parent to feed
and clotlie the child; to compel him
to fight for his country. No one ques
tons the right of state to send
law-breaking child to the reforma-
tory. Has not the state as much
right to carry theschfld to the school
house to save him from the reform
atory and jailp When state cona-t
pels parent to send a child to