The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-10-26
WRITER OPPOSED TO
EDUCATIONAL BILL

We learn that an attempt is being
made in some states to close all pri-
vate schools. and compel all children
of the first eight grades to attend the
public schools.
This proposed measure is hostile to
the rights of every American citizen,
and is not in accord with the guaran-
ties OF civil and religious liberty vouch-
safed to every individual citizen under
our federal constitution.
The state has right to require all
It's citizens to receive a certain amount
of intellectual training in the funda-
mentals of good citizenship; but the
state does not have the rightsto say
where the child Of parent shall be
educated. or the precise road that
shall be followed in reaching the intel
lectual standard set up by the state.
The state may prescribe certain funda-
mental studies, but it cannot dictate
the precise textbooks and formulas of
the curriculum. Likewise, the state
has right to require definite amount
OF preparatory training on the part of
those who shall constitute the public
and private teachers of the children in
Its domain. The state has a right to
1
the right to shape the intellect with
out the consent of the parent, who has
the first claim upon the child.
The parent, and not the state, has a
right to decide the character of educa-
tion the child is to recelve-whether it
is to be partly religious, or altogether
secular.
The public schools, which are under
the direct supervision of the state,
cannot impart spiritual or religious in
struction. If. therefore, a parent or a
denomination desires to give child
not only physical and intellectual
training, but spiritual instruction also,
the state should welcome such,a plan
rather than deter it. Because, as
rule, the child that ,is instructed in
spiritual things as well as secular mat
ters, makes better citizen than one
whose education has been purely secu-
lar.
We should not forget that our fore |
fathers who founded this great repub- |
lie, and who framed for US our consti-
tutional laws, and gave US our ideals
OF true Americanism, were all edu-
Gated In private schools. For more
than 30 years after the founding of our
republic, we were without any public
school system, and our government
was maintained and prospered, and all
Its citizens who received any educa-
ton, were trained in private schools.
Ihls proves conclusively that private
schools, even without the supervision
of the state, are not detrimental to
good government, and are capable of
producing the highest and noblest type
of patriotic citizens.
However good the public school sys-
TEN may be, it may attempt to train
useful and loyal citizens for this world
only. The Christian school will do all
this, land besides give spiritual train
ing for citizenship in the world to
come.
Plato said, IA good education is that
which gives to the body and to the
soul all the perfection of which they
are capable" If the wise parent pre-
fors to give his child this more com
Dlete education at his own expense,
why should anyone object?
The growing tendency on the part of
some to obliterate personal freedom in
matters of religion is greatly to be de-
oIored.
Every American parent as such
should rise up in defense of his inalien-
able right. Every true lover of liberty
and of the ideals of true Americanism
should work earnestly, setting before
he people the principles involved in
his issue, and present an effectual
protest against the encToachments up
IN the rights of conscience and THE .
srant of religious liberty. :
Unless this is done with all dill
renee, we will awake some not far dis
ant day to the fact that we have lost
he dearly bought liberty of which we
lave boasted, and have drifted back to
he methods employed by the Dark
Ages. Clara r. Winterton.