Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-06-28

every department and every bur~au
and every commission. in fact. created
by Congress has gone far beyond the
original purpose OF Congress and year
by year has assumed more and more
authority and control, not only execut-
ing the original purpose whereby and
wherefore they were created but has
reached cut even brazenly and Great
ed new purposes. II in any WAY thcy
were correlated therewtth.
Those who undertake to justify
tho creation OF department of edu
cation on the ground that the secre-
tary OF education will be content TO
occupy his seat in the Cabinet and
merely gather statistics and divide up
the 500. 100000 among States without
going any further are themselves
guilty either of lack OF natural in
| telligence or sincerity and truth.
This matter might just as we'll be
looked squarely in the face now rs
later. No man OF a commanding In
telligence sufficient TO warrant his
| selection as secretary OF education
will be restrained from having his
own IDEAS as TO education and from
attempting TO put those ideas into eff
feet, no matter IL every word In the
law WAS a prohibition against such
effort on his part. 1t must not be for
gotten that this secretary Of education
will have a great department, with
hundreds OF positions to be filed ut
tho very beginning. from positions of
high salary down to remunerative po-
sitions for stenographers. clerks, type
writer's, and 30 forth. With this
patronage at his disposal. backed by
the potential power Of a hundred mil
lion appropriation. he would ind lit
tie opposition on the part OF a State
superintendent OF education # he de-
sired TO put into effect certain ideas
of his own The matter need not be
argued further. because human ma
ture IL the same old quality. subject.
as all human nature IL In all other
factivfties In life, 70 the influences of
ambition md relfish seeking.
There are many other arguments
against THE measure which l vii
here briefly summarize:
First. The plan Is unnecessary. be
cause illiteracy Ia Declining in The
United States and not increaHng.
Second. The plan Is unnecessary
also because the people OF the variou'
States and communities expend nov
! sufficiently enormous funds for esfuca
ton for all rational purposes.
Third. The plan would destroy Io-s,
control OF education; and the loca
? keen interest in all school matters.
~. Fourth. The plan would rob tn
: people OF their control over the amour
, of TAXATION, as we'll as deprive them o
} the power 20 eXpend 81.
: Fifth. The appropriation " made
Quate. Even a hundred millions o
? dollars would not be e. drop in tn
bucket Tor the carrying out OF such
scheme II enacted into law when bill
;, lions are now spent for tina purpos
F. by the various communities and State
OF the Federal Union.
Sixth. Such legislation would b
= untimely. even II cXpedient. under tn
I present conditions OF the country wit
the intolerabie burden OF taxation al
( ready existing.
J. Seventh. The plan would produc
= uniformity in education. This woul
{ be the destruction OF a highly dAstrabl
J. and splendid diversifcation OF Amer.
r can thought and character.
. 'EaghSh- Tho plan would fnevftnbf
q fend 10 political involvement The sec
q rceAry OF education would necessnril
n be a political appointee, subject TO IN
u, sa'Ne political Influences IN appoint
u ment that all other Cabinet appoint
= nlents are subject to-
e Ninth. The plan would invite an
e invoke religious controversy. whic
n would BE- regrettably undesirable frol
a national standpoint
{ Tenth. The plan Is undemocrat
= and un-Ainerican. and plainly borrow
= ed from European and especially Gei
q man sources.
e Eleventh. Education in a dernocrS
/, g - essentially a home and a con
Il mUn!ty natter-where the children
d the home belong to the parents. al
n not to the State-as the Socialis
: and the Bolsheviki teach.
: Twelfth. The plan is plainly unco,
! sdtutioual. and in direct conflict wit
!, the reserved rights OF the people und,
9 our national organic law. II put IN
effect IL would destroy the liberty
> the people, their sense Of initiative ar
= personal responsibility, and trauxfor
them into dependents upon q pattern
government-thus killing the sDir
Y and the purpose OF tho founders
our great democracy.
Thirteenth. The plan Of FEEDER
contributions" 70 the States Is III
economical for the State OF Delawa
: Delaware would not receive an al!o
J. ment in proportion TO the amount
r. internal revenue collected In 4
I State"