Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-04-14
Oregon School Law Decision
: Upheld Generally by Press

The decision OF the federal court in
finding unconstitutional the Oregon
school law. which makes it manda-
tory on parents to send children over
eight and under sixteen to the public
schools. has met with the unanimous
approval of the nations press. The
law has attracted countrywide at
tention because of it's revolutionary
character. Editors agree that it is
not in harmony with American prin-
ciples and traditions, and they believe,
Furthermore, that the United States
Supreme Court will confirm the de-
cision recently handed down.
Inthe opinion of the Omaha World
Herald, the law amounted not only
to. a denial OF the freedom OF educa-
ton, including religious education.
but to a destruction of the property
rights of all private and parochial
schools of grammar grades within the
state" The Buffalo News agrees
this is entirely wrong because such
schools are so regulated that they
must hold to established standards in
education" anyway, whether it is
best to send n child to u public, a
private or a parochial school should
be q matter for individual Judgment
Indorsing this view. the Boston
Transcript declares the sentiment or
the country can hardly fail to be sat
isfied with the disallowing of this
law. and satisfied with it all the more,
because it httingly rehukes the in
trusion into the field of politics and
legislation of secret societies which
act as If they were ami mated by
special object" AT least no good
cause was ever served by the spirit
of bigotry, and no Americanism is
impressive which strikes at the very
spirit of the Constitution, continues
the New York Evening World, which
says further. Stthe people of Oregon
have raised an issue of vital impor-
lance and it is Just as well to have
it settled now"
The New York Times finds no
precedent for this law in the statutes
of other American states and it sug-
gests sthe nearest analogy to this.
policy is to be found in Russia under
the present regime, and in Turkey
under a bill which proposed specid-
calIy' to prohibit attendance upon
other than schools conducted by the
governr1ent-the law paTtook also OF
the spirit and method Of the Prus-
sian educational system"
In this connection the Wichita
Times claims "if Prussian economy
and efficiency in our educational sys-
tenn were desired we would have to
admit that the proponents of such
measure would have the best OF the
argument, but the forcing of the
iron hand of the law further into
the education of the youth Will surely
put letters upon that spirit OF indie
pendence and freedom, which is, per-
hops, as essential to free government
as education ITSELF The Houston
Chronicle agrees to this, and insists
further that lit is far more sociallstic
than government ownership or pubic
utilities, or even the railroads, be-
cause it strikes at the very stomach
of personal liberty. 1t would, ii de-
ciared constitutional, set US prece-
dent which might justify the widest
invasion of constitutional rights.
There may have been provocations for
this law In Oregon, according to the
Portland Express. but the law was
dangerous in principle and in another
commonwealth might be employed to.
defeat the very ends which the
Oregon law sought to accomplish"
y \ e. -:
Whatever may have been the intent
of the law, the Indianapolis News
maintains, 1T was drive at all edu-
cation except that provided by the
public grade schools. 1t was an in
reference with family life and the
management thereof" The Issue in
its essence, the Newark News holds,
was, whether the child belongs to
the state OF its parents but. fortu-
e. !. - i.