Montana labor news., 1938-01-27
OPEN FORUM
Tories Would Suppress
Free Schools in u. ).

In 1870 Governor Berkeley of Vir-
ginia wrote to the authorities in
England; But I thank God there
are no free schools nor printing,
and | hope we shall not have them
these 100 years; for learning has
brought disobedience and heresy
and sects into the world, and print
ing had divulged them, and libels
against the best government. God
keep us from BOTH" (Simons: loo.
Get. P. 48.)
The workers of New York in 1880
declared that After life and liberty
the next most important thing is
education" AID the workers of
Pennsylvania pointed out: "All his
tory corroborates the melancholy
fact, that in proportion as the mass
Of the people becomes ignorant,
misrule and anarchy ensue. Their
Liberties are subverted and tyrannic
ambition has never failed to take
advantage of their helpless condi-
ton. Let the productive classes
then unite for the preservation of
free institution and by procuring
for all of the children of the com
monwealth republican education
preserve our liberties from foreign
invasion Or domestic infringement"
MARY Beard Loo. Cit. P. Al
Even then there were free schools
maintained at the expense Of the
state treasury. In Philadelphia for
instance the parents had openly to
declare themselves too poor to pay
for the education of their children
before they were allowed the privi-
leges of the public schools. They
were pauper institutions. Thou
sands of parents preferred to leave
their children without education
than to put the stamp of pauperism
on them. A decent education could
be had only by the children whose
parents had the money to send them
to private schools. In 1888 it was
estimated that the entire United
States had 100000 children be-
tween the ages of 5 and Is who
were not in any school. The next
year the number of illiterate chill
dren in the United States was esti-
mated at 1886, 00O." Commons His
tory, etc. Vol. l, P. 1922
The peasant" argues the Ma
tional Gazette of Philadelphia,
must labor during those hours OF
the day which his wealthy neigh
bors can give to abstract culture OF
his mind, otherwise the earth would
not yield enough for the subsistence
of all. The mechanic cannot aban-
don the operation of his trade for
general studies. If he should most
of the conveniences of life and the
objects of life would be wanting
Langour, decay, poverty, discomfort
would soon be visible among all
classes. No government, no philan-
thropists can finish what is incom-
patible with every organization and
being of civil society"
A little later the same paper ex-
claimed, ''The scheme of universal
equal education at the expense Of
the state, is virtually agrarianism
It would be a compulsory applica-
ton of the means of the richer fol
the direct use of the poorer classes
and 10 far an arbitrary division Of
property among them" Document
airy History, Vol. V, PIP. 108-11O.)
But later the ruling class changed
their minds about free schools due
to pressure of the labor unions anc
because they could see in it {
mighty weapon by using the school:
to train mental slaves to the system
Today a child is compelled to go t.
school until a certain age and only
a small per cent of what that chile
is taught is actually a help to it. The
rest is bunk, propaganda and sports
The American Federation of Labor
convention at Atlantic City, N. j.
on June 7-24, 1919, adopted, "Edu
ontfon p,4Ycf not ef;fIn 4bO,yrb4 opr
inquiry but must awaken the mine
concerning the application of nat
ural laws and to a conception O.
independence Of progress. Educa
ton must not be for a few but fol
all our people. The right of thu
teachers to organize and affiliate
with the movement of the organ
lied workers must be recognized.
Our forefathers fought a long
hard battle for education of thu
poor with the thought in mind tina
we would be in a better position
to defend our rights as citizens o
the United States, to be able tt
fight intelligently for the necessities
Of life and a few of the luxuriei
that the exploiters have demanded
that we give them all these lonl
years.
Let's not forget the fight that wa
forced on Prof. Philip o. Keenes
here some months ago. Let's rally