Year: 1865

+ in the Union. except the Southern, and
/ that we keep our schools up the fewest
months in the year. which is true. Last
year our schools averaged fraction
over three months; and l am informed
/ by Professor Hoss, that they will proba-
i bly, reach four months this year. Ohio
keeps her public schools open six
months. and sometimes she goes beyond
! this. Illinois, Iowa and the New Eng
land States all accomplish about the
same thing; yet Indiana with her wealth,
and her vast resources, with her abilities
/ to raise an army greater than Napoleon
/ led into Egypt, or on the plains of Peid-
mont, or on the bloody fields of Auster-
] litz, does not compete with her sister
/ States in that great cause which should
/ concern her more than all others. Now
/ this is all wrong and should be remedied;
I but how can it be done? / answer, by
making our school system more simple
have a less number of wheels in the
machinery, and fewer men to turn the
crank for where any system is too
complicated the lubricating process is so
/ extensive that by the time the means
get through, the machinery is pretty we'll
exhausted Poor but honest men should
i be allowed to turn the crank-men thro'
whose hands money could pass without
its sticking to their fingers-men hose
whole hearts are in the work, and who
do not hold office merely for the pay
but who will pull off their coats, roll up
their sleeves and go to work as man
would mauling rails, determined to do
something, and accomplish much in
making Indiana stand at the head of the
great educational interest of the country,
as she now stands second to none in the
peerless bravery of her sons upon the
battlefield. Having got i. in good run
ming order, a tax should then be levied
upon the property of the people, (fnr
the property of the State should educate
the children thereof which in connec-
tion with the school fund would be suffi-
cient to keep the schools open nine
months out of the year, and this at a
fair remunerative price to the teachers.
Then l would have it 60 farther than
any ever has gone. 1t should specify
the day, and month, on which schools
throughout the State should commence
say the 18th day of September. l
would make it the duty of the director
to call his district together ut the proper
time to eject q teacher, and if they failed
to unite on some one then he should pro
ceed at once to hire one for said school,
and if he failed to discharge his duty in
this respect, then he should pay into the
school fund for every day there was no
school. after the specified time for school
to commence had passed, a sum double
the amount a teacher would get per day in
that school; but it should be the duty of
the township trustee to assess this
amount, and compel him to pay it.
Having made this provision for the sup
port and commencement of schools, it
should then compel every parent in each
district to send his or her children TO said
school, commencing with the first day
.
term, until the child is l5 years old and
for every day the child was detained
from school, except in case of sickness,
or some circumstances over which the
parent had no control, he should pay into
the school fund. sum double the
amount the teacher received as wages ::
and to that man who was too lazy, or too
indifferent or too contrary to send his
'hildren to school, it should say to him
end them, and if he refused, then it
aould take them away from him and
Face them where they could enjoy the
bnefts of free education With our
scool system thus simplifed, thus
st.ngthened and enlarged, our educa-
tioal interest would at once secure new
Hfeand vitality-would make progress
thalwould astonish all, and run the race
OF itellectual culture, outstripping all
othes on the course But some are
read. to say that this is Ethiopian
sche1e, impracticable, and cannot be
carrie into execution, and is too ar





willing submitted to by the people.


But, I'll You that it is no Ethiopian


schemet is practicable, and perfectly


feasible and can be made living reality


If the psple will it; and when we fully


make upur minds to this great interest,


som ethil of the kind will be adopted


and put execution


Prussidoes not ask the parent wheth


er be willend his child to school or not;


but makesrovisions for its education.


and then cnpels him to send it, until


It IS fourte, years old and you will
scarcely ina German in this country


but what n read and write. And
shall we be,ehind Prussia in this grea.
cause when much depends upon the


education othe rising generation
Shall we refu to adopt more rigid
! school Systerho.arso