Year: 1869

We extract from the admirable address
delivered by State Supt. Kissel before the
late Convention Of Co. Superiutendents, the
following plea fer liberal policy toward our


public schools:


1t is significant fact that those who most
closely observe cur school operations are be.
ginning TO discover thar they fall far short Of
what is needed, and that numbers OF our
youth are yearly entering upon the duties
and responsibilities Of citizenship without
any adequate preparation. They ore obs
served 10 possess more ambition than virtue


more sclGshness than integrity, more pride
than patience. and more pretenson than
real knowledge. II this gives the opponents
Of public schools an advantage which they


may use fer their own interest, We can on!y


censure ourselves for these results are the


legitimate fruit Of our own neglect. Sappo>


sing man promises himself harvest Of


two thousand bushels. II he put in poor
seed, or neglects its cultivation, has be any


right 10 be disappointed, if he reaps hu, half
q crop? Now, this is a fair example OF what


has been done in the educational field and,


if we are looking for results which our Iabors


do no. justify, it is time we understood our


mistakes and rectiGel them and in the ex,


animation Of this subject, we shall find the


trouble where difficulties generally lie, in the


very beginning.


Let US, for moment, lock at our interests


in the relation OF education and property.
Intelligence and education enter into every


mans peeuniary interest. They are Just as
| much part Of his estate as are his acres
ard his household goods. He can have no
rights, no possessions in the sphere of civii>


zation, in which these are not dominant in>
huences. They net ciprocally-drawing
from property their support, and in return
| contributing to material wealth. Whatever
| c,ipples the one, dwarts and enfcehles the
other. Especially if education is neglected,


property will decline. Government, in re.
cognition Of this truth, has laid ler firm
hand OH certain amount Of all property.
compelling is use in the interests Of eluca-
ton, and W th the view Of encouraging pri>


waite ibcrality. How have we responded to


this generous, fostering care? In many in>


stances, nobly, grandly, but in the majority
Of cases, in mean and avaricious spirit, as
il education bad no claims on US. We are
as much engrossed in our farms and cur


merchandise as If the chief end of man was
to buy and sell and get gain, Will the men


tai and spiritual being Is quite neglected.


We seem to have subordinated everything to
the spirit of trade, or what would better ex-
press it, the spirit Of money making. It is
the measure Of everything, our education,
our charities, our religion: "the trail Of the
serpent is over them all.'' / hear you saw,
trade is honorable, and money>makfng in il.
sell no crime. grant il, If held in subec>
tior to higher and more important ends.--
But what is the general spirit of trade in its
daily operations? Is it not for the value of
one dollar to take two? f.r fifty to take one


hundred? Is il not to make sharp bargains
and close ones To get the greatest amount
in value for the least possible amount OF
money? To overreach or outsit neighbor,
and on the whole, to admire and take pride


in the practice Of moral theft and make an


idol Of its gains? In its best phases, the


least i'll YOU can say Of it, is that it always
keeps keen eye to the main chance.


You are ready to inquire what all this mas
to do with the relation of education and


property. 1t has everything to do with it


because when man is given to the supreme


care of self, with motives and desires all


mercenary, he shuts his eyes to all obliga-


tions, and acts as if the world were in debt
to him. But every true man knows that all


right living and right thinking depend upon


his rising so far above himself and his indi>
vidual interests as to perceive that Ills neigh>


boris good must be considered, even at some
expense to himself.


Will an avaricious, money making spirit
do this? Will it make a man anxious to
contribute of his means to educate the ehil>
dren of his poorer neighbor. that the gener>
al welfare may be subserved by their becom.
ing good citizensg When the relentless
tax -gatherer comes around, will he ratherhe
rated at FIVE mills than two. Does he con-
tribute to the revenue from tie whole Of Lis
income, or the half Of il, or none at all?
You all know very well how this is. Now.
this is not the spirit of homes. dealing, for in
that there is real progress, Of which l shall
presently speak. But it is that which be-
numts our highest faculties and destroys
our relish for mental culture. There is,
however, one side of this question which we
fully appreciate. We have found out thata
6ue school building is splendid thing for
corner lots, that this style of improvement,
will run property up two or three hundred
per cent, either in town or country. We
can afford a zeal which pays SO well. Pub
lie spirit gets per cen,age. 1t is an op-
portuniiy not to be lost. The house is built
and We applaud this generalnterest in learn.
ing. So this treasure which the monk car
fied into his cloister as thing too sacred
for worldly use, this pearl which once princes
and noblemen were alone thought worthy to
possess, since Yankee keenness has discov>
cred in il the almighty dollar.