Year: 1873




dered powerless for good, in cOnse-
quence of being lodged in weak and
puny frames; and much smaller pro-
portion of the immense number OF
graduates, that every year leave our
public schools, thrown out upon the
world almost entirely helpless, so far
as regards the ability to earn an
honest support.


1t is well known that youthful de-
pravity is greatly on the increase; and
one of the principal causes of this, is
the defect in our system OF education
which fails to impart to the young
of some branch OF indus
try whereby they will be freed from
the necessity of becoming burden
upon the industry of others. Our
while endeavoring to
model our public school system after
that of Prussia, seem to have left out
of view one important fact, that
while the Prussian youth is educated
up to the highest point of which he is
capable, he is taught some trade or
other employment, whereby he can
earn an honest support. Our lmper-
feet system turns out graduates who
have been taught to do anything but
work with their hands. The founda-
ton of our prosperity as apeople must
be laid in intelligent labor. And labor
to be respected must be educated. And
at least let this glaring defect in
our educational system be removed
before it is made compulsory.


The theory that it is the duty OF a


wise government to create and con-
troll a system of instruction, in the


same manner as it maintains an army,


a navy, or a post office, had its origin
among the monarchies OF Europe and


bears little or no relation to our free


institutions. Under imperial govern


ment it is an axiom that the govern


ment is to do every thing and be re-
sponsible for every thing. We, on the
contrary, as people have heretofore
maintained the opposite theory; that
the government should do nothing not
expressly assigned to it, and not even
to do a public good, unless that good
can be obtained in no other way.
Self reliance is leading characters
tic of every people capable of self gov
ernment, and it is much better to let
such people take care of themselves,
even if they do not take quite so good
care of themselves as some superior
power might do. The American peo-
pie already seek too much aid from
what is called the government. Subsi-
dies are sought for, agricultural col
leges, steam ship lines, railroads, and
other enterprises, until now there is a
strong tendency not only to look to
the government for aid in public en-
terprises, but also to consider it the
source of power and to concentrate all
power in the hands of the govern
ment. Let the people yield to the
State the right to control the schools,
and to enforce, by the constable, at
tendance upon prescribed course of
instruction, and the time is not dis
tant when the various systems estab-
lished by the several States will be-
come centralized and merged into a
national system, which will be uni
form throughout the country. For it
cannot have escaped the attention of
every observer, that an effort has been
made to establish at Washington a
National Bureau of Education, and at
a late meeting of the National Educa-
tiOnal Society, held at New York, it
was contended that it is the duty of
Government to appropriate S2O,OO0,OOO
to establish National University at
Washington. Let the people, then,
yield the right of educating the chill
dren to the State, and this right will
soon pass into the hands of the Gener-


al Government, and the strength of


government will increase in proper
ton as the rights and privileges of the


people diminish.


1t is the policy of government to


make no distinctions in regard to the


rights, duties and privileges OF citizens.


And for this reason, the children of all


citizens, of whatever race, color, or
previous condition, would be entitled
to equal privileges in public schools.


A compulsory school law would force


into the schools all the turbulent, dis
orderly and vicious boys in the dis
trict, many of whom it would be inn
possible for the teacher either to edu-
cate or reform-whose influence would
be only evil, and that continually.
Under State law no distinctions would
be made in discipline, and no differ
ence in instruction. All would be
placed upon dead level of uniformity.
All must conform to the same course
of instruction. The child of the most
brilliant intellect must not be permit
ted to advance faster than his dull and
stupid classmate. Thus the intellect
ual powers of the talented would be
dwarfed and repressed, in order that
he may be made to keep pace with the
naturally dull and negligent. A COM
pulsory law in sparsely settled dis
tricts sisimpracticable. While it might
be possible to enforce it in the large
towns and villages, its enforcement in
many parts of the State would be inn
possible. In our county many districts
are fifteen or twenty miles in length,
and the office of him whose duty it
would be to hunt up truants and abb
sentees overso large an extent of coun-
try, and force them into the schools,
would benO sinecure. Compulsory at
tendance would deprive school officers
and teachers of the right of suspension
and expulsion, which is some times
resorted to under the present system.
Otherwise those whose attendance is
from compulsion rather than choice,
may resort to insubordination and bad
conduct, in order to escape the duties
of the school room. Before resorting
to compulsion, let US inquire if there
are not other means better adapted to
the accomplishment of the object in
view. Education is really the birth
right of every American. The prop
erty of the State should educate all the
children of the State, for the light of
knowledge, like the glorious light of
day, should be free to all. Let the
money raised by taxation for educa-
tional purposes be expended as at pres
ent by the local Boards of Trustees,
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