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ware 1 Edwept the ition their iu uT ould y in hioli iple,OliHlliich • un-wliat ijor-a of au-ture the bear e f-am-are ha* tent i* a ■cut the iuav tion nee * in the are the rob-y-be do asli-htv. they they they the H in the the emo-uiine itiug and er a hap-i«age ;i*la-utop gov-•end-rorat jwer n ro-No add B or day* hern mpa-r the tablv ether mgry 'iitrol pre-ipted eecli, igam d re-y to with e in theCOMPULSORY LDUCATION.The character or t.ie opposili n to the pi iuti-ple of compulsory education sullicieuily show* the weakness of the party which would deny the nation the right of determining the stuff which shall compose it* future voter* and rulers. The entire question of our national *uprctnacy depend* oil the virtuo and wisdom of the generations who ar* to Hucceod u* in tlio carrying on of affair* in agriculture, commerce and politic*If the mau is uf low grade the country will be ; -and no man can he oilier than of low grade wii limit education. More than this, we know by unhappy exjierieiice of the great citie* that reading and writing do not “ couie hy iialure hy any mean*. The member* of the lower cla**e* are, with rare exceptions, more than willing to ho left in their iguoraiico. They light against all measure* for thoir hotterment and coinuder that their right* are being infringed when the effort i* made to rai*o them in the scale of citizenship.If i* perhaps u*ele*.- to hope of doing anything with ignorance ho profound a* tin*. If any light at all could he let iu upon the*o beclouded creature* they might he brought to m e how fun a world lie* all around them of which they have no knowledge, but the iir*t*tep cannot bo taken bucati*e of an opposition invaluable and iiiHolu- I hie born of generation* of poverty and criue, | and of disregard to all those *mvitieB and compromise* which go toward* tho making of eivi- j lieed society. The lea-t thought on tin* mutter convince* that we mu»t begin the reformation ] with the children of tlio very po r and Very ignorant, and with that thought in ut.c lusciously a**ociuled the other that couipnl*ioii, from tliu very necOH*iliea of tlio cane, i* a duty upon a so-ciety which dues not desire to have all that i* e good and valuable in it niirolv swamped e hy it* unworthy but ineradicable elo- 11 muuta. It i* one of tlione self-evident 11 problem* tliat do not *oem to need dcmonelration. 1 Will the clan* to which we refer move a linger to improve its mental or moral condition V All the evidence i* that it will not. Will or will not 1 the presence cf such an iucubu* of ignorance s weigh down the best and purest social orgaul- t nation, ami if allowed to sprea*l and lake root without attempt at lufcrm III.ally overthrow it V 1 Ail the evidence is that it will. Well, now, what 11 do opponents uf coiupu’sory education *ayV * Nutliing but that the system can be practically L carried out only in the cities;that whole sections 1 would lie practically exempt from the impowu- c bihty nl exercising the needed supervision, and | *s that tlierufore the scheme will bo pu'tial and 1 unjust. It seoniH to u* an objection of too ' sweeping a character, and that many ruiiil sec- r tion* are kept a* well iu hand hy their uuthot i- ' ties a* the cities;—hut we are willing 1 to take it an it stand* and say that it ' only the citie* can he reached by tin* mousuro 1 friend* of humanity would have reason to he 1 content. The injustice, if there should beany, would be all te the advantage of thoae ponton* | forced into the only way* which can lead to ( prosperity and happiness. Reform the citjc*and j the work i* virtually done, for it i* in those con- , tre* of population that vice breed* most rankly, , and where good government lias most to fear. , This idea ef compulsory educatiou may *eom , impracticable to persons not given to thinking , very deeply, but it is m reality a* clear a* the ,day. It is no more radical than the common |school idea was held to bo so short a tune a* ful ly |year* ago, and oven thirty yeai* ago free schools , were lt;pposed by people who should have known ( belt r, an 1 w' o have grown to regret their fol- 1 . ly. The principle that the parent m bound to educate the child, and that if lie will not (he .State will doit for him, i* founded in reason and prejudice and “conservatism cannot now long prevail against it. | ^Speaking of annexation, the Onanc.ick l ie- j
Newspaper Details
Wilmington Delaware Tribune
Wilmington, Delaware, US
Thu, Feb 11, 1875
Page 1
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 29 Jul 2023
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