5 86 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



principles into right principles, or prevent the discovery, by those who 

 are determined to see the truth at any cost, that the principles are 

 wrong. Sooner or later every institution has to answer the challenge; 

 " Are you founded on justice ? Are you for or against the liberty of 

 men ? " And to this challenge the answer must be simple and straight- 

 forward ; it must not be in the nature of an outburst of indignation 

 that such a question should be asked ; or a mere plea of sentiment ; 

 or the putting forward of usefulness of another kind. These questions 

 of justice and liberty stand first ; they can not take second rank behind 

 any other considerations, and if in our hurry we throw them on one 

 side, unconsidered and unanswered, in time they will find their revenge 

 in the imperfections and failure of our work. 



National education is a measure carried out in the supposed in- 

 terest of the workmen and the lower middle class, and it is they 

 especially the men on whose behalf the institution exists whom I 

 wish to persuade that the inherent evils of the system more than 

 counterbalance the conveniences belonging to it. 



I would first of all remind them of that principle which many of 

 us have learned to accept, that no man or class accepts the position 

 of receiving favors without learning, in the end, that these favors be- 

 come disadvantages. The small wealthy class which once ruled this 

 country helped themselves to favors of many kinds. It would be easy 

 to show that all these favors, whether they were laws in protection 

 of corn, or laws favoring the entail of estates, creating sinecures, or 

 limiting political power to themselves, have become in the due course 

 of time unpleasant and dangerous burdens tied round their own necks. 

 Now, is state education of the nature of a political favor ? 



It is necessary, if discussion is in any way to help us, to speak the 

 truth in the plainest fashion, and therefore I have no hesitation in 

 affirming that it is so. Whenever one set of people pay for what they 

 do not use themselves, but what is used by another set of people, their 

 payment is and must be of the nature of a favor, and does and must 

 create a sort of dependence. All those of us who like living surrounded 

 with a slight mental fog, and are not over-anxious to see too clearly, 

 may indignantly deny this ; but if we honestly care to follow Dr. John- 

 son's advice, and clear our minds of cant, we shall perceive that the 

 statement is true, and, if true, ought to be frankly acknowledged. The 

 one thing to be got rid of at any cost is cant, whether it be employed 

 on behalf of the many or the few. 



Now, what are the results of this particular favor ? The most 

 striking result is that the wealthier class think that it is their right 

 and their duty to direct the education of the people. They deserve 

 no blame. As long as they pay by rate and tax for a part of this edu- 

 cation, they undoubtedly possess a corresponding right of direction. 

 But having the right they use it ; and, in consequence, the workman 

 of to-day finds that he does not count for much in the education of 



