502 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTELY. 



doubtedly it is corrupt, but it will well bear comparison with the 

 activities of private life, with banking and mining enterprises, 

 with railroads and telegraphs, with buying and selling. An im- 

 partial review of American history during the decade just passed 

 will disclose a remarkable result, and one which deserves empha- 

 sis here and elsewhere : 



Tlie sum of American public infamy is neither absolutely nor 

 relatively so great as the sum of American private infamy. 



On all sides we hear the reverse. It is preached to us from 

 pulpit and from press, for the human mind has ever shown a 

 willingness for that light gymnastic which consists in setting up 

 a man of straw and then knocking him down. It is better to face 

 the truth. Our Government is corrupt only because our society 

 is corrupt, and it is less corrupt than society because vice is a 

 mortal coward and never does its worst in the open. The electric 

 light has much increased the morality of large cities. The neces- 

 sary publicity of national action does not insure honesty, but at 

 least it prevents much dishonesty. In those departments in 

 which the Government does attempt to serve us in a positive 

 capacity, such as the Post-Office, the Coast Survey, the Smith- 

 sonian, the Geological Survey, the Weather Bureau, the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and the like, the service is certainly truer and 

 more effective than parallels from private corporations. I know 

 that Mr. Gould says that the mails would be better administered 

 as private enterprise, but the history of the Western Union Tele- 

 graph Company hardly bears out the remark. In view of the 

 experience of the nation, I do not think that university extension 

 need fear corruption should it be included in the portfolio of the 

 incoming Secretary of Education. 



Nor is it by any means a proved case that there is a paralyz- 

 ing lack of vitality in our public schools. It is often asserted, 

 but, taking America as a whole, it seems to me that they are very 

 much alive. It is true that they are commonplace, so common- 

 place indeed that a conscientious educator will often ask himself 

 whether he should consent to such a system, and will hesitate as 

 to whether he should not withdraw from the public service. But 

 if he will look around him he will see that they are the schools of 

 a commonplace community, and are as good as the community 

 will tolerate. Even in Boston, Alcott's Temple School could not 

 live. One must admit that the public schools are in many ways 

 deplorable tread-mills, and that there are serious scandals in their 

 administration ; but they also will well bear comparison with pri- 

 vate institutions. They have, moreover, this great advantage, that 

 they permit a freedom and honesty of expression not always tol- 

 erated in those institutions which hang for support upon private 

 pocket-books and prejudices. In judging of our public schools 



