464 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



The law was, in some respects, imperfect, and was not iinrlerstood by the officers whose 

 duty it was to enforce it. In 1836, the act of 1834 was revised so as to adapt it to the 

 wants and condition of the people. 



"Joseph Ritneri was at that time Governor of the Commonwealth. He was a ti'ue 

 type of the Pennsylvania Gennans — firm, and even obstinate in the right ; an earnest 

 advocate of free education, he resolved that the school law should be enforced, and it 

 was enforced. He appointed Thomas H. Burrowes Secretary of the Commonwealth, 

 and intrusted to him the execution of the law. 



"The secretary entered earnestly ui>on the work of organizing the school system. 

 He issued instructions to the school officers throughout the State; he traveled into 

 the several counties and addressed the people, answering their objections and re- 

 moving their prejudices; he directed the public officers of every county in the per- 

 formance of their duties; and presented full and instructive reports to the legislature, 

 wherein he indicated what amendments and alterations were necessary to perfect 

 the law. 



"In his report, made to the Legislature in 1838, Mr. Burrowes said: 'It is true, the 

 system is neither in full operation, nor is its machinery perfect; but the momentous 

 question, can education be made as general and unbought as liberty? has been an.swer- 

 ed in the affirmative in Pennsylvania.' 



"In many districts the law was not accepted. The State had been settled by an intel- 

 ligent, liberty-loving people, who had iled from Europe to escape the freedom of govern- 

 ments, wherein arbitrary laws destroyed liberty of conscience, and oppressed indepen- 

 dent Christians. They valued free education as highly as they valued free worshijj and 

 free speech. All denominations of Christians, whether Protestant or Catholic, came to 

 Pennsylvania, bringing their jireachers and school-teachers, and by the side of the log 

 church they built tlie log school-house in every county and in every settlement. The 

 work of educating all the children was made the sacred duty of the church; and because 

 our ancestors feared that the State would not do this work as well as the church did it. 

 they opposed the Common School System. They loved education, they favored free 

 schools, but they distrusted State supervision. 



"The German people believed that all schools should be under the care of Christian 

 denominations, and therefore regarded the State system as one that would defraud the 

 church of its most powerful auxiliary; they feared also that the interests of the GeiToans 

 would sutler by the gradual exclusion of the German language from the public schools. 

 Therefore, notwithstanding their zeal in the work of providing free education under 

 church patronage, they were hostile to what they called 'political schools.' 



"The progress of events, however, so far removed these prejudices, that in 1849 the 

 section of the act of 1836, which left the adoption of the system to the option of each 

 district was repealed, and the i^rovisions of the law were extended to every township 

 throughout the State. 



"The school system was, however, not successfully administered until after the passage 

 of the act of 1854, when, for the first time, its officers were clothed with adequate 

 powers to enforce the law. Though the general plan of the system remained un- 

 changed, new and important features were introduced. 



" Subdivisions of school districts and sub-committees were abolished; ample power 

 was given to enforce the collection of school taxes; the School Department was directed 



1 "Joseph Ritner is a native of Berks county, of German parentage ; he received a very limited edu- 

 cation in Lancaster, and is truly a " self-made man," rising from ignorance and obscurity by the force 

 of his own high qualities. He removed to Washington county, where he was a practical and hard- 

 working farmer ; was a member of the legislature and speaker of the House of Representatives. In 

 1S35 he was elected Governor of the State, and won imperishable honor as the steadfast supporter of 

 the Common School System. Governor Ritner retired to private life on a farm in Cumberland 

 cour.ty." 



