Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-12-26
community, to acquire the highest


Suppose the fund for education is
thought sufficient, would it, or would it
not, be good policy to open school at
each court house in the state, to teach
spelling, reading, writing, and the diff
icrent branches of the mathematics, free
for all scholars by paying one dollar eact
scholar per quarter of year. My OPT
Mon the funds are sufficient, and that it
would be prudent and commemorate to
establish schools as above.
Let Us count the costs. According to
the prices OF produce and scarcity of mo-
ney, and the low prices of property, it is
probable that competent teachers may
be had at two hundred and fifty dollars
year, paid punctually at the end of each
quarter, which is worth as much as dou-
Die the sum would have been four years
ago. A prudent gentleman tcac her would
prefer taxing his board at gbnteel far
mer's in the vicinity of the town, where
he would have it at fifty doll.rs year,
which would leave a neat onpensation
of two hundred dollars, which IN my OPT
Mon is as much as some Professional
gentlemen now obtain in these {. hard
times" l have no doubts hut school
OF that Kind under the direction of good
teacher, would swell to the number of
thirty scholars, on an average of the
counties, and I believe more, which
make goodly part of the masters hire
Some would be apt to think that the
school money is OH precarious founda-
ton, as the sales of public lands have
become dull. 1t is not my opinion there
can be any doubts OF its holding out. The
slower the land sells the longer the sales
will continue, and at fair price, as the
land that is to come to market is of a
superior qnality. Indeed if you go on
with the above plan of education; your
funds will increase by the sale of public
land, as well as the competency of the
state. Learning is of that benign nature
that 1t is never cloyed-the more it leads
to science, the more is the man sensible
OF his lncompeteney, and the greater his
thirst for knowledge and information.-
Only set the example, and let the present
session lay the foundation stone of the
perpetuity oil repubicanism.
Some may object to only one school
in county--and | confess with some
reason; however, child lust creep
before it walks--one school free to all
IS better than none, and it is much better
to begin low and persevere. The writer
has gone to school where there have
been from seventy to one hundred
scholars at time, and received real be-
neEl Those who were learning book
keeping, surveying, or other branches of
mathematics, at certain times assisted the
master in the tuition OF those in the lower
classes, which would require to be done
in the above suggested schools, as terms
with those learning in the higher orders.
Yes, countrymen, l will answer for it,
even at four dollars per annum, the pro-
ducts of the school will in process of time
be equal to the masters salary. BY ex-
perience schools that are given quite
gratis will answer no manner of good
purpose. If the master had the abilities
Of Newton or Socrates, we have too much
independence inherent in our nature to
become beggars. Something worse is
the matter, with great bulk oithc COM
munity--no doubt with some few of
your honorable body, and am sure it is
so with the writer-that is, deficiency
in acquired knowledge to fill the places
allotted to US, as christians, citizens, and
statesmen. No better step to expel our
ignorance and improve our knowledge
and virtue, than improving what literal
benefits we possess. We are too old to
go to school. know Of no better way
of informing ourselves than by reading,