The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1831-10-26
I5,5O59257, 2S93l4i9638l3l Il2 .8564O7
From the bingham Gazette.

JACkSON STATE ADDRESSING. d.
One OF the most exceptionabIe portions o.
the Worcester Address is that which relate,
to Education. The whole substance of thf
charges under this head is, that the Litera.
ture, as well as Politics of the State, is under
the control of" the aristocracy," and that the
Treasury of the State has been made use o
to educate the rich at the expense of the
poor and middling classes" 1t is said thai
education and intelligence must be convey.
ed to the humble in wealth as well as to the
rich and great" and that Iac1itIes are afford
ed to the wealthy which are denied to the
poor, for acquiring collegiate education."-
Harvard College is said to have been "reared
and sustained mainly from the resources
drawn from the whole people, /" and that while
all have been taxed to create this and similar
institutions, "the wealthy alone engross their
advantages" Well might such miserable
effusion be called a "trade against literature, D
But how stands this matter? And what has
the State done under the administration of
LEVI LINCOLN for the cause of education |?
1t was said in the Worcester Convention by
one OF the most respectable of its members
as If in direct opposition 10 the whole spirit
OF the Address, that this Commonwealth
has justly been celebrated for its system of
FREE School EDUCATION" This system
opens the avenues to all the knowledge nee
essary for the "practical purposes of life" to
the poor as well as to the rich. The wealthy
man with no children pays taxes to educate
the children of his INDECENT neighbor, and all
mingle in the Free School upon principle of
the most Republican Equality. To give these
principles greater extension and influence, to
place in the hands of the poor grat,Iitously all
the means of knowledge, law was passed
in 1897, with the appreciation of Gov. LIN
COLIN, which provides not only that teachers
shall be supported and school houses main
tanned tor the education of ALL CLASSES in
the common as well as higher branches of
English Education, but that the poor should
be furnished Uith school books at the public en-
pense. Does this look like closing the aven-
ues OF knowledge, or like taxing the poor for
the benefit of the rich We'll might Mr.
Simpson say that for such a system Massa-
chusetts has been Justly celebrated. This
fact alone nulifies the whole spirit of the
Jackson Address on this point.
But the Colleges are open only to the rich
the colleges have been sustained mainly
from the resources drawn from the whole
people-the colleges are controlled by the
arlstocracy! am not particularly CONVEX
SAINT with all the affairs of our Universities
l have no youthful associations which endear
me to them. l shared not in their privileges
but l do know enough to satisfy any rea-
sonable mind that the Jackson Address is, on
this head, as on most others, a shameless per-
version of truth. Harvard College is moi
mainly supported by the State. More than
taco thirds of the college funds were derived
from donations from iCedlthy individuals, anC
portions of them were given to aid poor schol
drs. In 1914, OH the petition of the College
the Legislature granted it ten thousand dol
lars year for ten years out of the proceeds
OF the tar on Banks. This is the only drec
g1sp su IF nancy By the State since the yea
wards the partial or total reduction of the tn
itlon fees OF such students as may apply there
for, according to the judgment of the corpor
alton. Ten years ago an inquiry was mad
into the manner in which this trust was dis
charged, and report published to the state
from whichit appears that "this charity ba
been distributed in a wise, impartial and eff
ficacious manner, In the first place. il j
given to those who show by proofs from tbei
instructors, their ministers, the selectmen q
the town, or otherwise, tina, they and tbei
friends are necessitous, andsnaJie 10 suppt
the means Of education. In he next place
is required that they should be persons O
fair character and good behgiour; and wbe,
, il is ascertained that the APPLICANT possesse
). fair character, and that hds necessito,,s. h
is admitted to partake in tbbenefit." Doe
this look like taxing the poe for the benefi
of the rich?