The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-12-30
THE SCHOOL FUND--NO. 1.

Much has been said upon this subject for year
two past, both through The press, and in private
discussion, and from the resolutions which have
been adopted by meetings of the people, and the
repeated votes of the Legislature, on the subject
of dissipatins this Fund, had supposed The ques-
ton to be fully settled, But from the perusal o.
an article in the Burlington Free Press Of tho I'd
inst perceive that the spirit Of enmiiy TO common
schools, is again rearing its hydra head, and en-
deavoring insidousy 10 conlaminate the people
with the old and thrice rejected doctrine, conceal
ed under iow new ribbons and Iufles, prepared
especially for the occasion.
In the first place this Mr. s. Of the Free Press,
in approaching this subject, discards all party con-
side atoms, which TO me is the very best evidence
that he is federal member oflha, party who have
been for years endcavorng 10 conceal from the tax
paying community, the proaisacy with which they
have squandcred the public treasure, by thus Ia
king "the chldren's bread and casting it TO The
dogs" But another evidence Of this fact is, the
writers quotation from the textbook of his party.
of The terms, right hand and left hand breeches
pocket And further the great bug bear is again
conjurcd up, that generation utter generation must
hare passed opay, before The fund can be oraila-
Die for the use Of Schools In support OF this the
writer quote, Mr. Senator Dillingham;. who SAYS
tina, SIT will require iorly-,hree years before the
the sum necessary TO carry oul the WILD SCHEME
Of the founders of the fund" Mr. d. may have
made such declaration, and il so, it contains as
much truth as he has been supposed to possess
of democracy by the great body Of the democratic
party, beyond the confines Of Washington County.
And most sincerely hope he may reap the FIJI
benefit Of the ars,ocIatic course he has taken in
this matter.
By reference 10 the Journal of The House for
1925 find that the Legislature of that year was
composed of very many high minded and honora-
bic men, mostly, iliers of Tie soil and men whose
judgment even II, this day will not suffer by COM
parson with Mr. ID. or the writer in the Free
Press Now the sneers cast upon that legislature,
by Mr. s., together with the contempuous style
of his entire communication, is proof positive, that
he is of that arisocratic, rued shirt, dandy class,
which considers the "huge paws of the hborer,
altogether unsuiled to the business of legislation,
aud that the childrea Of The poor, should be train
ed up TO become "hewcrs of wood and drawers of
water for the offspring of the nobility; IN fine
that the projects of modern whig spectators, are
more desirable, than the ris1Om of the (athe,s, or
the aphorisms of the sages Of former DAYS And
bioatcd with these notions Mr. S. goes on TO con-
iurc up, in prospccton, the ghosts Of The present
generation, TO give account 10 our Successors for
Our efforts TO expel ignorance, by the general dis
semina'ion Of knowledge, bu, his success in this
operation ccrlOialy falls very far short of lha, Of
his ilus'riuus prototype, her of Eador.
In subsequent communications | shall On dcavor
to show conclusvcly, the utter fasi'y Of the fol-
lowing statements and conclusions Of - in rcla.
lion to The suhjrc, in question, to wit |. That the
debt for which the school fund has been borrowed,
was entirely the result of building the State House.
2. That the school fund is the property of the
State. >. That The school fund will not become
available, under the terms of the law under 40 or
so years, Dillingham; and Dabol 10 the contrary
Notwithstanding. A. That the Legislature have n
light TO appropriate the present fund, to any other
use than that Of common schools. s. That the
state debt is bu, an 'apparon which never exist
cd.
can bu, admire the concluding paragraph Of
the article in the Free Press, and the charge which
IS. prefers against the present Wing admin sra-
lion, of Il lack of common sense in the financial
management Of the State, for it is the only spice
of tlulh in the whole arlicn. And do most cor
daily 'Join in that request with this addition, that
IS. may live to learn The TRUTH, aud TO inherit :,
liberal share Of that same ''conlnon sense" and
to be induced 10 tell the truth.
LYCURGUS.