Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-11-23
COMMON SCHOOL CONVENTION.


A convention of teachers and friends of common
school education, are informed, will be held at
Elkhorn, Walworth county, the 1st of Deem
Der next for the purpose of devising means to pro-
cure more uniform use of books in primary
Schools and in other respects to advance the inter-
ests of common school lucatlon. This is an ex-
cellent move, and tn. example should De followed
/ by other counties in the Territory There is much
danger that the of education in this new Te
rtory will be neglected, because of the multiplicity
of other interests to be secured. We have as yet,
no muni6rent school fund to encourage the estab
lishment of common schools the only present means
for supporting schools, is resort to taxation upon
the people. 1t therefore needs the greater energy
on the part of the friends Of education, awaken
a proper degree of interest among parents, guardi
ans, and those who have the rising generation en-
trusted to their care.
| The act in relation to common schools in this
Territory is greatly defective, and his circumstance
lone has been the means of retardng the progress
of education to great extent. So far as relates
to the building of school houses, the has nearly
prohibatory operation, and but few school districts
have undertaken to erect school houses agreeable
!
school law is wholly chargeabIe either to the igno-
rance OF legislators, or an unprlncpled design on
the part of law makers, to restrict the necessary
taxation from sordid and selfish motives. There
! has not to our knowledge been a single school
house built in Racine county during the past year,
where the amount required to build has been lev
led agreeable to the provisions of the present law,
but the inhabitants have been oblgcd to resort to
voluntary subscription other means to obtain the
erection of a school house. The present act allows
the levying only, of one half of one per cent on
the assessed valuation of property in school dis
trlct for the purpose of building school house, this
in nineteen twenteths of the districs in this county
does not admit the raising in a single year of one
fifth Of the amount necessary to build a suitable
! house.
! There are other impediments in the way to the
success of our com mon school system, which will
doubtless be overcome at future period by le-
glslatve action; but in the meantime it will not do
to remain passive on the subject of common school
education until more favorable time arrives, when
we shall have the benefit of good school fund, and
mroe judcious Legislative enactments. The loss Of
few years instruction in school, to the present gen.
Grafton of youth cannot be estimated by human COM
putailon. Far better that the farmer should neg
lect the cultivation of his lands, and that the me-
chanc should neglect the business of his shop, than
that parents should ne ge,t the instruction of their
children. The welfare of society, the liberties of,
the people, and all of social political kind that
hold most dear, intimately connected and de-
pendent upon the proper diffusion of science among
the Young. The exuberance and fertility of our
soil, and the healthfulness of our climate will lie
blessings of Providence misappled, and will only
contribute to ensave us TO vice, unless science and
Intelligent disseminated
1t is earnestly hoped that neighborhood of ia
miles in this county where there are suitable
number of children, will neglect to establish a
school the present winter. Education is of more
value and Importance to the Territory than wealth,
better safeguard to the peace happiness of So
ciety than can be devised by penal enactments.-
A convention of the friends of education in this
county, for the purpose of rec, mmending books sui
table to Schools with a view of inducing
greater uniformity in the several Districts would
doubtless have good effect. Some plan mi ght
also be concerted to excite more general interest
in the support of common schools. Will not some
friend of SCIENCE in this matter; we should be
glad to see rally on this subject, and spirit wa
kened to this most important matter.