Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-10-06
Yours truly,
Communication.

The attention of the public has been recently
called TO the charity school. BY many this is
deemed work of superoagaton ard positive
injury to our district schools. We are not among
the number of those who question the motives
or the wisdom of the Ladies who have started
this project. It is well known fact, admitted
on all sides that our district schools do no. eff.
feet all that their theory intends: or all that
they might even under the present defective
system and we do not wonder that the Ladies
are tired OF waiting for an improvement which,
unluckily it does not belong to them to accom-.
plish.
While we wish them abundant success in
their praise worthy efforts to benefit the misc
rable class of children who have so long beset
our doors we wish to seize upon the present
occasion to call attention 10 our common schools.
The season has arrived for making winter ar
engagements aud on that account we deem il
timely.
We have heard it repeatedly asserted in tif-
ferent private circles that the last winter, the
profane, the prefga,e and the Incorporate were
to be found among our common school teachers.
Now we ask was it so !! Shall it be so anoh.
er winter!
If such DO the fact-if children are only to
alternate between cursing and drunkenness al
home, and drunkenness and cursng at schooI
what wonder that our criminals are found MOI
among foreigners but among their children
brought up under such precious common school
;pd, yNh~, Ioos 81, -; Il
who learns from his teachers example "Thou
mayst take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain." will not be slow to supply "Thou mayst
steal" Thou mayst bear false witness -! Is
it possible that we have already fallen SO low
that we tolerate open immortality in the teach
ers of our youth
There are those in this community who have
labored long and zealously in this cause bu, we
fear that they have retired dishear,cned.
Will they not make another effort! We
should like to have them come forward and give
us the facts. What are the difficulties in the
way. What is the present law and what are
its defects? How far are the committees anne
nable TO the public and how can they be call
cd to account! We think, by the way that any
one who would ascertain and publish the names
VI the committees in the respective districts
would do good service to the cause. If we are
to have incompetent or immoral teachers the
public would then know to whom they are in.
debted for them. In the mean time lc. every
man who reads this article ascertain without lie.
ly the time of the school meeting in his own
district and make it a point to attend it,.
1t belongs to all, whether old or young, rich
or poor, learned or uncarned. The schools are
the common treasure Of all. Let tie benevo.
lent ; the philan,hropic, the far seeing states.
man and the short.sjgh GIFTED selfish man, let all
see to it. Are tho children who thronr our
streets to grow up pests to society, or are they
to be civilized, humanized, made decent and
useful! Are the multitude to be neglected
while the fc,o learn Greek and Latin!
Money is not so much wanted as supervision,
The present taxes we believe are abundantlv
sufficient to make our schools all that they should
be. Let the citizens of Burlington then arise
and set an example for the State. Let it 10
longer be said of us, that we pay the most mo.
ney for the poorest schools.
The multitude of private schools on all sides
have long testified that our common schools
were net deemed good enough for those who
could pay for better, and now il they are no,
good enough for those who cannot paw, it is time
something was done. VERITAS.