Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-03-11
COM MU NICATIONS.
DISTRICT LIS.
OBJECTIONS

tor, "Common Sense and ''Syntax," have offere,
objections TO the District School System AS Their
Is no likelihood that the proposed law will b.
brought TO the polls, it is useless to discuss its pecu
liar provisions For one, have never advocated i
for Its own merits. have, however, preferred i
TO the present state of things, and hoped it would
be adopted as beginning, and amended in one pc
cullarity, the most Objectionable 100, that of Taxa
ton. have uniformly, (and among others, fol
reasons urged with great proprety by ''Syntax''
IN his sixth Paragraph) believed that at least hall
the support of school should be derived from TUT
tlor. But though this particular law be out OF
the discussion, think some of the objections OF
these writers aimed at any District School System
whateser.-Such propose noticing:
LIST. The expense of such system is objectiona-
bic. presume both writer's are warm friends OF
general popular Education as am. Now it can be
shown that on our present plan, Is much money
and more is necessary TO the result all desire
as on the plan even of the law referred. There are
reported to be about 1000 poor children, between
the ages of and 20. About 1900 of them may be
taken as school population, that is, about that mum
Der would be embraced in any term of 10 years
There are in the County 1000 children forming
school population, embraced i'm term of 10 years,
with the limits 3 and l6, or and IT, sc. OF the
poor children, one half should be constantly at
school, in order TO suitable Elementary Educaiion
thus we do not suppose that any one will be at
school, for the short time of 10 years. We allow
that one-haif then may be deducted. Here then
are 900 who ought to be in school say $50 days. or
q short months. This at 4 cts. per diem, as al
lowed by law, gives $4,000. The other class Of
children, 2SOO in number, will be reduced, say 400
for the number under the highest limit, 10 years.
who may be at higher schools or in business. This
leaves 24OO Of whom two-thrds may be constantly
at school, deducting one-third who may have com
pleted, OF not commenced school. These 1000 will
cost parents and guardians at least an average of
SlO year for Tuition, which is Il low average for
pupils in the Elements Of Geography. Arithmetic,
Grammar, sc. Here. then, is $4,000. Thus on
the Stree trade" principle, the cost of Education to
the county, will be $4,000; and yet we have made
no estimate of the cost of school houses which I'M
der the ''free trade" principle are very COSTLY as
there are SO many more necessary, and that which
is every body's business being nobody's, they are
more expensive, as they often become seriously in
Jured for want of repairs.
Now the benefit of the District System would be
TO tighten the expense TO parents who generally
gifted with children, in the inverse proportion to
their wealth, and place a part OF the expense on
them who have an equal interest with others in the
welfare of the community, which Education pro-
notes. But would prefer that as parents have
personal interest In the matter they should pay more
and hence assign them Tuition fees in addition to
their tax In districtng the county there are large
ridges small mountains, barren spurs from the North
themselves, which would cause very large deduc-
ton from the superfcies. | have the opinion of ju-
dclous and practical men, that 40 or Al Districts
four miles square, would be sufficient With the a.
mount now necessary for the INDECENT, 5000 there
Is no doubt that under district system, Tuition fees
could be reduced to So quarter, and much better
schools be kept up. At all events, when statistics
OF expense are made, let it be remembered we are
now involved in great expense.
2nd. Another class of objections touch on 4 very
delicate question. hope to give no offence, none
Is meant, and yet speak 10 he understood. 1t
Is Inmated that If the voluntary princ pie be aban-
doned in school matters, by the same arguments the
compulsory support OF the church might be advoca-
ted Says ''SyntaX"-"You might almost as well
think of having established religion, as an es,ab-
lished system of schools, and doubt ueriy much II
one acouH not rery haze tendency to run in
to another" shall not, certainly, impute to this
writer design by this insinuation to reflect on the
advocates of the District System, or avail himself
OF that strong antipathy TO church establishments
which the defendants of prosecuted Scotch Irish
PresbyeEIans, German Lutherans and Calviniss
and Wesleyan Methodists, are proverbially known
to entertain 1t is matter of record in our State ar
cheves, that in the formation of our State Govern
ment, whena compulsory support of religion and lis
Teachers was proposed iii the Virginia Legislature
1t met with stern and repeated circumstances from
the Old Hanover Presbytery, which was heard by
Its commissioners at the Bar of the House. And il
Is also well known, that the Baptists of Eastern Viz
glnia took the same ground. / do myself. how
ever, believe whatever popularity there is in the ar
gument that the occasion Of thai popularity is the
best anSccr 10 the objection. There is no fear OF
an establishment while there exists 50 great varie
ty of religious denominations. Religion and Educa
ton have one common object, but that is promoted
by different means. Had we sects in Geography
Arithmetic and English Grammar, with their re-
speclve organizations the case would De different
compulsory plan for education is to secure Tho
proper instruction to children in the elements of Sc
cuar knowledge compulsory plan in religion is t.
secure the incubation on all of certain ienets
| But waving all theory, what is the fact? w.
have here and elsewhere in this State, Literary ant
PhilanthroPlc Institutions which are sustained b,
the State at an unusual cost, Counting the interes
Of the money invested in real estate y of more thai
$l2O,OOU per annum. Here. no,c isa "co,npuisory'
principle at work, and if the fears of these writer
are well grounded, we may look ont ere long for al
establishment. There are thousands taxed for thes
Institutions. VINO never have had and perhaps new
or Will have one item Of personal interest in them
do not suppose object TO this BY means. Al
this is IN accordance with my views, that whaieve
is Tor the common veal should be aided by the com
mon support. And by the by, as to persona! bene
fit, the design of our University, our Militar
School, our Lunatic Hospitals. and Our institution,
as W ule TWO latter, avowedly Tor special ciaSse
and as to the two former, practically, for the benefi
Of a few. 30 far from cripplng these Institutions
however, we would cheerfully see them all enlarg
ed in their capacity for contributing TO the publi
good, except, perhaps, as to one to whose prncipl
OF discipline we entertain inviucIbc repugnanct
But what say facts? Massachusetts, is the oul
State, believe, which subsequent to the Revolt
ton, retained any features Of an establishment lc
religion. II has long been the model State for il
system OF District Schools Now under the opera
ton OF that system, in the full tide of success,
lar from It's results or principle having conduced
foster a religious establishment, formed in otht