Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-03-18
COM MU NICATIONS,.
DISTRICT SCHOOLS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.

Mr.. EDIToR,-"Common Sense" assures us O
his coincidence IN opinion with those. who advo
cate the proprley Of taxing community TO educat,
lhe poor, and yet he is a stern opponent TO an,
authoritative interference with the mode of
childs education, because the. 'rcation of paren
ana child is SO sacred" So them if the parent anc
child happen TO be poor there is no .'sacred rela
tom to be violated. His carcature of our plans as
''air castles, 'Utopian," and the like, are ares
ments so entirely unanSwerable, that it would be
quite establishing his opinions of our sanity to make
any attempt at reply, and his perfect denoastra-
ton that the duties proposed to be imposed on Com
missloners and Trustees, forbids any hope that the
people of Augusta will ever find public spirited
men. The race is deGunct. They may vecetate
elsewhere, but here such is the omnipotence Of the
Almighty Dollar" that ''the hand of resurrection
can never reach them"
common Sense still harps upon the expense,
which he manages to make out enormous. Sup
posing his case correct, and that the cost would be
Sl2,OOo, annually, above the present expenditure
Tor Education. (see my last number are we TO a
Dandon good for the eXpense2 The question
ought TO be considered, whether this expense will
not be repaid and more than repaid An officer of
the army told me yesterday that every soldier costs
the nation $50 month, or $500 year, and every
Captain $1,000. Shall the nation be left without an
army on account Of the expense? DO not the peo-
pie pay the PIPER" at least? Our little County
W tiiiS mexican war is computed
at about $4,000, all told. We do not complain.
We merely state these facts to shew, that when an
object IS desirable, and there is n WILL there will
be WAY. But question his statistics. square
OF miles gives diagonal of about 81 and hence
there could not be as great distance as 3 miles to
go to school. But all know that School Districts
would not be squares, but neighborhoods so arran-
ged that the entire number Of School Districts
would be about the number arising from divisions
into miles square. BY judcious arrangement,
we still believe the desired result would be obtain
ed But it is idle to discuss opinions on facts
have one simple proposition for Common Sense"
and all who think with him. After all said Of ex-
pense, will the expense Of Education by District
Schools be greater than that now incurred suppos-
ing In both cases, the wants of the poor fully sup
pied III 1t requires $4,000 now, with more
schools than are necessary, and more teachers and
more houses, will it require more ON Il plan which
VIII, by cooperation of whole neighborhood,
centrase all its energies on one school Com
mon Sense" and others are SO carried away with
opposition to our "Utopian' schemes, that they
forget to notice the expense now incurred But lest
transgress the rules which you prescribe for writers
on Education, will here pause for the present
LANCASTER.
ERRATA.-In No 8, paragraph 2nd, line H. for
Short read "whoe," and line 10th for '.short read
read annual"