The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-03-08

For He Udsrlle.
DISTRICT SCHOOLS.

capi,al'employei in merchandise is about $780,
900, exclusive OF other property, and yet II IL
destitute OF even onr public school house. \ com.
para,vely small tax on the above mentioned
property would cree, aiding sufficiently com
nfodlous for The instruction OF all the children
and youth in il aud would enable the directors
to assign 10 each grade Of pupils separate apart.
men, and to establish and in!orce the necessary
discipline. And while il would afford ample
accommodations for the pupils in the primary de,
parimcnf, ! scc nothing to hinder the iniroduc.
ton OF the higher branches for the bencti, OF
Young ladies and gentlemen. The school should
be placed under the management, Of one expe.
rienced male teacher, with such assistants, male
and female rs might be necessary. Thus IN in.
sti.uton would he founded which would be an
ornament and an honor 10 the place. And
while i, would tend TO cnr:ail tho expenses OF
education. i. would serve TO correct many Of the
abuses which At present exist in our small village
schools, for IT is painful reflection TIM, in some
OF them the children learn little else than pro-
fIni,y and vrlgari,y. think there is no class
of community who would object TO such pro-
ec,. The friends oil education certainly would
not, and should the owners OF property be actn-
a.ed BY no other motive than n desire "a en-
hancc the value Of their property, ! know Of
nothing thar would have moro direct tendency
to accomplish their design than the establish
ment Of permanent, literary institutions among
them
Such arc The remarks OF that impor,an,
cunciionnry Hon. L. II. Benton, j., Super
inicudent Of Public instruction in this
State, aud how iorcib.y are they applicable
To Davenport! Tie enterprise Of our Cit
izens heretofore las been below zero la the
wuy Of a building for public schools. and
the appearance al present, rather tavors
the impression that this state Of affairs
will continue unless We nre mp and moving
"a once. Would il not he advisable under
the law which is now in force, TO unite the
the town again into one district As il is
row divided, | presume, il nothing is done
10 change the boundaries, cach district will
put up an inferior building to answer tenn
pnrary purposes, and Of which. We would
all be more Or less ashamed. /. is no use
to disguise the matter, neither ono Of the
districts can alone pa, ~, decent looking
schan! house; when united, they might d.
something creiiiabe To the place and be
OF service in more WAYS than school
house, and some indncemen, 10 the emf
grant, with family to educate, to settle
among vs..
In addition TO the innnmeraa,c ar-n-
meats that nigh, he adduccd To supper, he
above position, another OF much more i'm
portancc can now lie hrou.h: forward,
which We may not be able In embrace here
after. Mr.. LeCiaire informs me, TIA, the
two lots (f tn, one is not sufficiently east
of the Congregational Church can DC cl.
tanned on reasonable terms for That purpose,
aud where is there n more suitable place
ior tho three districts wien blended, and i,
il now easy enouaht 10 blend them from
the power delegated II the Fund Commits
soners in each county, irem the following
section in the School law:
Sfe. 20. lie shall divide into schcoi districts,
anu number the same, each township or election
precl.e, ia his county, or any par, thereof,
where the sluiu has not heretofore been district.
cd, and may alter and caange the boundaries
OF districts thus formed, or those formed under
other acts, from tune TO time, as the convent
cnce oiihe aforesaid townships and election pre-
e;nc,s may require; and shall proceed to make
such change al any time when peti,ionod by
,wo-,hirds OF the legal voters OF an. district.
We have oil an interest sufficiently
strong in the proper and efficient organi-
cation of our common schools, to induce
every one 10 net with an eye single TO the
public good. Ii my children arc raised
vicious. do !, or the community live in,
suffer mast from them! Does the ,hicving
or malicious child do more hurt at home or
around in the neighbnrhood!
Again, this school Inv must be carried
into operation by some Of our citizens
II VIC have good or bad officers, good or bad
teachers, those that are qualified or those
that nre otherwise, VIC hive the say SO,
and i, il no time 10 grumblc and complain
when il is too late to remedy the evil. To
give correct iacn, of what is TO he
done first, under this volnmnous and pro.
ix document, Of school law, would again
quote from Mr. Benton:
Mrhc lirs, important duty 70 be perlnrmcd nn.