Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-09-27
For the Telegraph.
Mr.. EDITOR /:

For the Telegraph
Mr.. EDITOR:
"a Tao Payer" last week asked of the Di-
rectors of our Schools, through you, by what
right they closed the doors at specified times in
the morning and afternoon admitting none af-
ter such times. And this question is put in
manner apparently so terse and authoritative as
to seem to say, "This question settles the bust
ness, and the Directors would do well to precip-
itately retreat from position SO untenable. p
The construction which the mind frames when
one reads this difficult problem, is, that the wri
ter thereof deemed argument in such case SUI
perogatorY; that this question bore along IN Its
own bosom an argument like strong man arm
ed, and which was too manifest to need express
sion. | am not ignorant, Mr.. Editor, that an Of
tenslve position Is from the very philosophy OF
our feelings practical argument in its own be-
half-We are so prone to think him who holds it
reliant upon and conscious of his own strength,
as he who defends is of his own weakness. So
well aware am ] of this feeling that am dispo-
sed, in turn, to turn aggressor and ask ques-
ton Just as hard, and bearing upon its face just
as much manifest lopic This is it: " What
right has "A Tag Payer to object to this act of
the Directors and what is the reason they have
not the right to do it?' ga I'ar Payer" should
not have stopped short where he did, but have
gone on to put other crushing questions, for ex-
ample: What right have the Directors to posi-
lively to require, and the public through them,
that all pupils should appear at school III suit
able garb and with suitable degree of personal
neatness! 70 do this, may, in individual instan'
ces, put parent to much more trouble than to
send him early and punctually to school, And
what earthly right has Director or Teacher
to require pupils, while at school, to sit in be-
coming postures, to refrain from whispering, pre-
serve quiet room, and conform strictly to the
l0l regulations of internal rgime which not on
ly contribute to the main object of schools, the
Strengthening of minds, and the amusement OF
knowledge, but also makes well ordered school
so beautiful sight? 1t perhaps is answered
these last named things are virtuous habits, and
may therefore be insisted upon. But is not
prompt punctuality a virtuous habita Yes, and
that too, in ITSELF Irrespective of the direct and
powerful impetus it brings to bear upon success
in any enterprise we put our hands to. The
minor regulations TO which have alluded, are
not overtures, but matters of indifference in
themselves; they are adopted only for their con-
venency and looks: yet they are allowed to be
insisted on, however inconvenient they may be
to those who delight in the largest liberty, and
to whom restraint, and the imposition of laws
and change of habits arc hard yokes and hea-
Wy burdens. Moreover, this compelling of pu-
| pits TO bring certain school books, and obliglng
parents to pay out money to buy them, when
they already have books which might do very
well this, according to a tai payer, must be an
act of odious tyranny. 1t is, perhaps, answer
ed, that TO use more than me kind of book in the
same study would take up the teachers time
add to his labors, enhance his trouble and inter
fere with system and harmony. True, but moi
half so much as does this wretched habit of tar
diness. Pray, let us look at this thing just as il
is. We will suppose that 20 minutes of the
teachers time is consumed twice day in attend
ing to and registering the names aud minutes
tardy of Is or 20 scholars, (Which he must do by
law thus absolutely consuming, in profitless la
Dor, one-nnth of the teachers time. And this
is right which inalienably belongs to those /;
or 20 aggards ost of 200 pupils, of utterly using
up and annibilating one-ninth of the teacher
time, (Which is the property of the whole 200
pupils and of the public not that they may &c
all the good which the $50 pupils lose, but tina
they may get, positively, bad habits converted BY
frequent practice into a second nature worse
than the first, and, negatively, get no knowledge
and like the dog in the manger, object to others
getting any for the time being. This is Democ