New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-03-29
schools Free to All.

The People OF the state Oh New ORR repre-
scented IN Senate and Assembly, have enacted that
the Common Schools Of said State shall be open
without charge to all the children Of suitable age
residing within each District respectively. This
was not done hastily bat after much discussion and
several satisfactory experiments In various local.
ties it was not the work Of party nor the result OF
any party appeal to carry an election, for though
the Legislature that passed the Act was three
fonrihs Whig the vote upon It was entirely nde-
pendent Of party lines, End it was never claimed
that either party had promised or threatened TO
pass such an act ia any Political canvass The
Legislature which passed it submitted their work
to direct vote Of the People for ratification, and
they sanctioned it by vote OF 249S72 to 9l,957, or
nearly three to onc--one Of the fullest and most
emphatic popular votes ever given upon shy such
question.
What have been the fruits Of this measure As
vet 1t can hardly be deemed IN operation, for It's
enemes-stronc in resolution and in social position
though not in numbers-have done their utmost 10
embarrsss and obstruct it's working. The neigh
boring County OF Suffolk affords tar specimen Of
their tactics-a county in which the love OF lgnor-
| ance and a grudge OF the cost OF Education have
been systematically fosDered by certain local mag
| mates for many years pss.. essential 70 the
Political and general consequence OF these mag
oates that the mass of the peop.e be kept as doce
and unenliehtened as possible Accordingly they
ore now resisting the Free School law-not openly
and manfaly, but by indirection and bush fighting
One of their organs, which pgoesscd great zeal for
Free Schools last Fall, is now prominent in THIS
Indian warfare The following are some Of the
ways and means
The Act says The Board Of Supervisors OF each
County shall levy the requisite County Tax at their
Annual Meeting But the Suffolk Board held rs
Annual Meetns before official notice had reached
the County OF the popular ratification OF the law -
Very we'll SAYS the Secretary OF State. where this
has been neglected at the Annual Meeting a'ore
sad. i must be done at a Special meeting. We
won't DO it, say the Suffolk Supervisors. We'll
then. say the Town Officers. we have no choice
but to levy this portion OF the cost Of the schools
in the Towns. NO you don't say the magnates
We won't pay II il You Go, and d You levy upon
us We ID sue YOU for tresPass Aud 50 the enc
mics OF Free Schools have joyful hope OF stop
ping the Schools altogether or deprivng the teach
ers of a good share of their pay Go your length,
gentlemen But ii you suppose you viii by such
|
their devotion of Free Schools. We reckon you are
making a mistake hat you viii have reason To re
member Whoever in the Legislature votes to
give up the vital principle Of the Free School law
NIL have a chance to guess ,hat has constituents
are Of a different way OF thinking
Even Ia SUFFOLK where the opposition Is thus
violent. we have reason TO know that the Act is
a already doing good We are assured that there
are Common Schools where thrd more pupils
NV attend than have hitherto done 50. Their des
utute parents have kept them at home Tor fear OF
rate bill bat now that Education is free as water
, they send - Why didn't they send them before
, as psupersl some one asks. We can hardly be
: heve 1t is parent who asks the question. Who
ever liked 10 SEM his own children where they
: would be known as an inferior caste % those who
we've their daily associates
3 The friends OF Free Schools conceded too
: much 10 their aiverssues IN framing the present
law They ought not to have allowed any District
c; dirty pupils 10 vote SO httle as four months
schooling year They ough; not 70 hsve con
I coded limitation OF Suffrage n Schcol affairs h
: Taxsb'es only. Such concessions cost them many
/ Noes n the Popular No,e last Fall; We know
! where i've hundred votes were so turned against
? them in a single Ward o, our City. And those
/ whom these concessions were made 70 win 90 not
thank US for them they VIII hgh; to the bitter
end. Les US reclaim, then, the gn'Und We gave
: away. since our concessions sgs only met with de-
: r.AoA. Uuiyersd Suffrage 10 School matters a.
/. elsewhere. AMI schools a. lcas, eight months II
!, each year, should now be insisted on
= "A friend who disliAes &c Free S,booi pnnci-
pie write us some time siscs follows
: NAsVs Wsren CO y Jan ?. 1880
III tskes HrsNK lrrbls .or u1usCr - HesrS
snd have isSr-e1 rOl gcat good e. sFins en-
rsrs i;s, hvt ticfe sabec; iNi yea
i.w Il rs Ss,- cLnDct perceive why, n' taNrs sc
,x1 t1 "a R-1.h-fs sc t Yo1 sa- iIvc tcaoo siit
h aprear 20 ne Ike school 9oel D. rga pun-
80 lis oterw Sc Get the ohce u % Com
mon Schs restored ard iced SsG cote ne ehdren
: seating school hv IkN Property, sud suppose ihe
,ena, " Hdacsuon ard rsxsiou ~c2li be satisfied
loSfs WiitiAN Cox
d TO the above we make answer.
!. Al the explanation we care q give On tie
main ro;nt is this-ESzeatiog IS Hof Prv-.ded f.r
ne sptclal bcneft Of 'ke Ct@iycE taHgAf, or 'or
| tae teneff ef he satirs CoRnRE,iy. Toe State
p provides Schools no, The; Mr.. As w Mr. B. child
rem SHAH be Instructed BIZ; that neeGlal knowledge
, shall be universally dih0sed. Had we the power.
We would make the attendance Of all children be
tween four and fifteen years OF age compulsory tor