Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-09-08
From the Allrghnnjcs.
TIE Common Schools Of Pennsylvania
Ht-rt~o1o,, Penn. Aug. Is. 1854,


III. c-,
''''''' " ''''"J''"t'"'
Ht-Tt~Grot, Penn, Aug. rs, 1854,
10 ne Editor Of H' Ere, Press
40 't'to IN the Union, perhaps gives to the On re-
~" OO''''o' hofe nemohstrat''c evidence OF the
,''"' M" Importance o' state system OF Common
''"o"''' m" no 0thto has r'arcd more rich re-.
."''' 'or inc I"b'r ma treasure expended, than
'H''''
hcs' th"h twenty years ago the only provision in
inc state ior thc education OF the children of the
poor, was contained in y law requiring thr school
teacher to keep daily roll Of the names Of the
children whose parents too poor 10 pay their
proportion Of the per capita assessment made bv the
teacher upon each scholar and after month, a
quarter, or any given term Of the school had closed
the roll thus kept, was sworn to by the teacher as
correct, and presented to the Commissioners Of the
County, whcrcupon that Board were authorized to
! pay the snmc by order upon the county treasury
AS n consequence Of this SYSTEM the children Of the
! poor were allowed to grow up in intellectual dark
ness. To be "pa,ip,r ,choinr was m, which the
toiling poor boy could not brook; md to avoid IT,
few children Of such parent, took even the clclncn
tary steps toward education The fruit Of that sy,.
|
ation now in middle ifc who cannot either read or
write, | mean comparatively large-hundreds in
every county,
| Light and truth at last broke in upon our moral
| and mental darkness. Perhaps ! do not say too
much, when a'cribe the hsnor Of bringing about a
new state of thing: to the late Governor Wolf and
the Hon. Thaddcu' Stevens. love to add my little
block Of marble to the monument Of the deserving
dead, or to pcrpetunto all the good deed. of the
| living. Gov. Wolf va,st the head Of tho dominant
| party Many OF the counties which we're most vo-
lent IN their oppo'ion to taxing the people in order
'" e''ao''h 'cnoo''' were large-maJority counties
Vi us P"'!' -e'er'heio's, win viii 10 IN, ne
| WIN ue'e'n''heu ''aho IN tavor oil some System
''" 'nou'u open inc echooI' 10 every chlId' with
ou' ah ''o"A' OF inc poverty oil MS parentagc.-
i"'uueus S'e'ens, ("ho ny the nye,ta Nermontcr)
Ai'o TOOK dehant attitudc on the Eide Of Free
SCHOOLS ana declared that he desired to sec his
'"'''n' !" '''' ~oriu Uhero the measure Of great
ness anu "'pP'no" l. inc cultivated capacity of the
n'"' - 'pp'ec'''e beauty goodness and truth,
| w y ''.' S'i' VI 'nc 'a''eS, archahsoIs.
'u' "'. ''"'o' IN" "'' passed ana In
| ."' !" ''"'e"''"n "nich AMENDED our
"'a'' maze II paftm our organic law
~ '' 'S'""''''''u III 'ueh Hah-
W. ''"' '"' p''' s""u'u oe taught gr"u'' In TINS
O'"''"''"' '''E'"s again by ms mntchlc's elo-
iu'"'' S""'"o' ignorance herself, and aroused and
eAel'ea noa''"y zone OF pubic continent.
Inv l''''u'e "''luc' the state into districts
m'N'"s VI e"'u township District certain
sum appropriated oy inc 9th'e was To be dl'ied -
P'o-'"'" 'N"'o - cao"' III proportion 10 inc num-
o'r VI '"N"o'' Fac" D's'ri'' 10 receive ITS snare
II Tue c''"'"'' ny F"''' accepted the SchooI'w and
'''''u ''N 'u"'c''"' with inc ABOVE sum- To Keep
'ne 'Vn""'' rpm ana J''' n"f' 10 0"' At "7" f7r''
"'n''S IN 'd" H''''
lhls law" nj 'he pSlI't oo1' met with fearful ol-
po'lti'h IN many localities. In some Counties only
lie" "l'tlets accepted It, Inc prejudice OF oh'ti-
nn'" ignorance the mcanhc's OF avarice, and the
c'l hearted sclhshhe's OF the chiIdlcss fought with
t'' 1'"' Of nate 10 break down law taxing the
P"'l'' - 'u"''N 20 'a''"'''' the oh'prihs oil the
''-' P'''' L's"' anu ""' N"c>' are eliminating
''h''s"hs"s' 'heS cannot exist tose'her' Inc l"ml
"i education once hghtcd' ITS rays slowly pierced
the night and the darkness gradually rolled away
Each year increased the number OF the accepting
their Iuc law, which tTi-anril-