The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-04-06
CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
The school Tax.

The vote at the late city and township
elections in favor of levying an adequate tax
for the support of common schools, and the
erection of commodious school houses, was
we are happy to say, for the credit of this
community, about FIVE to one. OF the l2l
voters in this city, who felt constrained to
oppose the levying Of moderate tax for
such purpose, we have only to cay that
they should feel most heartily ashamed of
such conduct, and we hope that their be-
nighted souls will yet be sufficiently enlight-
ened to cause them to repent to posterity for
their misjudged illiberality.
We were astonished to see large property
holders, some of whom have the misfortune
to have large families, whom they voted to
raise in the same "billful ignorance" which
they enjoy themselves. There is no excuse
for such a course by any citizen in Evans
vile. We do not write with the idea that
such an Liberal policy cun ever be adopted
in Evansville. But we desire to show such
enemies of education and improvement how
ridiculous position they occupy.
There are few cities in the United States
thatIhave attained the size and wealth of Ev-
ansville, but have devoted thousands of dol
lars, in direct tares, for the support of common
schools and general purposes of education,
while Evansville has, comparatively speak
ing, paid nc. taxes and had no schools. One
hundred and twenty-one men were heard to
say at the polls on Monday last, that they
were in favor of no schools, (for no tax means
no schools) and they do not stop there
they want to kill out the public schools
which have been started and SO ably conduct.
ed during the past year.
Butyou deny it, You say you don't wan,
to kill our public schools! Hold on till we
convict you! Did not the Trustees tell you
through the columns of both papers few
days ago, that the public schools could not
be sustained without this tax! That they
would die without it! Well then, what do
your votes say in responses Most emphati-
cally they say, "Let them dier' "Slarpe then,
out 90
We do not pretend to know your motives,
we only know you are wrong! But, thanks
be to the better sense of large majority Of
our citizens-you are harmless ia your error,
except to yourselves and your own house.
holds. Look now at the other side of the
picture. Our public schools are yet less
than two years old under the new system!
and under the direction of our able and eff
cient Board of Trustees, and competent
teachers, they have hourished. No school.
in the West can show greater degree of ad-
vancement, better or more wholesome dsci-
pline than our public schools under their pre-
sent management. Five-sixths of the voters
of Evansville have said that our public
schools shall be encouraged, and the means
of education enlarged and provided for in
proper and credtable manner. They have
reelected a liberal and competent Board of
Trustees, and agreed to place an adequate
amount of money at their disposal, to main
tain the public schools without stint.
Before another year shall have passed
away, the beue6cent results of this system
will be mere clearly demonstrated. The
narrow minds which now oppose education
will, we trust, receive both light and heat
from the little intelligent juvenile sons that
are rising up about them.