The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-06-14

MESsRS. ED1rORS:-lt may not be aml>s to
give you a short history of lille Harrison
township. 1t happened when the civil
townships organized under the late school
laws. that nearly all the old district school
houses, Were just outside of our civil town
ship lines
| thought then, As | 10 now that we were
better without any than such AS they were,
and Judging from my own feelings more than
anything else. L thought there would be no
difficulty under the new law to organize our
little township-erect the requisite number oil
school houses 10 make it convenient for
all the children in the township TO attend
school if they wished. With this view
urged the board of trustees to test the propri-
ETY. of voting tax for the purpose of build
ing AZ least three new school houses The
election was ordered, and down went the tax
with a majority of eighteen votes.
AT tie following township meeting it was
again submitted. l drew up a short appeal 10
the citizens, in order to lay the matter fairly
before the people, that they might see their
past error and improve the present, but the
result was the same before And their
plea for SO doing that the law would be
repealed any how al the next sitting of the
legislature; and in this they acted in good
faith, | have no doubt. for they retained the
same board of trustees-whieh were all on
the side of school.-in office. Now as the
law did not meet with the fate they hoped it
would, they, with but few exceptions, are sub
hitting to be taxed 20 the extent of tie law;
aud | am happy To say that the board, in an
ticipation OF law that would give them the
power TO build, kept all the public school
funds. and are now applying them in the cree
ton of school houses. They have likewise
laid tax of twenty five cents on each hun
dteti dollars. and fifty cents on each poll
(The school funds on hand will have to be re-
placed by taxation, and appropriated to pub
lie instruction after the houses are built
Tie trustees have contracted with John
Fertich, to build during the season three
school houses, on the plan approved by Hor-
ace Mann. and modern school architects.
TIE house most eentrely in the township
i designed for graded school. A conside-
ration the most worthy of all others as scarce
" any township is So large but what children
who would be advanced sufficien " 10 require
higher order OF instruction attend from
the most remo'e part of the township. Aud
oDvia.e the difficulty and expense OF sending
children from home a an age when paren al
assistance IS mostly needed. Any who
has observed things as they are knows that
u send child TO any Of our Universities.
that II X calculated To bigo, and cause i, 70
over estimate lis abilities: (this applies 10
young and w0meu.) and often deceive
Intensely. by thinking they were scholars;
aud the con muni;y. too. is sometimes de-
ceired in then Iris state of things can
rarely happen when children are educated a,
home.
/ stated that the citizens were disposed TO
disregard the school laws tie ground tina,
tkev were unconstitutional and would be re-
Pesied- 50 lar as this mater is concerned it
ha~ been ac.ed on by the l-giSla ure. aud the
results are well known Right here / wish
to caution another portion of community who
l,luk have an unconssi usional, unwar-
fanAable aud most oppressive Temperance
ltw. not 10 hang back and wal. on Court de-
cisions or legislative reFesi>; * this is time
for moral improvement. try and move along
RUsTIcUs.