The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-01-26
What are we Coming to rs Respects
Schoolst

What are we Coming To rs Rcspect.
schools
In our former articles on this subject We
have Shown what plan the people chose, and
how they expected to provide for the cost Of
its execution and how ,ift that plan was depar'
ted from at all it would have been far letter &c
have expended few thousand dollars for
grade Of schools still higher than is now pro
posed, and thus have avoided the necessity
of sending abroad for educational advan.
tagcs not TO be had at home. We have
shown how that a departure from the plan
adopted will involve a long continued and
heavy taxation, or an abandonment, Of The
plan. We have made it appear that the pre-
sent plan, if carried out, will not best meet
the wants now existing, while its heaviest
expense will be but little better than thrown
away.
We have not opened this subject from any
unkind feeling towards the board. We bore
the matter Of this change in silence, lest by
condcmning it we might in some way OF
other embarrass or obstruct the work Of
providing schools for our city.
Bat this matter ought not to rest. We
have not dollar TO spare for unnecessary
expense. We ought to have the best system
we can get. The education of generation
Of men is no trifiing matter. No bungler
ought to have the charge of such work, and
no good system should be frustrated in its
operation, and u bad one introduced peo-
pie are soon discouraged from undertaking
any common public work when they find by
unhappy experiment that they cant trust
anybody. \ little bad management will of.
ten run aground the best enterprises, and
excite Encouragement aud disgust Get
bad system Of public schools inauguratcd,
and tits no easy matter TO make change.
People cannot understand why there need
be Il perpetual taxation to accomplish what
individual enterprise does far better at half
the cost As TO the case in hand we can.
not for our very life conceive Why the peo.
'lN pau W as dbdlhbilNb. W Z hltN Oh no
motive for it. Although the plan now
adopted if carried out, will exceed the cx-
pcctations Of the people by $35, 600, we re-
gard that as one Of its lesser evils. 1t will
seriously interfere to prevent the great benc.
fits of the other system from being realized.
And if it does not succeed in utterly pre-.
venting the founding Of higher schools, and
providing the very best advantages of cduca,
ton at home, free TO all, both rich and
poor, thcn We shall be most happily disap,
pointed.
1t may appear a very wise thing 10 at
tempt to introduce plan on . scale so grand
as to meet the possible wants of distant
years II that was the idea whi-h deter
mined the action Of this board, we have
simply to say that the people who planned
this enterprise were quite as competent rs
these gentlemen to know what was best, and
that for them to insinuatc otherwise, appears
an oiiicous mpcrtincnce The plan adopted
by the citizens WAS one capable Of any dc.
gree of expansion for growing population,
and It left the expansion Ist where it should
be, namely, with future years. We don't
want to build, at present, the school houses
necessary for those who shall reside in Oua.
wa five or ten years hence. Our capital is
now necessary, our population small, and
were it not SO, we ought to presume that
five or ten years hence the people will be
quite as capable Of deciding what is best FIR
their wants as we are.
Had the plan Of the people been carried
out, we should now have, instead of two
school houses, say five snug, neat and com
modiOus buildings in the several school dis
tricts capable of holding according to ncces-
sliy) from twenty TO sixty scholars On an
average say forty, accommodations for 300
at n cost not exceeding the cost Of
one Of these new buildings. \ central
building capable of accommodating COO alta
cost Of Slo,oOO-altogcther say $4,000
If five small buildings, scattered about in
the proper localities where they would be
Of access for little children iu
summer and winter, should not be enough,
then add more and estimate the cost of each
1t $4,000. Every man will soon see the
'ast superiority of this plan in convenience,
Utility and economy.
We have yet something more to say on
his matter