The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-09-22
Letter from Superintendent Brown

Letter from Superintendent Brown.
GAnxAvILLo, Sept. 18th, 1858.
Messrs Richardson d. Fuller:
In the North Iowa Times of the 9th inst.
is an article entitled "1igh School" and which
seems to be pointed at me. and calls for re-
Spouse. hope you will pardon me If I occu-
py more space than may seem necessary, as you
have broached a subject in which am deeply
interested. not only as public officer, but also
as one Of the tax payers of the County, and a
parent. on whom rests the responsibility of 30
educating my children, that they will be pre-.
pared for usefulness and happiness, both here
and hereafter. In your article, you ascribe TO
me great deal more power than the Legisla-
trre has thought proper to clothe me with.
fou say that persons have requested you, ''To
suggest that Superintendent Brown should stop
the wheels ofexpense little whle." and init
mate that unless it is done, the law will be-
come unpopular with the people.
do not know but some persons, "of ardent
educational sympathies,' may blame me for
what the people themselues have done, but Ger.
tainly, any man of common sense who will
carefully read the law, will see that IL is en-
tirely beyond the power of the Superintendent,
either to levy tax, prevent the PEOPLE from
levying one, or "to arply the breaks and stop
the wheels" when large majority of the tax
payers, (as in the present instance is the CASEY
"keep them moving" If l possessed that
power should be the last man to exercise it,
so long as the people are willing to furnish
steam to keep the car If education in motion,
On the contrary, would run the risk Of lubri-
eating the axels little. that the speed might
be increased, even at the risk of suffering the
politicandeath that is intimated, awaits me. If
do not block the pheels. am loath to con.
slider that threat as originating with you but
to the one who is responsible for it. I will say,
never had SO great fear as some have, Of
the natural change called death, which we all
must meet, and when political death is held
up to me as bugbear, it looks ludicrous in the
extreme. 1 hope that those who think to fright
en-, by shaking that bear skin at me, will recol-
lect that I am mol occupying political rosi-
ton, nor am in the political market.
True am public officer, and as such will
endeavor to do my duty promptly and conscien-
eiously,-:tearlessly, at all events .,
have found almost invariably, that those
who oppose the law, have not examined it, and
do not know wherein it differs from the old
law. They know that large sums, land in
some instances more than was necessary, } have
been voted by the electors and tax payers of the
different townships for the support Of Schools,
but they do not seem to know that almost as
large an amount has been paid for the same
purpose year after year About the only diff
ference. consists in the old law levyihg tax
upon the scholars, whilst the new law levics
it upon the property in the district. l would
like to say more upon this subject, but. lest you
may think l am going TO appropriate your
whole sheet, l will hasten to make few re
marks in reference to the High School. as that
seems to be the principal. 'Raw head and
bloody bones.' that is frightening several per-
sons of ardent educational sympathies' at the
present time.
The electors ofthc several townships elected
a board of School MISUNDERSTANDING for Pre-i-
dert, regardless OF political affinities, man in
whom they could confde, and one whom they
knew TO be interested in educational reform.
Those presidents met in council, and dis
crsscd the question, "Shall we establish High
School" l believe there was not dissenting
voice to establishing the School at some time,
but few wished to have the matter deferred
year or two. The majority insisted that it
was then impossible to supply one fourth part
Of the 6choois With competent teachers, and it
was suicidal to squander any more money up
on incompetent ones and it was absolutely
necessary that place be provided where our
young men and women could qualif themselves
to render q fair consideration for the money VIC
pay them Tor instrurting our children. When
the vote was taken, three fourths of those pres
ent voted in favor of putting the School into
operation rs soon as possible. The number
present and voting was sixteen. A board Of
trustees were elected. who met and decided to
push the matter along as speedily as circum-
stances would admit. As ex officio member of
the board of trustees, am proud to share with
the other members the honor and the aprro-
brium if any, of hclpirg to put into practical
operation. tie most important and economical
provision Of the new law. A building COM
mittce was appointed and the job of construct
ing the house was let. And one year from this
time we shall have High School bailding,
that will DC an honor to the County, and the
only public building that tho people of the
County have helped to build. But few words
in regard to the cost Of this building.
The law provides that the trustees may draw
from the County Treasury $4,000 per year for
six years, for the purpose Of erecting buildings.
procuring apparatus, library &C., for the School.
Some persons have piled up this 5000 per
year for six years, and found 1t amounted to
5000, which has alarmed them. Ifthey will
reckon Il a. it must come, 900 year, they
viii md the per ccntum upon the taxable prop
crty of the County will be about e;gAt-tenths Of
a mill on the dollar, and before the six years
have elapsed. probably it will not exceed five
tenths Of a mill on the dollar! Had this sum
been included in the County Tax without any
thing being said about it, not one in ten of the
tax payers would have suspected that they were
paying more than the ordinary tax. But it
serves as o "Bugga boo" for designing men to
use, and there are plenty such to use t. You
seem to fear, lest the roOr shall suffer in con-
sequence Of the School tax, but instead ofbeing
"A legal tribute from the purses of those who
are put to great trouble to keep up School
for the education of their own children it &C.
tually relieves that class and compels the veal
thy, those having property, the value Of which
will be enhanced by the establishment Of good
Schools in the vicinity, to bear the brunt Of the
whole taxation. And whilst they do this, would
it be just to exclude them from equal privi-
leges in the Schools And that is all they
claim, or can get by the new law. Now few
words in relation to Schools, strictly common
and will close. Our present law provides for
free Schools only. No tuition can be charged
in the District Schools for scholars living in the
District NOR can fee for tuition be charged in