Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1859-02-15
Communicated.
"Free Schools"


MISSES EDIToRs OF THE TRIBUNE In your
paper of the 10th inst, l find a contribution
headed " City Schools and City School Taxes,
in which three questions are propoundcd-
These interrogatories are prefaced by some very
spicy remarks and followed by very indicative
squistion on Teachers capable OF teaching
the higher branches" Teachers OF Free and
Select Schools in adjoining towns and III other
counties" The burihen of Taxation Labor
ers' "Clerks." " Girls" And "every other
kind of business IN short, Citizen in this
Communication has exhibited very prasewor
thy interest in the pecuniary administration
If the " Free Schools - of the City of Mineral
Point and 1 of the i" Board of Education,
take this public opportunity to tender HIM my
most grateful thanks for this manifestation of
his disinterested good will towards the tax-pay-
ers of the City His Observation-Disclosures is the
more positive from the fact that he probably
paws little or none of the State, County, City
taxes, hence there can be no doubt to the hon
esty OF his motive or the purity of his inten-
ton Nor is it to be presumed that this article
/ is thrown out as Tub to the whale" as some
wicked ones are ready TO insinuate. Philan-
thropy and benevolence tremendously gush forth
| in clear and pure fountain Of love for the
! nomical management of our Public Schools
No sectarian Seminary proclivites cluster
around his heart expanding aud heart inspiring
" Free School sentiment. Indeed we are ex-
tremely fortunate in these " hard times 3" in
finding a volunteer benefactor who IS able
and willing to smooth down the sharp pointed
. friction ami % alleviate the distress . inside
the boot " without njuring the boot Grip
| ping the foot, any of the larger or smaller
metatafsal extremties of the City" Ii is true,
r." Citizen in his beginning and ending pitches
/ into - Anon" in the most graceful BON Quixoie
style, and am forced 10 admit, TO most persons
! would seem as though there might possibly exist
!ttle leaning Of sympathy to,rdrds institution,
Of learning ont side Of the " Free Schools p still
for myself ! like this free and easy spirit OF
chiyalry. To be sure Knight Errantry in the
18th century may look rather queer, but at TIL
same time Anon " is terrible sinner, and il
our friend q Citizen" robed in his Oren al trap
pings and decorated rith the stars Of his order
and mounted a high-mettled, swift footed
g Rozinante," with poised spear and furious
speed should run down and transfx the I'M
he certainly would be entitled to q encomsat ic
praise ~ But this is 40 business OF nane, CON
sequently l Will leave " Anon and d" Citizen
to settle matters as suits them best
a Citizen would have believe that" Anon
is the only individual capable of fereting out and
exposing the " abuses and malfeasances of the
= Board OF Education" This may be true bul
here again the busy tongue of SANDER speaks
audibly, and in good plain English. that thi.
attack by insnuaion and inuuendo upon ths
official doings of the City School Board, is ;
me- subterfuge-lhe keen practice of a trickste
intent couuteracting and Deufralizing by dc
traction the fragrant iniquites of others. Thes,
malicious cnbalistic calunniators In their inn
prudence and assurance, 60 still farther. They
say that i" itzen is tie instrument if not the
dupe of private Individuals who think tha
by getting up a counter excitement and popu-
lar agitation upon several questions which,
they themselves. have sprung IN relation to on
Free Schools their Teachers and our Board o
Education the game viii be in their own
hands. Instead of being driven into delensiv,
contest they are to become the accusers, thereby
by this they expect to escape the rebuk,
=
Nor do they even stop here. They saw tina
these "private individuals " who 4 have beer
named and pretty roughly handled ain III,
Tribune" are the most persorertng amtiring, I'm
rele'ting and usascrupattons secret enemies of on
Free Schools" This is not only very naughty
but very gre7ious falshood and they krov
it, Why it cannot be true, for it carries its owl
refuation upon It's very face Truthfulness Will
great show Of practical piety conjunctiyely
or separately Incompatible with refined fraud O.
pedantic chicanery, therefore the thing is set
tied that g" Citizen and private individuals
are all honorable men,, and all entitled t.
great respect and the kindest regard Of FIRES
Schools " and the Board of Education"
Messrs. Editors u find this subject sublime
" interesting. consequently irresistibly grow
ing beyond what intended when I took thi.
F" Citizens" document into thought And al
though not included IN the call for explanation
or exposition, l shall in your next paper assum,
the " whole responsibility of defining my owl
position as connected with the Public Schools
also -that of my colleagues IN the Board. shall
do so for the reason that l think il will be cx,
pected by the friends of our City Free Schools,
inasmuch as charges publicly preferred O
sins of commission on my part, and sins O
omission the part OF my associates.
] am truly yours,
II. VAN DUSEN.