Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-07-25
For tie Daily Patriot.
Free Schools of Nashville
No. 20.

sThe Board have invariably guarded the
| interests of the corporation and of parents
| with extreme care. The interest they have
! manifested in this matter, is deserving of
great praise" They have performed their
duties faithfully aud we'll, and in manner
that entities them TO the gratitude of the citi-
zens of Nashville" Hats off, and bow most
| obsequously, all ye people. worship the
| golden u image that Nebuchadne zzar hath
| set up. Aud whose falleth not down and
worshipeth, shall the same hour be cast into
| the burning fiery furnace" of committee
20, Nebuchadnezzar, we are not
| careful to answer thee in this matter. If it
| be so, our God (truth) whom we serve is able
to deliver US from the burning, fiery furnace"
| of a committee. BE 1t known unto thee, D
| King, that We will not serve thy gods. nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set
| up." Facts and figures are stubborn things
| as the committee show when they attempt to
| prove that use of seuen books on geography
makes but taCo changes. Figures are danger
| Gus things to use in the idol worship of a
| golden image, and the committee have pru-
| IDENTIFY avoided much use of them, as will be
seen By the following ejaculation. Nash
| vile pays about 100000 for 1900 pupils,
which is sl5 per pupil, viz:
For tuition s23 OO0; per pupil. Sis
For inci1enlals 81 600; per pupil, $50
Parents buy the books. states, &C., the cost
of which is varously estimated for different
pupils at from So to S25 each, but take $40
as the average, and it makes the cost SIS
each for tuition, books, &c. If you think this
too much for the cost of books, make the cal
culation yourself The copy-book paper costs
five cents per sheet, and allow the pupil to
write half sheet PEI day, which is the least
that should be allowed if improvement is de-
sired, and it will cost s. a year for paper
oil (an - from hu NInh-
OILS & Coz See the little child eight years
old. as he trudges to school with five or six
books under his arm, one slips out into the
mud, and as he tries 10 pick that one up.
three others fall; but never mind, it will
make sale for books, and that is more
important than bread for the widowed
mothers children. Books are worn out five
times as much in this way as in study. Ask
parents 10 show the bushels OF books that
have been bought and thrown aside, and ask
which of them, the children understand
Hush, you ignorant intermeddler, what
right have you with these things your pay
no taxes here. Well will look at Pbiadel
phia then.
The estimated cost per pupil is deter
mined to be
For tuition, S4,92.
For Books and Stationary, 65.
For Incidentals, rs
ST, 49,,
This the Philadelphia Board show. Con-
trast this with Nashville.
Tuition, Sll.50
Incidentals, $50
Book and Stationary, say 1000
$3.50
But deduct the expense of rent, night
schools, books, &c, in Philadelphia, and We
have 81 SO in Philadelphia against SIS in
Nashville; three times the cost in Philadcl- |
phia. Admit. if you choose, that it ought to |
cost one-fourih more in Nashville than In |
Philadelphia, it would be S6,l9, instead of |
SIS, and il cuts $50 900 down to less than |
SIS 900, but the shameful injustice in regard |
to books &C., is ten fold worse, and should |
not be submitted to for a single month. |
Think of Nashville people paying SO or SIS |
for books &c. which are supplied in Philadel- |
phia for Is cents At $40 each it has cost |
the people for books, &c, $4,000, while at
Philadelphia rates it would be 81 100. What
a contrast! And will Intelligent people con-
tinue TO submit to it. The $500 now paid |
to an incubas on the cause OF education |
would buy all the books and stationery for |
the whole of the pupils. pay another good |
teacher $500 and pay a clerk for taking |
charge of a book depot Two afternoons per
week would be often enough TO open the de- |
pot.
If Go cents is enough for books, &c, in |
Philadelphia, IS cents is enough here. Poo |
pie who have been paying such enormous |
expences for books, may think this too low /
an estimate, but it should be remembered |
that where schools are not allowed to be |
commercial houses, the pupils are required |
TO take care of their books, and when one |
pupil has done with book it is equally good |
for another pupil. They expected TO
learn books rather than to make sale of books. !
The first book l ever used in school was en-
tire when had done with it, have never
yet worn out book.
1t is remarkable how the Superintendent |
and the Board refrain from giving statistical |
Information as to the cost per pupil, the an
nual increase or decrease OF cost, comparative |
cost, &C. &c. while Philadelphia in its an
nual reports, gives the exact value OF prop
erty, cost of teachers, cost of books, &C., for |
each of the last thirty years, SO that the peo-
pie can see at a glance what has been done
with their money. Their reports are so full
of suggestions and remarks On modes, oh
jects, nature and tendency Of education as
TO be highly instructive TO our community,
while the people of Nashville are lefr de-
ficient ia such Information from her school, |
Board and Superintendent. Three things |
are permitted to know, taxes have 10 be paid,
books have TO be bought, and children are
growing up without an education. But per-
haps 100 much Information to the people
might have endangered the present stale of /
things,
The rate per pupil the first year. was less
than So The increased number of pupils, |
and the increast experience ought to greatly |
reduce the rate of expenses, but On the
contrary it has increased to SIS for tuition
and incldentals, besides a heavy extra ex-
pense to parents for books, while Philadel-
phia paws for tuition, books and everything |
only 6,33 per pupil. This gives ccmpari-
i've expense thus: present cost SSo,Ooo tut
ton, and incidentals, add for Books, say S2O,-
600, which makes the cost to the people S50,-
600, at Philadelphia rates, Books Included,
1880, difference s37 $40. Mr. Hume's es-
innate, is very liberal one, books included,
it is $40, 900, difference $50 900, but lest some
one should say, have made the estimate too
high on books, i will leave them out OF the
estimate.
Nashville, $4,000
Philadelphia without books, 1920
Difference, slS,7S0
But allow Nashville 10 pay double Phil
adelphia rates, and these is still dead
Mnat would haue been thus saved to Nash |
vile since the schools were opened would
supply all the pupils with books for ten years
at double Philadelphia prices. Ye lovers of
high taxes carefully examine this and see the |
difference between the organization in Nash.
Vile and in Philadelphia Whoever reads
the minutes of the Board cannot fail to see