Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1860-08-01
For the Daily Patriot.
Free schools of Nashville.
NO. %.

| For the Daily Patriot.
| Free schools of Nashville.
| r. r..s-- NO. %. -.--.
| "There is no safe deposit for these Ciberty
and property but with the people them
| selves; nor can they be safe with them, with
| out information."- jefferson. But he was
| a fogy, for the people nave not sen-e 10 elect
| a Board of Education that would perform
their duties faithfully and we'll" 1t will
never do to follow the advice OF such selfish.
| ignorant beings as Alfred Hume, or the ex-
| ample of such henighted places as New
| York, Boston, and Philadelphia with only
forty years experience,) aud ALLOW the igno-
| rant people to elect the Board. Of course
| il won't, for 'sM-. Superintendent PEARL" in
| his last annual report, which is 20 be born
/ one year out of due time, urges The cOnilnu-
ing of the same Board in office. What nom
! sense to follow the example of older cities,
| Gns cad OF the advice of one who has changed
| 20 often from place To fiud one where he
| could carry out his enlightened republican
| yiews) and TO have in each ward a Board of
| School Inspectors, who shall every month
visit and examine all the classes, and keep
an account OF the progress, and report the
| dulngs oil te-chers aud pupils; 10 have teach
| ers keep an account OF the length and doing
| of all such visits, and those of the Superin-
| tendeni; TO have three trustees in each ward
| " hu shall hire The teachers alter they have
been examined Jointly by the Inspectors and
| The Board, aud 40 have al these officers and
1 teachers TO act On each other, as constant
| siimulants aids and checkS-under cath of
| Office. .r.e.-- F..
| How much better it would be to have but
| one set of officers, (who should allow nobody
| to louk into their doings,) not OF the people s
| choice nor dependent Oh the will of the pe0-
/ pie, with Independent legislative, judicial
| and executive powers over the purses OF pa
| rents and the iatellects of children, and re-
| spOnsibe to no one for what is done, who
snail not visit the different school rooms often
| er than once a year, aud never thoroughly ex-
| anime any of the classes, who shall delegate
| their powers to a Superintendent and not pub
| lib to the people of what they have done with
| their money, but tacitly say to the people,
pay your taxes, boy all the books the Super
| intendent orders you to buy, or have your
| children expelled from school. but do not
4 neddle with our business, lest you ruin the
i schools and scatter fire-brauds, arrows and
| death"
/ 1t is singular to observe, as could be seen
in my last article how information published
TO the people decreases as expenditures in
| crease. In 1855 u very brief letter of the
| President of the Board, and his very brief re-
| port OF the expenditures, were published with
| the report of the Superintendent. G -a
1
| In 1857 a brief letter stating that "The
| financial ACCOUNTS are kept aud furnished by
| your Treasurer" is published with the SUI
| perintendent's report.
| 1858 report from the Superintendent, but
| not line from the Board.
| 1859 not a line from the Board; the Superin-
tendent's report is written but not published.
So the people are to be left without any data
from which to know how their educational
| expenses compair with those of other cities.
| Was this accident or design? -
| In my last article / compared the eXpen-
| ses in Nashville with those of Philadelphia.
L will again make brief calculation, based
| on tie expense of the 1000 pupils IL Nash
| vile, and a like number in Philadelphia. and
| if any une can show it 10 be unjust or unfair,
/ ask him TO show it in to-mOrruw's Patriot.
| Every pupil in the schools is or ought to be
| writing, and the older he is the more he should
| write. His copy books alone will cost him
| So per year, if he writes but six sheets per
| month. Now suppose all his books cost him
only SIS per year, Though many of the pa
| rents pay more than double that,) and the
| account will stand thus: books, &c, 900.
| tuition, DC, $4,000; total $4,000. In Pull
| adelphia the en ire cost per pupil for tuition,
bucks, and everything, Is molly 1888 per
year, and amounts to Sl2 $50.
Nashville. ............. 49,. S40,0OO
Philadelphia. IL, $50
Difference. Observation-Disclosures SGT $40
But, admit that prices ought to be one
fourth higher here, and the amount is $751;
o25, aud the balance then stands:
Nashville ........ $4,000
fniiadeiphla. .1o,SZ5
DiHefence. .--...----- SZ4,lI5
Should the Board try TO save this little sum
TO the lax-ridden people, or should they say.
BE thine the toll and labour of the day
Nine to look and bid the valiant de-
In my first proposal 10 publish lh-se articles,
promised 10 show how $4,000 might be
saved 10 the people of the city, certain wise
genIlemeR booted at The idea, and a Certain
Snperlntt Edent was very busy in circulating
repoi IS to prevent any credit being given TO
wDat stated
Here is the pretty little sum of s24,175
saved In one year, after allowing Nashville
10 pay one-fourth higher prices than Phiia-
delphia; but tahe this saving for five years
and we have the snug little sum Of Sl20.S75.
Where does this come from? Out OF the peo-
ple's pockets. Where does it go TO? That is
not your business, good people; don't be med
ding lest you spoil these schools
IN. 1855, in Philadelphia, tuition, books,
and everything cost Sc "a per pupil. Now
allow that in Nashville books cost nothing,
anu Wa pdlu lOr tultIO0,
and The account stands thus:
Nashville without books. 1000.
Philadelphia with books. Is, 600.
Difference, :. .--.-....... .S14,4 400 =
Here is dead loss of more than the entire
cost in Philadelphia, after allowing Nash
vile TO add twenty-five per cent. 10 Phiiad ell
phia cost. Why is there this astonishing differ
ence? II. does not exist in, New Orleans.
Will the people submit to 1t? Bat the first
estimate is very liberal ono in fayer of
Nashville. and shows the loss each year to
be (S24l75) tweuty-four thousand one hum
dred and seventy-fire dollars In previous
article showed by the highest testimony in
the United States, that two years in the eda-
cation OF every child could be saved by The
use Of better mode OF teaching, tested by
more than ten years experience This would
make On the 1000 in Nashville, a saving
OF 100000 or So, GOO per year, which added
TO the above loss on tuition, &C., makes the
loss $50, l75 per year. These estimates are
not based on air castles, but on proved facts
and tested experience. i wish it to DO dis
tinetiy understood, that am favor Of having