Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-10-04
Reply 10 S. q. Butler, Esq.

lNf. EUttOf.-AS MI. DulleI hccpS Oh VIII
ting will begin my reply to him where ne at
present ends. l ask the public candidy to
read what have to say, even at the expense
of little patience. This newspaper warfare
is not of my own seeking, but as my attentive
: friend Butler has seen fit to name me, and has
said substantially, that ~ am the man he is
after" do not feel myself ut liberty to hold
my peace, although have many other duties
to perform. The humblest indiv dual has the
right to sel-fdefense from unwarl antable as
saults, and that right l shall not willingly
abandon Yet, will study the greatest pos
sible brcvity, consistent with fair presenta-
ton of my case.
In to-day's paper, (Sept. 25th) he seems to
be unable to see the difference between the
meaning of the common, though somewhat
incorrect, expression, IL think l know" and
the positive declaration 81 do not know" If
he cannot understand the difference, l shall
take no blame to myself The first knowledge
| had that "Tax Payers" had written, or had
intended to write, any thing in relation to our
city schools for the columns of your paper, l
gathered from, what suppose, was his tirstartl-
Gle, which l read, as l now remember, the
next day after my return home from an alb
sence Of nearly one week. "Tax-payer' can
take care ofhimself without help from me.
do not know now how many communications
he has written, nor could | give anything like
an accurate summary Of their points. The
supposed reference to ''lady teachers" by
Ia x-Payer," l shall not endorse if applied to
those in our city. Indeed, am fully OF the
opinion that very large share OF the etticlen-
cy with which our city schools are conducted
is eminently their work.
TO prejudice the public mind against me as
an independent candidate for the superntend-
ency of our public schools, Mr.. B, in the first
article that appears over his name, very plain
| iy charges upon me desire to have our pub
lie schools conducted on sectarian principles"
10 prove this charge he says that l, 'during
the past year, attended several meetings OF
the directors, and strenuously advocated the
policy of making a separate appropriation OF
the School Fund to the Irish Catholics, and
also to the German school of Rev. Mr.. Ober-
man." And here he ends his story as to what
l advocated before the Board of Directors. As
he has made some important omissions Of
.facts, 1 claim the right to supply them. 1t is
often said that "a half truth is equal to an
untruth." And while am far from believing
that gentleman of his estimable character
would deliberately do me injustice and make
a wrong impression on the public mind, con-
slider that should his statement remain uncon-
tradicted, l should be wronged and the public
misled
| About, l should think, year and half
ago, in conversation with Mr.. Doran, then
and now the gentlemanly teacher of the "lrlsh
Catholics" (as Mr.. 3. styles his school, COM
posed largely (6S out Of S4) of Nattre Amer-
icans,) Mr.. D. informed me that owing to
the hard times and the small pecuniary ability
Of some of his patrons, he found it hard to get
remunerative compensation for his laborS.
said to him, why do you not ask our school
directors to make your school public one
told him that should they do so, it would of
course be entirely optional with the Board
whether to hire him or not, and that should
they hire him, he and the school would be
entirely subject to the laws of the State regu-
tating our common schools, and further, if his
I'chool was then a sectarian one, if the Board
aoptcd it, it could be so longer. Rev. Mr..
Germans case was very similar to Mr. Do
rafs. This worthy gentleman and myself
haoa similar talk, and | believe that both Of
thes. teachers applied to the board to have
their chools made public schools under the
laws. As different members of the board had
loft United me'' to attend their sessions,
thoughtt no harm to say word in their be-
halt "A, this time, as now, there was not
school rooa enough in the city owned by the
City Qlstrt, to accommodate all the pupils.
Indeed, theh was a great want at times for
room enoughto accommodate all who wanted
to attend tn, public schools, while both of
these gentlenln had school rooms, private
property, twhic. they were occupying. To
their requests tfs ''cold shoulder was given,
| fhnnOhf :,,1- Co..
reason. The paruts of the pupils attending
their schools paid SHOOT taxes in common with
others, their childhn were enumerated to
draw money from the county school fund
(raised by common tal) into the city district
treasury. They bore the equal burden of
taxation for public schools; why should they
not, under the law, sharein their benefits? =
Now, had my "policy" ben adopted, doubt
less the rooms occupied BY these gentlemen
could have been obtained without charge for
rent, and if they were te,ching soctarian
schools, this very thing whica Mr.. 3. seems
to regard as great evil, woull have been en-
tirelv prereated. No large salaries would
have been expected by these teachers, while
the Board would have been looked upon by
them and their pupils and their Supporters as
performing the office of providclt and i'm.
partial parent. The Board had seen fit to
provide, and sees fit to continue, separate
school for the negro children of the city, cost
ing to-day the enormo,s sum of about $3.50
per child for the average attendance per an
mum, and about three times as much as the
white child costs on the same rule and for the
same time, Would any great harm have
been done to have given these taxpayers and
white citizens their request, separate school,
governed by the Board and the Law? Win
the Board compel the negroes to 60 together,
and refuse to 0Ll0w the Germans and Irish to
do the same? The people know how to furn-
ish an answer.
MIR. B. has been pleased, though not in his
Journal communications to represent my poll
oy as the same as that recommended by Gov
Seward for the adoption Of the people of the
State of New York. This, am sure, is an
error. Mr.. seward was for giving the Cath
olics their STARE of the public school money Of
that Stste, to be used by them without the
pale of the school Laws of the State l never
proposed to appropriate any money for Do
rams and Oberman's schools except on the
condition that they became public schools,
subject to all provisions of the existing laws.
| have talked on this matter with but one
member of the Board (since Mr. Butler COM
menced his assaults upon me) and his under
standing of my "policy" and my own exactly
agree. Nor do see how any member of the
Board could have understood me in any other
way. l am sure that both Messrs. d. and O.
understood me as l have stated, while every
lone who knows the law, knows that the Board
could have legally no more appropriated mon
lev to private school than they could for a
lrailroad to the moon. Thus do dispose of
the bug bear which seems to have well nigh
frightened friend Butler out of his senses.
Mr.. B. further represents me as urging up
/ on the Board 1.-The opening of high school,"
So did. At that time we had no Academy
Or High School, public or private, in this pop
ulous and enterprising city with over 1850
pupils. The necessity was great that we