St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1861-01-31
CIRCULAR TO SCHOOL OFFICERS.
OFFICE OF SECRETARY or Board or EDUCATION
Des Mones, Iowa, January lst, 1861.
Tn School District DTrare r,y Eyort,rs.

! To School District Offers and Electors:
Much confusion prevailed last spring
relative to our school district elections,
owing TO the fact that the law, in its
amended form, could not be published
and sufficiently circulated for the peo-
pie to become familiar with it, prior
to the period fixed for the district and
snb-district meetings. The result was,
that many of the elections were in
formal and void, which created much
dissatisfaction and bad feeling during
the entire year A large majority Of
the complaints presented to this Office,
have been produced, directly or re-
motely, by some misapprchcnsion con-
ncctcd with the spring elections.
The case is now entirely different
The law has been published, with
forms and explanatory notes append
ed, and furnished to every sub-dstrct,
and if any officer has failed to receive
copy, if he will notify me of the
fact, l will sec that he is Immediately
supplied. Hence there can be no cX-
cusc if your sub-district and district
elections are not properly conducted.
The ballot-boX is the place to correct
the numerous evils and abuses hereto
fore complained of. 1t is the starting
point in the administration of the at-
fairs of your district, aud it is essen
tial that you start right, and in order
to do so, every voter should be at the
sub-district meeting and deposit his
vote. If your officers have been faith
less or inefficient, turn them ont, and
put in others. If you were simply
choosing members of Congress or of
the General Assembly, apathy and
neglect might to some extent be par
donablc but in the election of school
dircctors--Suardiam for the time being
for your tAildren--you want the best
men in your community. Select men
| irrespective of party or sect, whose
integrity and moral character arc
above rcproach, and whose past his
tory shows them to be the positlre, 0c
lire, -eaious friends Of education. by
| the election of Board of Directors
composed of such men, you will do
more for the prosperity Of your schools,
than whole sessions Of legislation can
accomplish for you.
A disposition exists in some quar-
tcrs to select men who are opposed to
carrying out the designs Of the law
in other words, men who are opposed
to taxation for school purposes. Do
not, cntrcat you, let any such mo-
tivcs influence you either in the cleo
tion of directors or in casting your
vote at the district township meeting.
In depositing your vote, remember
that You are discharging a sacred trust
fur The children of The district, who are
unable to speak for themselves, and
look to you for the protection Of their
rights.
You cannot possibly avoid the cx-
pcnses of education. Your children
must he educated either in private
or public schools. and it cannot be dc
MED that the latter, with fund Of
over two millions of dollars as ba-
sis, if properly organized would be
infinitely the cheapest and most eff
CleHt. II, Ioi iHStahCS, ihau WIN
eight children (by no means an unu-
suaI number for the healthy and in
vigorating atmosphere of lowa)
should determine to patronizc pri-
vate school, the lowest rate of tuition
for each child would bc at least three
dollars per quarter, or ninety-six dol
lars year for the eight, which would
be exclusive of the expense of furnish
ing Il school house. Now, does
any man of ordinary means pay an
annual tax Of nincty-six dollars for
educational purposes The tax lists
of our State will furnish no such in
stance. The rich man may OCCASION
ally pay more than enough to educate
his own children, but he is amply re-
muneratcd by the protection he re-
ceives from his less wealthy neigh
bors, and the additional value given
to his property by the establishment
of good schools.
| am no advocate for ertrarogdn'
taxation for educational purposes
The provisions of our laws in this
respect, arc not oncrous. They are
designed to raise sufficient means, il
connection with the annual income O
the school fund, to keep our school:
in successful operation for at least Sly
months each year, and with less thai
: this we should not be content.
would, therefore, guard against cx
travaSancc and mal-administratio'
: on one hand, and the snicidal polio.
of doing nothing, Oh the other. Pur
sue a medium course. Assemble II
your district meetings as friends an'
neighbors, bound together by com
mon interest, and levy such tax as
may be necessary to support you
schools as the law requires.
There is one feature about a system
, of public schools, which particular
: Iy admire, and as it has direct bear
, ing on the point under consideration
|, it is proper that allude to it. 1t Il
f this-thry furnish tie means Of prtmar.
instruction TO all classes, on an equal foot
ing. They grant no special PRIV
leges. Their design is the develop
ment of mind, without any regard T
, the rank or grade Of society IN who
it is found In this respect they ar
peculiarly adapted to our wants, w
want schools for the education nf til
thousands of groups Of robust an
energetic boys and girls around tn
iiresides of the log cabins in the rnr'
districts OF our State This is tn
I, class Of society upon which the cou'
: try must rely for it's prosperity an
: protection, and hence. tho very class