The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1862-04-09

Gifted by this canal than all the Other
counties through which this canal passes
Toit. Hamilton county to gaeat extent
is indebted for her present high position,
and to it is Cincinnati Indebted to very
considerable degree for her present mag
niicent proportions. It has been argued
that Cincinnati had her Ohio river, and
to it she is indebted for her greatness
But in reply would say, that Marietta,
with fine location, aud the oldest town
in the State. had her Ohio river;b but Gin
cinnati outstripped her in concentrating
one OF the great internal improvements.
the Miami and Erie canal, at that point.
This, when we had little or no commerce
upon northern lakes, and no through
transit to any of the eastern marts for
our products. when everything from the
State was shipped southwark, could not
but give Cincinnati a pre-eminence over
other towns. to which she was not enti-
tied either by age, locality, or the superb
or business qualifications or talents of her
citizens After drawing literally from
the meager means Of Monroe and other
counties, in years that have passed and
gone. for the construction Of these canals,
thereby giving some thirty counties their
present wealth and eminence, they
still, hyena- like. cry, More! Morell More!!l
and will not be satisfied unless we will
annually pay million of dollars to pay
the interest upon q debt contracted for
their special bene6t-a sum almost as
large as that, raised for the support of
common schools, by the expenditure of
which the entire State is benefited; no,
only the State, but the nation.
But my friend from Hamilton says that
within the last FIVE years Monroe county
has received upwards of twenty thousand
dollars more from the State common school
fund than she has paid in that time -
agreed. Ifsshe had received three times
this amount within the, time specified. she
would not be even with Hamilton county.
Let us again turn to the tables of the
Auditor of State, from which nay friend
sbrinks with abhorrence, and we find that
Within the last Jfce gears. q give the came
time as my friend the expenditures for
repairs on the Miami and Erie canal er
ceeded tAsireceipts by the snug little sum
of eighty Eve thousand eight hundred and
seventy eight dollars and twenty nine
cents. $S5,87s 90 Now, after making
all due deductions for other counties. we
can safely set down MirtyJfos thousand of
this sum to Hamilton county--a pretty
fair Offset against the sum the gentleman
has taken so much pains. to figure up
against Monroe county-s aging pthing
Of Hamilton county's portion OF the tfre
millions that have been paid within that
time as interest upon the canal debt. !.
ot Is the gentleman satisfied, with, the
"quid pro quos" If not, will say t
4 him, cease to tax US for canal purposes
and to pay interest. on canal debt il
(which you alone are interested, and w
viii cease to tax you for the support o
common schools. in which all are inter
!, ested. and without which we as people
are nothing. 0l q asal sn Ia ~
j But my friend says that the amount O
the contemplated reduction, one hundre,
and seventy,eight thousand dollars CTS,
O00,) could be easily saved by reducinl
the salaries of teachers. He comes frou
sregion where they have fine, magni6cen
] edifces for school purposes, and wher
they have 6ne. magnificent teachers, em
ployed at fine, magnificent salaries, to iu
struct their 6ne, magnificent pupils--an
} there is no doubt but that the propose
, retrenchment could be made, did the sam
fine and magnificent arrangement obtai
! throughout the State; but such, fortunate
: ly, is not the case. say fortunately, nc
. that / would not have all provided wit
$ good plain school houses. and good plai
t teachers--but fortunately, because a
people who are saved from folly and e1
ltravagance, are fortunate. While th
county of Hamilton pays her teachers
! common schools, on an average, the SUI
! of fifty-eight dollars per month, for ovt
: eight months of the year, almost all tf
other counties in the State. pay the
t teachers from II to "a dollars per mont,
0 for three or four months of the year; an
3 in place of having even comfortab
: school houses, they have little log hu
, with puncheon floors, puncheon doc
and all the paraphernalia peculiar to tt
d Hog cabin. And the gentleman won
g save this one hundred and seventy .eigl
$ thousand dollars by cutting down Il
$ wages of poor school teachers, who a
;, now working for twelve or twenty dolla
IT a month, forthree or four months, al
'f the balance of the time they work at fif
e or sixty cents per day. or 60 idle. II
p real bane, the great obstacle to the gu
:. cess of our common schools has been, t
d mere pittance that has been doled out
e our teachers.
if No sooner do we fad man well qua
a fed by his Intellectual requirements q
b experience to succeed in the school roc
1t as q teacher, than. he finds himselfin del
E, and is compelled, in order to mainta
,e his honor aud iiquidate his debts, to aba
y don his profession as teacher. and sc
some other more lucrative employme
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