The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-03-14

ties for manufacturing sugar from the
cane, or from the beet, which requires
throughout the same machinery. And
4th. tho means and necessary machinery
for refining not only the molasses made.
but the sugar.
We are told that parties now operating
along the line of the Illinois Central Rail.
road, and who have already taken steps to
establish three or four refneries in that
region, are willing to erect such an estab>
lishment here if our people will take suf-
ficient interest in it to subscribe about one.
half the needed capital If such is the
fact, would it not be we'll to have public
meeting on the subject, talk the matter
over, appoint q committee to confer with
experienced refiners on the subject, &c?
Mr. EDITOR :-Thaddeus poor fellow, is
sorely troubled again about the public
schools In his last issue he mourns over
the complexion of the new Board. Just
what tint is wanting to conform their COM
plexion to his ideas of what is becoming
in that respect is not stated. The week
before we were treated to an entertaining,
if not instructive, discourse on the manage.
ment and character of the schools. Their
.moral effect is not decided enough to
meet the appreciation of Thaddeus To
give US a correct notion, doubtless, of the
decided morality he would have inculcated,
no places in close connection with his
article on schools very chaste account OF
Old Abe's Valentine While giving vs.
to understand that the public schools
are a sort Of public nuisance, Tha6
deus admits that the teachers, SO far as ho
knows quite q qualification, to be sure
are all entirely competent Good teachers
poor schools easy to understand, is it not?
But an editorial III the Republican free from
incongruties is not to be expected. Thad-
deus casket, beyond doubt, is full of jewels,
but consistency, unhappily, has not yet
founda place among them.
1t is not the purpose of this article to
defend the Board of Education, nor tine
teachers generally. They may speak for
themselves But the writer, having been
for years principal of one of the schools,
feel. solicitude for it's good name that
will not suffer him to let pass unnoticed
even the puerle criticism Of the Repu5h-
can By what he believes to be faithful
certainly, cxhausting labor the Colu mi bus
Street School has been reared from state
helpless as infancy. He is not only willing,
but would be glad at any time to have it's
, merits passed upon by those competent to
, Judge, but protests against its being made,
. with others, the object of wholesale SLAM
der by one whose qualifications to pass
! intelligent judgmen, on any school are, to
! say the least not generally known.
Five hundred and nineteen pupils have
, attended this school the past year. The
average attendance has been two hu inbred
, and seventy-forty five to a teacher. There
, have been three hundred and eighty
pupils the present term. Every room has
beer. full to OVERLOOKING Yet we are told
about fine school buildings with empty
seats. Is it not time there was An end o!
these senseless, indiscriminate filings the
Republican SO delights to indulge in? Even
if some Of the schools may not have been
conducted as they should have been, j,
this justification for a general onslaught,
r upon them? 1t would hardly be con-
, .idered generous or just to condemn the
public press in the mass, simply because
stupidity is not always found outside the
l editorial sancium.
| Who would suppose that an editor
, would denounce the public schools SO
glibly, when he has never visited one OF
them In the seven years they have been
s in operation? Yet, such is the tact In TIN.
I case Would il no, be we'll for this Jupiter
. Tonans to look in upon them before hurl
ing another thunderbol,? Let il be sug-
y gested to him, in all kindness, that he
8 make his first entrance as pupil. Tuition
, in the lower departments is bu, three dol
lars per quarter. Besides the Rsp~Ghca,
need no, suffer in the least meantime
True, his studies would, probably, tax his
: time 10 the utmost; hut Thaddeus would
\ be favorite among his little classmates
r Of course, and each OF them would cheer
fully take his turn in preparing for MIN q
weekly editorial that would quite sustain
, the character of his paper.
3 1t is hoped this suggestion, whether
: acted on or not, will be received in The
. same kind spiri, in which it is offered II
is thrown out as bit Of tender. paterna
!, advice to Thaddy, though with slight hope
e it is confessed, that ne has yet attained to
, sufficient wisdom to heed it. {.
Tho friends nF To S,lf. 81