Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-10-27
fer the Cedar Falls Gazette.
OUR PURLIC SCHOOLS.

Written fer the Cedar Falls Gazette.
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
1t Is a well established principle OF
moral ethics that parents are bound to
provide for the education and future
happiness of their children. How far
the parents of Cedar Falls have dis
charged their duty in this respect, let
the school record of this district for the
last two years answer. Something over
two years ago vote was passed by the
citizens of this place to suspend the pub
lie schools; and in accordance with that
vote the schools were suspended, and
remain suspended up to the present
time, Thereby swindling the children
out of that which can never be comput-
ed by dollars and cents, and for which
they can never be remunerated. tits a
swindle of the darkest dye. The rail.
road swindles upon the citizens of this,
or any other, place, are honest transac-
tons compared with it, for in the latter
men were on both sides to protect their
interests. But in the former there were
children, boys and girls,-on the one
side to be swindled, not by railroad COM
panies, but by their parents. Shame!
Can a people prosper, and perpetrate
such high-handed wrongs upon the
helpless and the innocent? Doubtless
many good men voted "yea" in the
vote referred to, under a misapprehen-
sion of their duty; but since then time
enough has elapsed to correct all such
misapprehensions, and now YOU are
called upon to lend a helping hand to
correct the error too long suffered to ex-
ist unatoned for. To remain inactive,
or refuse to put forth an effort to make
what little restitution still remains for
you to do, makes you loarticepS criDai,,is
in the great transgression.
You have already learned the present
condition of affairs in this district, and
the efforts made by the Board of Direc-
tors to have the house completed so as
to have the public schools opened at as
early day as possible. And you also
know, or should know, the encourage
ment which they have received, and the
success attending their efforts. After
using what means the legal voters placed
at their disposal, the Board finds the
amount insufficient to complete the
building, and make it ready for school !;
but when the business men of the place
are asked to unite with the Board to
raise the necessary means, they, with a
very few exceptions, refuse the essential
aid. But those very men who refuse
to assist in procuring school facilities
for their children, can readily enough
be induced to subscribe to sixty thou
sand dollar railroad project. Now, do
not find any fault with men for giving
their means and influence to railroad
enterprises, but l think it wise in them
to deal honestly and justly with their
children. There appears to be a greater
interest in every enterprise in our midst
than in that of education. Even the
DEVILS viceroys, alias saloon-keepers,
can get men to share with them their
responsibilities, and then claim the
sanction Of the city authorities to initi-
ate our children into their schools of
pandemonium. But let a parent at
tempt to remove his son from one of
these schools, or attempt TO suspend
them, and you will hear the cry that
" this, our craft, is in danger" and in
stantly there will be men and means
enough pledged TO their interest to keep
them running in full blast, and whore
crimes of every grade are instilled into
the youthful mind. Yet twenty men
have not been found to lend their influ-
ence and means to open the public
schools Of the place. Are such things
as they should be? One other consid-
Grafton: unless you open your public
district school this winter, you will
lose your proportion. of the permanent
school fund for the coming year, which
will amount to somewhere between five
hundred and q thousand dollars, and
can you afford to lose that amount and
lay out of the use of your house another
six months, when little effort on your
part would secure both, to the lasting
benefit of your children and your own
reputation2 X.