The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-01-10
7 IUIN ltIt z HUH u IIIU ctII'
Our School System.

Mr.. EDIToR.-I saw with much pleasure,
in the ARGUS Last evening, an editorial on
the subject of our present school system,
winch meets my views exactly. Our older
citizens will remember that many years ago,
when il was first proposed to build high
school here, | took precisely the same ground
which the editor of the ARGUS now takes,
viz that the state owes to every one of it's
children q good, sound, common education,
sufficient to make them good, moral and in
telligent citizens, but that for all beyond
this, and for all that is commonly denomina-
ted the "higher branches" the individual
parents of the children, and not the general
mas of the tax payers, ought to pay. The
people of Rock Island, or rather the numeri-
cslly small clique of men who have always
had the controlling voice In such matters,
thought differently. They built splendid
palace, under the name of q high school, at
one extreme end of the city, for their own
con venience and to the great discomfort Of
all who reside at the other end of the CITY
At the same end of the city they have also
erected two large and handsome brick school
houses. And now having squandered all the
available school funds in one geographical
direction, and run us heavily into debt be-
sides, they propose to levy an additional tax
OF over two cents on the dollar in order to
complete their extravaganza schemes. For
one, say with the editor of the ARGUS. sell
the high school and with the proceeds of the
sale and with what can soon be saved by
giving up the running of that aristocrasio es-
Establishment, build good brick school houses
at tho lower end of town, such as ought, IN
common Justice to US, to have been built ten
years ago. Ii has been demonstrated prsc
tically that, with the present very liberal tax
of ID CENTS on the dollar, the present schools
on the present system, can only be run for g
portion Oh the ear, to say nothing OF build
ing new school houses. But there is an sb-
solute necessity for building new school
houses. We at the lower end of town have
been promised and promised, and fobbed off
and fobbed of, so long and so often, that we
are disposed to bear it no longer. One OF
tive things. therefore, must be done. Either
the high school must be got rid of or heavy
additional tax must be levied. For myself.
say let the high school 60. 1t was originally
started as private establishment but by
some hocus poous, after its sits and size and
everything else belonging to it had been fix
ed by iss original propriesors, it was saddied
upon the city. Let it 60 back TO its original
destination, and become private establish
ment once more. Surely there are enough
palatial residences in Greenbush to maintain
such an institution from private resources,
without levying q public tax upon poor men
who live three miles away from it, and whose
children, not having any carriages to ride in,
are unable to attend it half the time in con-
sequence of bad roads and bad weather.
y, But even if we allow that the "higher
Branches ought to be taught at the public
expense, maintain that they are not taught
at our high school, or, if taught at all. only
IN very shp-shod and perfunctory manner.
Several years ago. and before the present su-
perntsndent came into Office, two young per-
sons IN my family attended the high school,
oach for considerable time /; and 80 the re-
snh OF my examination of each, from time to
tlme,l can safely say they learned nothing or