The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-03-14
CLOSING THE SCHOOLS.
Ottawa to be the Modem Bethlehem
The Game Of HerOd to be Played Again |!

There was once a boy who, finding himself
unable to whip his bigger antagonist, consoled
himself with the reflection that he could make
faces at his little sister
have known men, who, when they had got
the worst of q bargain, or had taken offense at
some one, would go home and take their revenge
in scolding the wife and cutting the children.
have heard that some people are in favor of
closing the public schools of this place, because
they think that some of the school money has
been misappropriated. What sweet revenge that
| will be! How excellent q punishment of the
Board of Education Such action will throw
the Scripture law entirely into the shade; it will
be visiting the iniquity of two or three fathers
| upon one or two thousand Of other peoples
children.
Herod killed a score or two of babies at Beth
| lehem because the wise men did not come back
| and report to him. 1t appears that few people
| in Ottawa wish to initiate his noble vengeance
They will turn all the children of Ottawa loose
in the streets, because one pleasant school house
has been built, and one or two others enlarged
| and made comfortable.
One wsuld suppose that they would have
day of thanksgiving for what has been done, and
another of prayer, that the damp foul school
cellars still left might be got rid of, and rooms
built in which the little ones could have pure air
to breathe, instead Of poisonous damps and car
bonic acid gas But no! The people of this
christian town must have their revenge, and it is
easiest to strike the children.
| And something can be saved by this sort of
vengeance-about six-tenths of cent on dollar
assessed value. Our children can get along
somehow; but we msst save our money. That
$4,000 will buy irnumerabe glasses of btters,
| besides many tickets to the travelling minstrels
| and the circuses next summer. The interest of
it will support a small saloon. How can we en-.
durs such expenditures
There will, of course, be little drawbacks.
The children must lose solid ear of instruc-
ton, except what street schooling they get.
| Ottawa will not be very attractive place for
| first-class teachers. when it comes to be known
that the schools liable to be closed at the end
OF any quarter, because the town is too poor to
keep them open.
| Intelligent mechanics will not be very apt to
bring their families to city which must shut
up the public schools for half day whenever a
new gate is made for a school yard.
Neither will it be very pleasant to see going
the rounds of the papers a paragraph to this
effect:
"Ths city of Ottawa has built new school
house in one of the wards, and shut up all the
schools in the city for year to pay for it,
! All THESE Things Will De unpleasant, or course,
but if we can only save the interest on $4,000
we shall still be happy.
To conclude, in all serioNsnssS,--if the city
shall fail to vote whatever amount is necessary
to continue the schools it will fasten upon itself
a burning blot of disgrace and shame. I do not
know that the members of the Board of Educa.
ton have done anything wrong; but if they
have done over so much let us never think for a
moment of taking mean and pitiful a method
of Furnishing them as to do the innocent children
irreparable injury. L. Z. n.