The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1869-05-01
Speech OF Mr., JOab WhlttIe In SGuaWk-
bOrO Town Meeting, on the Subject
Of Building School l-hOuse,

Mr.. MoDERAToR--I want tn say a word
about this ere new school 'us. Most
everybody has had their say, and now I'd
like to have nine l can't SET as have
sot for the past tew hours, and see the
peoples money flung away on new
schOol-us without saying a word agin it,
If | understand the matter right, it is
proposed to spend tew thousand dollars,
And what fur, Mr.. Moderatory To set up
high schoOl-'us, and teach the boys and
girls of Squawkboro lot of highfalutin
stuff that will only make them imperdent
and sassy.
When went to school and got my larn.
in, all / studied was the three R's-feGd
ia', Titi7l' and ,'rittmetic !; and that is
plenty enough for anybody tolarn, and two
much for gal. 1t is easy enough for men
to get up town meetin' and vote away
teas thousand at q lick; but how long
would it take them to arm that money
themselvesH In my opinion, Mr.. Modera,
tor, there is too much money locked up
in public buildings already. Look at the
meetin' uses in Squawkboro'! -Four, and
any one on 'em is big enough to hold all
the people that goes to the hull on 'em,
How can town ever get ahead that has
so much capital locked up in megtin' uses!
And every one on 'em callin' the other
names!
Suppose this vote passes -whaT are ye
agoin' to putyour new school-'us? /? There'l
be puzzler for yel 1 'spose Squire Suukes
will try his pootiest to have it built on his
five acre lot and somehow the people Of
this town think they must dew iist as the
squire tells 'em, because he was sent tC
Gineral Court one term. But I can tel
you, Mr.. Moderator, that if the school 'us
is put on that lot it will be playin' a mean
thing on the children that live UP oyar by
SINNERS Pond, aud them that live up by
Silas Doozenberrys. They can't come tc
school only when the sun shines. And ]
don't want the thing built anywhere neal
my place. know what it is to live neal
the school-'ns. l don't want my apples
and peaches hooked, or my fences hacked
up by boys, to say nothin' about the win
deTs broken by base balls and sich.
Mr.. Moderator, we've got along all these
years without this school -'us"; why cant
we get along fifty years more? Why agi
tate this peaceful town of SquawkbOro
! from one eend to t'other about edicatin' q
parcel of boys and gals that know a sight
more than their payments do already?
T6D thousand dOLlr8i My gracious
Mr.. Moderator jest think Of tew thou
sand dollars all to Wopst Jest think ot
the town debt ROto and then picter tc
yourselves what it will be with tew thou
sand more piled onto it. Look forrard {
hundred and fifty years, and see our chill
dren's children groanin' under the taxes
this ere school'uS will bring upon 'em
Why, sir, l got our minister to fgger ur
what tew thousand dollars would be /
| divided ekally among the inhabitants O.
SquaWkboro', and it come to three dRc
njnepenc6 apiecel Yes, Mr.. Moderator
three and ninepe,lce apiece!
Why, sir, it is only year since the towr
went to the expense of two hundred anC
| fifty dollars to build a h6dre house, an(
not liVin' person in Squawkboro' needed
it. But there it is built, and stands ther,
unopened week after week, hardly any
use for it. AS l said before, can't Sc
still and see the hard-earned money of thu
people flung away on hearse. houses anC
school houses without gittin' up and utter
in my voice agin it.
Mr.. Moderator, / shall vote agin thi
appropriation, and l hope every liberal
minded, whole-souled man will do thr
same Wm. &. WilliaB18, IN Olj0er OPP
tics Magasine.