Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-23
THE CITY.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

/ AhcuA NC hh0hsAe
To the Editors Of the Union and American:
have had nothing to say in the discus
sion of the public school question, as con-
nected with the deplorable condition of the
city fnances-preferring not to say any
Sething which might embarrass apology inten-
ded to relieve the city OF its difficulties
But the developments OF the last few days
call for decided and explicit notice. These
developments indicate settled purpose on
the part of the present city government
to discontinue the system OF public educa-
ton inauourated in this city many years
ago, and which has been the chief glory of
the CITY. and pride of its citizens to the
| present time. / can give no other con-
struction to the bill introduced into the
Board of Aldermen on Tuesday night,
which passed first reading. The preamble
| to the bill, which assumes to state the
ground for its passage, states what is I'M
true. 1t saws, ''the current revenues of the
city will not suffice to pay the expenses
of the public schools of the city,"
The person or persons who drafted the
bill. no doubt, stated what he or they be-
| ieved to be true, but in total igno-
rance of the truth.
The fact is, the PUBLIC schools of Nash
vile were at first organized, and in public
estimation have so continued, financially
wholly independent of ''the current reve-
nues of the CITY," They were never sup
ported by the City Treasury. They were
always supported by the people, who paid
direct tax for that purpose, and to be
used for no other purpose. There has
never been dollar paid for the mainten-
ance of these schools that the taxpayer
did not receive a receipt for, stating that it
should be applied for the continuance of
these schools. From the beginning it was
a separate fund, levied separately, col
lected and receipted for separately, and ap-
piled to this specific and separate object.
| 1t was never considered a part of ''the
current revenues of the city'-it was new
er intended to pay current" expenses.
The law of the city forbids it to this day.
What Board, in levying school taxes ever
estimated the interest on the Chattanooga
Railroad bonds, or outstanding checks, or
the pay of the police, or the support of
the Fire Department, or keeping up the
streets, or the payment of salaries or other
| expenses, provided that one cent of the
special school tax should be appropriated
to these purposes? The instance is not
on record. On the contrary, 'the
current expenses of the city were
provided for by one tax, and
the schools were provided for
by another tax. The people havenever
refused to pay the school tax. am in
formed they have paid it for this current
school year; and if it is not applied TO the
purpose for which it was paid, the people
have right to know, and should demand
to know the reason why. What new emer-
gency has arisen which will justify a diver
sion of the money paid by the people to
support the city schools, and for no other
purpose, to the payment of other claims
What is the nature of these claims, and do
they stand upon SO high a ground that this
special fund is to be ulla'rftGiy appropri
ated to their payment?
If | am not mistaken, Mr.. Bass was ap-
pointed Receiver in June last. The bulk
of the taxes for the current municipal year
has been paid since then. Did he violate
the law in appropriating the schoolmOney?
Did the former Boardfail to levy a sufficient
tax to continue the schools How does 1t
happen that, now, in the middle of a ses-
sion, there is an Outcry for stoppage OF
the city schools? 1t is generally known
that the city has no surplus funds; but
it is not so generally known why the
Board Of Education is not able to get
the money which the people have paid
for the maintenance of the schools. Where
| are the books? How much was the school
tax aggregate? How much Of it has been
collected? How much has been paid out
of it for school purposes? The man who
votes for the bill to suspend the schools,
before having these questions satisfactorily
answered, will be false to the people,
and false to his duty as their representa-
| tive.
The preamble to the bill is not only false,
| but the bill itself is nonsense of the most
wretched and objectionable kind. II pro
poses that the city furnish a sUperintend-
ent, buildings, fuel, etc, for private
schools 1t proposes to create every pub
lie school building in the city a rival of all
the rest 1t inaugurates a Kilkenny cat
fight or a Donnybrook Fair over the heads
of the children of the city, that will be
not only destructive to all harmony in the
schools themselves, but ruinOus to the
children. il is wholly impracticable and
will not continue three weeks. If the pub
, | lie schools are to be discontinued, let the
whole system fall, and let each school that
/ may spring up stand upon its own merits,
, | and let Us pay no taxes to fOment strife and
, | set the town by the ears.
A proposition so utterly senseless and
, reasonless, could only originate in hostility
to the theory of public education at the
public expense. Professions of friendship
, NAV sound very well But the children
! themselves know that the cat conceals its
! claws till it seizes its prey. No friend Of
| this city's prosperity can oppose our pres
$ ent system of public education. Such op-
t position, it is idle to contend, proceeds
r from sheer inability to support them. Il
r has been done for years. Until the contrary
C is shown, the people of Nashville, who
have paid their money, will believe tna
money is still in the hands of their agents
to continue the schools If it has beer
wrongfully applied to other purposes, let /
J be made good 1t will not do to say tina
e the city cannot raise the money. II 1t L
p | not raised, it will be because those con
r trolling our affairs are indispOsed to do 1t
: because they are enemies to the schools
|. not, perhaps, per S6-but to be continued
O at the public expense. Let the issue b.
o fairly made If the system Is wrong II
4 principle, let it fall If it IS right, let /
! stand and flourish. 1t is an outrage upOl
= the honor and character of our city, wit
eighteen millions of taxable property, t.
= say that Nashville cannot raise thirty o
u forty thousand dollars by honest exertio,
IL and for an honest and noble purpose.
lie In short, the people of Nashville VIII
T have supported these schools in years pas
e regard them as the chiefegt among thei
2 institutions only for their own pei
" sonaI and general interests but as invitin
citizens and increasing the growth an
prosperity of the city. If abuses Of an
sort, have crept into and been tolerated
the schools, they want them corrected
Of but they want the schools, and 7riH hdl
NJ | them. The bill now before the Aldermen
r nor ANYTHING like it will answer the d.
mr. mand. If the public schools are suspende
Vi they will be discontinued altogether, unit
Io the people have an opportunity to sele
~ new agents to manage their affairs.
10 may be that they will feel justified IN r
oo fusing to pay all taxes till they have SAT-
lc factory statement of the financial and oil
ne err reasons which may produce the suspel
On sion of the schools.
al write in all kindness, but from settle
&c convictions, and trust that the membe
on of the city government may pause befo
he committing an Outrage, which will be wit
out excuse and reprehensible in all re
poets. cannot witness an act so contra
to public sentiment, and public interest
'eI without decided remOnstrance.
res
he A Flank Movement.
'ut Nine of the horses belonging to the Fl
IN Department, and which were purchased
IN Mr.. B. ]. Sheridan, for 81 SIS, while he W
all Revenue Collector, were recently tran
be ferred bv him to Mr. Kinney, Chairman
the Street Committee for the same amour
u i f6a 6 no oil