Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-24
The Public Schools.


To the Editors of the Union and American:
Tho law l see quoted about the school
tax is nothing more than municipal ordi-
nance, and can be repealed at pleasure by
the city council. The State law simply
empowers the corporation ITO establish a
system of free schools, and regulate the
same so as to avoid sectarian influence. "
The provision so quoted is mere internal
directory regulation which was made for
the guidance of its own officers and which
it has power to amend or repeal at pleas
ure. 1t is otherwise with the interest
tax, which the law of the State requires to
be separate. The levying of tax for
other corporation purposes, is a mere
matter of calculation among the officers ap-
pointed by or under the law, to try and
collect such taxes as may be necessary
for corporation purposes. The taxation
is unit. The corporation is bound for
the expenses of the public schools if it
carries them on, whether it has raised the
money by the school tax or not. And if
he has raised more money by the school
tax, than it chooses to spend for school
purposes it may lawfully apply it to other
purposes The money, however, which
may be paid into the City Treasury, from
collections of school money, made under
the State laws, should be used only for
school purposes, or TO repay expenditures
for such purposes.
am not informed as to how much has
been realized for school taxes in the col
lections I think it is fifth of the whole,
which would be about $4,000 Neither
can state what has been paid out. But
the Receiver paid off a balance of one
month or more, say S, 900, or not far from
that. He also paid, as 1 suppose, for the
month of September. At all events Sep
TENDER, October and November, have
been paid-say $21, 200, or about that.
December is to be paid, say Sc, 500 All
these together would be 1856, 500, leaving
a credit OF, say So, 500 to that fund, and
nearly all the taxes realized. This S., 500
would perhaps pay the Superintendent
and fuel to July. am not particular in
this second statement for the reason given
in the first.
AS understand the matter, the pending
proposition before the Board of Aldermen
originates in a desire to preserve the
schools. They must be suspended as free
schools, it is said, and no doubt truly; but
may they not be perpetuated as good cheap
ganization preserved, and then possibly re-
openedin all their glory" and free? Two
dollars and half month is cheap tuition.
send child, thirteen years old, to G. pri-
vate school, and have to pay nine dollars
per month. Now have two to send to
the public school-have paid my school
tax, say about sos; but l would not grum-
BILE to pay $3.50 per month each for my
children. Cause why? Cause the ring
have stolen our money, and we must do
like our fathers did with US little barbarian
children in the days when there were no
free schools.
But have several objections to schools
to be supported by taxation in Nashville:
a. A school-teacher works five hours per
day, five days in the week, ten months in the
year-takes two weeks holiday Christmas,
for which he gets pay-takes about three
days on each side of every other hol-
iday that can be thought of, and
makes himself generally agreeable
to himself The children, they say, can't
stand more confinement than that. If So
and as five hours day is just half days
work, would it not do to divide the pupils
into classes, with their proper hours to at
tend, so that the teacher could work ten
hours. A carpenter works ten, and a law
yer works about fifteen. Then why not
work Saturday? Carpenters and machin-
lists work Saturdays, and most lawyers and !
doctors work Sundays And why take two |
weeks for Christmas? And if the 1st of |
May comes on Wednesday, why give holi- |
day all the rest of the week?
q All work and no play makes Jack dull boy.
All play and no work makes Jack great shirk."
In an impoverished condition we can't |
afford to pay gentlemen and ladies full |
rates for twenty-five hours work per week. |
If the learned and ingenious schoolmaster |
cannot so organize the schools as to give |
US iity-five hours work per week, let's dis
pense with him.
e. Then our city is unfortunately stu
ated in regard to this matter, because of
he 240 acres free territory in the heart of
our little town. We build their streets fqs
hem-pay for lighting them-pay thei9
their fire department-and
must we educate their children ?-and they
)ay no part of all this.
g. Then the Tenth ward is enjoying all
he benefits of the corporation, and paying
10 taxes. Let us curtail the benefits.
a. Then we are schooling thousand
u so negroes, who have come here from
ar away farms, and pay not even poll
AK. We had few negroes in Nashville be-
ore the war. They are not many of them
ur old servants. We are not bound to
ducate them
o. Then it seems impossible to sup
ress systematic imposition upon the
chools, by bringing in pupils not entitled
, their privileges. ~