Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-02
rurrlr,rrc SCHOOLS.
: Few - ords fOT thc City AUthOri-
tes and she Public,


Mayor barely referred to the subject of the
schools in his special message simply
calling attention TO a resolution Of the
Board Of Education. 4 series Of resolu-
tons calling upon the people to advance
the school tax for the coming year was
adopted by both branches Of the City Coun-
ell which contemplate the suspension of
the schools until February. at least
and perhaps for all time Whilst
I desire to be respectful towards
the city authorities, | also desire
to be positive in protest
against this action of The Council. | look
upon it rs a triumph Of the enemies of our
school system, in The present city govern
ment. 1t does not meet the issue of the
case. We have not been told that it is
impossible, on a taxable property Of
eighteen millions, to raise the sum of
500 We have no report from those
previously requested to provide the means
for continuing the schools The resolu-
tions state that AL the school funds. or
nearly all, that have been levied, have
been collected and expended in the main
tenance Of the schools. The public can
not believe this to be true until they see
the figures And what is more. they will
require to know the amount of the school
levy, how it was paid, and how expended.
[ know that it has been the custom, for
some years, for the city authorities to take
the money paid by the people for school
purposes, and Use it in the payment of sal
aries and what our present Mayor. with
luSubrlous persistence calls current
expenses, issuing to the Treasurer of the
Board Of Education the city's checks to be
sold at current rates to obtain money to
pay teachers. The public will not accept
Of any statement of the city's account with
the schools, where any check is charged to
the schools. What they want in the first
place, IS a showing of the school tax az
gregate, the amount collected, and whittier
it has gone.
1t is folly 10 try to conceal the facts. And
no attempt to do so will succeed. Ii shall
not succeed, while the people Of this cor
poratlOn have the means to ascertain the
truth and the right to speak it.
There Is no fact better known than that
the means necessary to run the schools can
be raised within twenty-four hours in this
city.
The apparent anxiety Of some TO con-
tinue the schools is patent hypocrisy. 1t
Is the shallOwest deceit to say that the
means cannot be provided, and at less in
terest than the city has paid for years in
the issuance Of checks, and placing It's
credit in the hands Of shavers and sharpers.
and their tools. Whatever may have been
the intent Of the mover and supporters of
| the resolutions adopted on Friday night,
! their ctsr' will be to impress the public
| mind with the idea that the schools are a
fearful burden upon the people; that their
continuance Will be aperpetual cry of Give
Give, Give that but for the schools
the current expenses Of the city might
! be easily met. The resolutions are abOmi-
nabIe. They can serve no useful purpose.
They place the whole question Of public
education in a false light They purposely
| eyade and avoid the issue. They are in
| lmlcal TO the interests Of the CITY They
| are the first D,0rtGj stab TO the public
schools Of the city.
| The enemies OF public education by the
| public viii rejoice to know, that in the
| dead of winter, when all the personal ex-
i pcnses are greater than at any other pc
| Rod Of the year; when the years accounts
| are to be balanced; when the pinchings
of poverty are keenest, and when the ay-
aricc of wealth is most eager. that the in
| terests Of our schools are thrown upon the
| ability Of the people to make advances.
and within the space Of a few weeks.
| Many Of those who are most able to adj
| vance are most opposed TO the system
| They Will silently fail 70 pay: and those
| who are most warmly in favor Of the sys-
tenn wIl! be unable to pay. The result a
| suspension Of the schools, and that result
| to be held mp as proof that the people do
! favor "a ggI,g,.lr. Al
| 10 support them. Such Is the scope and
| bearing Of the action Of the Council on
| Friday night. ~ Is the assassination of
! the schools IN the house of their pretended
| friends. We ask for bread and arc oiycn
a stone We ask what have Won done
! with our money, and Won ask rs for more
! We demand statement of account and
| You present rs with false balances. The
very children OF the city see your hypoc-
| risy. They should in all coming time hold
IN remembrance, but only as examples for
| eXecratiOn. the men who violently and
| carelessly take from them the mental food
which was bought at the m arket price. and
paid for them.
The question Is not whether YOU have
the ready money, but whether YOU VIII
reach your hand and get it-not whether the
public schools shall Temporarily suspend
but whether they shall be crushed. Let
me assure the present adroit mauipuators
Of these questions, that the public schools
Of Nashville mug be suspended. but thew
cannot be crushed. Those who are anx-
ious for suspension, viii be the crushed
party.
It Is worse than ijle-it IS worse than
tolly-it IS worse than nonsense, for gen
tlemen TO undertake to deceive the people
of Nashville in relation to the inestiuaIIc
value Of their public school syctem and
any belief on their part that they VIII win
by il, Is prepOsterous. Let me advise
them in time to reconsider their action and
meet the issue fairly and squarely and hon
estly. They cannot escape it-thev must
face the music. and it had best be done at
the outset
Without hypocrisy l declare myself a
friend Of the present city administration.
l favor economy to the utmost possible ex-
tent. l approve Of its policy OF paving off
Old debts and making no new ones when
possibly to be avoided. But the corpora
ton owes the schools the money necessary
TO their continuance. If it is not restored
If the schools are not continued, under
the very reduced and economical reign of
the present Board of Education-then l
shall have lost all confidence of its ability
to manage our affairs either successfully or
economically, and will sign a request any
day that the whole Of them resign. and let
Us have a new election and new men.