Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-02-26

fallen upon us. / have not examined them
minutely to ascertain if they were duplicated,
Int tho first thought was, that the making up
~ one oprinter's form" would answer for the
whole batch. and | am yet dis-abuscd of the
thought. ,tt,v g.
II IS anquestdnable trHe, that the special
friends OF these seninarics hope by "Vau'
scydfci my-bocs, and iW tid2ea yca.~ea''-pol-
ecu" to engineer the whole let through this
Legislature, 1t Is bf ibis ''1og-rolling" proc
css that complaint is made.
am opposed to the appropriation contem-
plated by the Resolve, because 1t Is not IN
harmony with that equal justice" which
promises 1.-THE greatest good TO the greatest
number" We have more than 1000 school
districts to meet the wants of two hundred and
twenty-sx thousand scholars. OF these two
hundred and twenty three thous md must learn
to read write and s'cipher, begin, and complete
their education in the district school. Ot the
number of school houses nearly half are spine
deferming ~ Ivy 81 affairs, which in ventila-
ton, light. warmth or comfort, would be to-
tally inadequate to the requirements for re-
spectacle pig-pcn. Yet in these very hot
h0gses of CONSUMPTION some 100000 OF our
children must acquire all the education they
ever possess. In our cities and wealthy vii
lages with their palatial school houses, but
little is known of the rough-hewn, and awk-
wardly arranged school rooms in the rural dis
trictS. To put even these within the reach OF
our children, has required an expenditure OF
s., lG3 200.
To give our children the advantages which
these afford but 9-2J of the year, we assess
ourselves S193000, and then are accused OF
being unfriendly to the cause of education il
we demure at appropriating what little money
we NAV have left to endow higher schools,
which are practically closed to 9S9 in every
1000 of our scholars.
With National State, and Town debt OF
more than ST. to every man, woman and child
in the State, if ever we were called upon TO
practice rigid economy, and to be Just before
we are generous, it is at the present time.
Regarding itas the safer course on all ques-
tions of doubtful policy to give my constitu-
ents the benefit of that doubt, | shall vote in
the negative on this, and all similar arquestions.
Aside from this, believe that educational
progress is passing that point where these IN
termediate institutions can be OF use as step
ping stones from the district school to the
college, and that we are nearing the time
when hy a more equitable distribution of the
school money, better and more commodiously
constructed school houses-when, by better
teachers trained to their work in Normal
Schoos--when, by better system OF classlh-
cation, new and improved modes of instrue-
tion--whcn. by a uniformity of text books
when, by efficient school officers and self
supporting home high schools, the common
and intermediate advantages for an education
are becoming in harmony with. and within
reach of the children of the people at their
homes.
Influenced by these considerations. | can
not consent to vote the peoples money, where
practically it benefits but 800 families out OF
10000. or edueates but one pHpil IN nfnefy,
in the State.