Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-08-10
OUR SCHOOLS.


root of all national prosperity. The COM
paratively trifling cost is repaid many times
over by the increased value of property.
The diminished expense for criminal prose-
cutions, iails and penitentiaries, and the
numberless benefits which actual expert
ence has shown to be the result from the
education of the youth of our land. Even
those who at heart, for their own selfish
purposes, oppose any plan which places
the child of the poor man on "a compare
tive equality with that of the rich in the
race of life, are obliged to conceal their
sentiments. They deXterously pretend
friendship for the cause in general, but
maintain a constant hostility to any sys-
tenn that seems likely to accomplish the
object in view. While avoiding declara-
ton of open hostility to public education,
they nevertheless contrive never to give
the children of the country any practical
BILE and efficient means of obtaining the
same.
Here in East Tennessee we are in a posi-
ton to appreciate even more than the cti-
zens of the State in general, the advanta-
ges of good free school system. Much of
our territory is but thinly settled, and in
such districts especially, is it found that
| subscription schools cannot be depended
upon. Unless there are free schools, the
main bulk of the children will grow up
comparatively without education.
Then too in East Tennessee we have
more school children in proportion to our
wealth. than in the other portions of the
,,c
school money than we pay. a good school
| system, while largely to the advantage of
the whole State, would be especially bene-
| fetal to East Tennessee.
Let us look for moment at what our
present Legislature has done for the School
cause. The Republicans had inaugurated
school system. 1t had like every new
and important measure, much opposition
at first II came into existence when the
whole machinery of the schools was still
| disiointed by the war. School houses We're
in ruins, teachers scarce, money by no
means plenty in the treasury, and alto
! gether most t1iscouraging prospect of any
| great immediate results. But steadily from
the beginningit gained favor with the pub
lie and converted enemies into friends. 1t
was not rs some persons seemed to
imagine, an invention of the Tennessee
Legislature, but II careful adaptation of the
results of the experience of teachers and
school officers i'm States where systems of
free schools have long been in successf u
and harmonious operation.
Defects which were displayed in its prac-
teal workings were carefully corrected by
the Legislature as they appeared. Defects
perhaps still existed, but in spite of them
all the great facts were apparent that houses
were built, school districts were organized,
and the children were gathered in and
taught. The report of the State Superin
tendent showed from actual official figures
that, while as yet the system was compare
lively in its infancy, between one and two
hundred thousand children had been actu-
ally enrolled a. scholars i'll the free
schools throughout the State. Every sue
ceeding year would have made the system
better understood and more successful i'm
it, workings, and any needed changes could
have been readily made without interfering
with the general progress of the education
of the children of the people.
In this state of affairs the present Legis-
lature came into power. Filled with theiI
general hatred of everything that had been
done by the Republicans, they at once with
one blow swept the system from existence
and shut the doors of the school houses in
the faces of the children. For very shame
they dared not omit to enact some sort of a
substitute. But what is it The result OF
their different bungling efforts to conceal
the mischief they had done has left the
matter in such Il condition that not one
man in hundred has any knowledge oil
what the law is, and except in the few
, counties where the County Court will pro-
/ vide for a school fund by county tax, there
will he no free schools.
Last year at this time free schools were
opening throughout the State Now no
enumeration has been taken up, no school
. officers have been chosen, and no schools
are being opened.
, Thisis the work Ofthe present Legislature
of Tennessee, the outcroppings of a spirit
which would take from the children of our
land all opportunity of obtaining the i'm
valuable boon of education.
Under the present excuse for IL school
system we will have as II general thing no
! ! schools