Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-10-18
For the Snectafnr.

81 MEsSRs. EDITORS In your paper of the
81 lth inst. there is a short article copied from
1.-THE Vindicdtor over the signature of "Observ-
Ser, in which the writer complains of the man
ssner in which the Female Schools of our Town
make their purchases He calls it ''perni-
ssctous custom We fully agree with ''Observ-
Ger, but how can we remedy it. By the way,
ut is pernclous custom not entirely confined
Ssto the Schools; other institutions and even
Hprvate citizens make all their purchases at one
zsor two stores. We think this thing altogether
wrong. at least so far as it concerns the public
constitutions and Female Schools of the Town,
especially. when we consider that these public
constitutions and large Female Schools were got
Nten up, for the exclusive benefit of the mer-
sIcantile community of the city of Stanton -
mo doubt the Legislature of Virginia, when
they chartered them, had that object solely in
view. We have thought seriously over the
s@natter. and talked with several friends about
Bic, and believed we had fixed upon plan.
(which would entirely break up this 'perniciou>
&3custom.' The plan we had agreed upon was
Shis: The merchants all to meet in the Town
SHall, the handsomest man among them to be
59called to the chair, and the next handsomest to
ssbe Secretary; pass condemnatory resolutions !:
#get number of circulars printed, and send
;Sthem to the friends of the pupils of the differ
Gent Female Schools in this place. No doubt,
Ethe Principals of the Schools would take great
sspleasure in furnishing their addresses. and any
Sother information that might be wanted, such
Szztor instance, as the amount of clothing, books
Nand stationery, jewelry, cakes and candies &C. !
N&c., that each pupil might probably purchase
@during the session. Such information being
sobtained, it could the better be shown forth in
Ithe circulars, how great the advantages to be
Sgained by making all the purchases in Staun-
Nton. The custom should be distributed among
Sour merchants, in proportion to the capital en-
sployed In their business. As the pupils would
Snot need any articles In the grocery, hardware,
Dor tobacco line, the other merchants should be
ssrequired to lay out certain per cent of their
sslncome derived from the Schools with these
Sbranches of trade Some Of the friends of
Jour scheme think it would be well, through the
sclrculars, to request the patrons of the Schools
mot to bring any more clothing with them for
the pupils than one change of garments, of the
kcheapest sort. This would do away with the
Snecesslty OF bringing trunk. which every trav-
Heller knows is great bother; as trunks. cloth
ing, cakes and candies and everything else
sneeded to make complete outfit for young
Sladies entering first class Seminaries. can bel
Hhad in Stanton ON the best terms, especially
Diff they have the money to pay down for them
I'VE thought. after rejecting over our plan that
Git was first rate, and would soon effect the de-
Ssred reform-but alas
d 1.-THE best laid schemes O mice an men,
a Gang aft a-gley."
q On our way to the printing Office, to ger
some handbills printed. calling on the mer-
chants to meet at the Town Hall, we stepped
Yin to see an old friend and laid our plans be-
szfore him. We had rough draft of what wei
sintended doing which he read After Short
Apause he raised his head, threw his spectacle.
Cup and quietly remarked, that our plan was
zsnot worth the paper it was written upon
aSaid he-s.Don you know the Principals of
sour large Schools are persons Of some indepen-
''sdence, and, like many others of our citizens
sssmake their purchases where they think best i
without any regard to what some of our mer
chants may say, or think about the matter"
8 We then asked him, if he thought our City,
gCouncl or the Virginia Legislature could dol
gzanything to remedy this terrible erI He said i
what | was we'll aware of before, that, ''ouiI
aaGiy Council and the Virginia Legislature wereE
Every important bodies indeed. and possessed of;
sssgreat powers, but did not think that they coudI
zrender us any aid whatever but would advises
gus to apply to the Congress of the Uniteds
Estates to have the Schools reconstructed; bel
sthought it might come in as the Seventeenth
amendment to the Constitution We asked!
sshim why not as Sixteenth. He said-''he be-
slieved it was generally understood, that place.
twas reserved for an article GU tc0naans rights
aAnd there it seemed would be another difficult!
sty in our way: we feared this Seventeenth
\ Amendment would be an Infringement on 400;
D man's rights, though he thinks there would bel
sno difficulty on that score as it could all bel
4 managed very we'll on old Thad. Stevens plan,E
ssoutsde of the Constitution.
z FAIR PLAY