Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-02
AK


euR PUEBLO SCHOOLS.
Our schools commence another year
to-day II is sincerely to be hoped
that the troubles OF the Board of
Education during the vacation viii not
lessen the attendance Of pupils, the
zeal Of the teachers, or the sympathy
and good will Of the community in the
great cause of public education. Il isa
real trouble to The most thoughtful and
HberaLminded ofour people when any
| thing occurs likely to diminish the in
terest in this good work. In this cause
of public education the people Of
Memphis cannot allow any,step hack
ward to be taken. We cannot afford to
fall back to the rear in the great march
Of civilization. Popular Ignorance is
weakness, and also the school OF crime.
Every interest Of the city is
involved in our public schools
The time has passed when mere bone
and sinew can develope our wealth.
Machinery is to be used, demandingskm
and mental training. III our people are
notsuficienuyeducat to becomeskilled
Iaborers, we must remain comparatively
poor. As a mans intelligence increases,
his labor is more valuable. The labor Of
an ignorant man is scarcely more valu-
able than that Of mere brute force. Hor-
ace Greeley once said truly; Property
is deeply interested in the education Of
all. There is no farm, no bank,
no mill, no shop, which is not
more valuable and profitable to
its ownersi IL located among a well edu-
Gated, than If surrounded by an ignOr-
ant population. Simply as a matter Of
Interest, zoe hold It to be The duty 0Prop-
erty to itself, to provide education for
al" It is cheaper to educate all and
prevent pauperism and crime, than it is
to support paupers and punish crimi-
nails. Think Of what onr Criminal
Courts and prosecutions cost. Profess
sOr Mayhem says" Let n be bore IN
mind, that all thechildren in every COM
munity will be educated somewhere and
somehow; and parents must determine
whether the children of the present gen.
Grafton shall receive their training in
the S~cHOoUiOuse, or in the streets, and if
in the former, whether in good or poor
schools" We are not to seek to raise
up a few distinguished men, but to at
tempt the elevation of the great mass of
population to the highest possible plane,
For securing the advantages Of general
education there is nothing equal to the
system of graded schools, crowned by
the high school, and supported by a tax
on the whole community. Here you
have the advantage of system and di-
vision of labor resulting in the best
fruits Of political economy. By thor
Ough classification of pupils from the
primary to the high school we secure
education per pupil at less than
half the cost 0fprivate schools. Indeed
all the children of the city can be edu-
Gated in the public schools at less than
twenty dollars per annum to the pupil.
Then you have the advantage of teach
ers who have been approved on actual
and rigid examination. Again there is
a great saving of time to the scholar.
The teacher has no interest in keeping
him back. AS soon as prepared there is
a higher grade ready to receive him.
These are not poor schools. Perish the
old and mischievOus Opinioni They are
schools for rich and poor, where boys
may be prepared for business life, or to
enter any college in the land. Boys
graduating in the high school go easily
the freshman class at college. The
books in the public schools being uni
form, there is also a great saving inthat
over private schools. 1t is prac-
tieable to make the graded schools
the best in the city and 50
good as to command the pa
tronage of all classes. Perhaps there
are none among US who deny the right
Of government to tax them for public
education. When we cease to be sava-
ges, we must consent TO bear the bur-
dens of civilization, among which is
taxation for the general good. Wehave
to submit to taxation to build jails and
prisons, although we may eve derive
personal benefit from their exis-
tence. Macsulay says, "The right to
hang includes the right 10 educate"
are taxed for roads that we never
-a-- 49, a,I Gn- aarT-H1 IN "hsah NJ.
never have a case, and It is all right.
The public good demands it, and so the
public good demands the education of
all the children. Private schools can
never accomplish the work, nor can
church schools meet the neces-
sity. We must have public, an
.sectarian schools, with tuition free
to all, IS the air and sunlight.
cannot neglect our schools, and
we must insist on the wisest direction
and constant improvement. The best
in the city should be selected, from
time to time, as members of the Board
Education, and they should secure
teachers with the right intellectual and
moral qualifications, with a love of
teaching for its own sake as well as a
means of hOnorble livelihood. Let the
children Of the community, as far as
practicable, be brought under the in1u-
ence Of these schools for nine or ten
months in the year, and then, as far as
human means al well 60, the work Of
training the aOhOle community TO intelli-
genee and virtue will be Well-nigh ac-
eOmplished.
THE M pervades Nashville that
-he Banner, changing its proprietors,