Arizona citizen., 1872-03-02
FREE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Governor Stafford most eloquently
 plead for an Act of the kind in his
 message. He keenly realized that
 without free public schools, he could not consistently invite settlers from
 elsewhere, nor would the growing resi-
 dent youth he properly fitted for life
 in this age of progress. The Terri
 tory had been going along for eight
 years without schools, and some began
 to think it would be we'll enough to
 let 1t so continue; but by vigilant
 and persistent labor of others, the law
 on our statute books, imperfect as it is,
 was enacted, and thus was the first substantial step taken towards the
 good work. Though of the first i'm portance, almost every man wants to
 shirk educational duties to the public, and especially is this true in places
 like Arizona, where the heads of fami- lies are comparatively few, and neither profit nor what the world calls honor can be expected in their performance.
 With these facts understood, the Leg islature, seeing the Governor so in- terested in the subject, made him ex- officio Superintendent of Public Schools, with a trifing allowance for mere expenses, and left the law so that neither that nor any other ac- counts could be paid by the Terri torial Treasurer. These latter facts did not in the least dampen the Gov ernor's ardor in the work, but rather stimulated him under the knowledge that every dollar of school tax col lected by the Territory would go to the several counties for school purposes, and thereby insure greater length of terms, and probably more rapidly reconcile the people to the slight ad-I ditional tax imposed. He at an early day ill 1871, sent instructions to county superintendents, and took every step authorized by law to inaugurate the free school system in Arizona, and in- cured thereby considerable personal expense. For any defects in the law, the Governor Is not responsible, for he was obliged to approve it or have none to approve.
 In putting this law into effect, the Governor has been zealously seconded by Judge W. H. Fleury, Col. H. A. W. J. Berry, Esq, and Dr. G. D. Kendall in Yavapai county by Judges Brinley and Bidwell, Geo. Martin and J. M. Redondo in Yuma county; by Judge J. I. T.Alsop (no doubt others whose names we have not) witE earnestness and intelligence in Maricopa county; by Judge John Dr. F. H. Goodwin, Will liam F. Scott and James E. Baker in Tucson; and D. c. Thompson, J. D. Walker, Hill DeArnett and Milton Ward of Florence in Pima county.
 The gentlemen before named, and no doubt some others unknown to us, must ever have principal credit in the inauguration of free public schools in Arizona, and it affords us pleasure to say that, under all the circumstances, they have made their labors a greater success than was anticipated by close observers one year ago.
 To-day there is Q free school in op- eration ill Prescott, in Arizona City, and in Phenix. Next Monday, one will be opened in Tucson, and the Trustees in Florence have sent for books (previously ordered and received here by the Governor), and now or within few days will also have a school opened. From Ehrenberg, in Yuma county, news has been received that one will be there commenced un- der the law very soon. Some time