Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-02-11
Letters from the People.
Another Richmond in the Field Free
Schools

Another Richmond in the Field-Free
Schools.
Confidential Letter to Justice My worthy
friend and co-adjutor, for [ at once look upon
you as such, and may as well say what said to
Others On reading your closing paragraph in
late Spectator, ec pede Hercuicus. | copy
this from learned book, and am told it means
You can tell whale by his spouting.'
most cordially welcome you to our thinned
ranks. We need prodgiously just such cham
plon Tor our cause-one who Can trample down
our foes with an elephants tread
But my dear friend, Staunton is too narrow
sphere for you; We cannot afford 10 drive car
pet tacks With sledge hammer, or to use our
main wheel to do the work of a cog-@heel
We will take care of Stanton and its Acad-
emy. We have the enemies OF the latter al
ready in our grip, and can easily show up the
rascalty OF ;he cheats who are after our money.
L Wish our cause was as safe everywhere as
here Bu:-We cannot conceal things look
very ominous abroad. | do not much ike the
outlook. BE not startled at my proposal, Or re-
lax. in the least, your defiant attitude. You
must go straight to Richmond, ior that centre
OF State power and influence has gone over.
lhe lrst surrender was calamity the sec
ond is disgrace. Richmond must be recoy-
cred and what arm bat yours is equal TO the
task? On then to Richmond But before
you get your ticket, OF enter the Ladies Car,
let me whisper this one word in your ear: Deal
gently with Gov Walker, for you, OF course,
will approach hin FIRST. Feel your ground
carefully. Weigh your words, and mark their
effect. Eor Heavens sake, don't talk as you
wrote in the Spectator. [ verify believe he
can be won back to reason by skillful manage
ment-( "glse as serpents," &c. We all know
he is neither weak nor bad man; but his
head is turned little On this confounded sup
ject OF schools "a word to the wise,' &c. J.
Go next TO Superintendent BinfoEd; but Ue
very wary IN your mode Of attack; they say
he is strongly fortified, and has big guns, but
he is little conceite0 withal. Very likely he
will assume to know almost as much as your
self about iree-schools. Ihe food gates once
opened. ha will pour out facts and arguments
WITH the volume Of Niagara, here will be- the
''tug Of war." After planning your assaults,
you will need to bring out all your vast power.
| know it is ia you from the specimens already
given. Tell him to his lace, with a becoming
tone and gesture Il can demonstrate that the
operations OF the free school system are unjust,
tyfannical and oppressive, and IS one direct step
towards Communism" II he does not give in,
he's 9 fool. After fourishing such convincing
arguments, yUu are not bound by any law, hu-
man CT divine, to furnish brains also.
Go next TO Mayor Ksiliey, the City Council,
and the Board Of Education. 1t is true these
men are not povices exactly; but are accus-
toned, one and all. TO measure strength With
men Of your calibre.
They are, TO be sure, enthusiastically sup
ported by the people On the enc hand, and by
the Richmond press on the other.
They are all proud Of their fourishing schools
and flne schooi-h0use5
No matter for that. Are not the people o1
great cities more frequently wrong than right
Truth is always prosecuted, and wisdom
shows narrow path, with here and there 9
traveller
But let US never forget magma est UerttGs e
orevotebit which my brother, who is Univer-
sity man, says, means Truth can tunnel the
thiekest skull, only give it time enough"
10 counteract these city notions, get up Pc
titions from Petersburg, Lynchburg, Norfolk
Portsmouth, Alexandria, Winchester, Salem
and the 8 Cos ree-schools Of the State, which
are all so bitterly complaining Of their degra-
da.ion, since every child can now be educated
at cost Of 70 cents per month, thus leveling
upwards in shameful way, land this reminds
me of Staunton.) What mind, touched with
sense of Justice or honor can endure thi
thought, that the Academy should enter iut(
any arrangement by which an indefinite mum
Der of students could be educated there at this
cheap rate? 1t would be crying act OF irjus
tice TO all the people Of Staunton, and an In
suit to the fe,o who now monopolize the bene
fits of the Academy by paying only $50 apiece
Shall these rich men s sons hencetorth loose
their distinction, and share the blessings 0
I knowledge iu common with others? Let there
be Justice.
Much Of this injustice is due to the inhuenc;
of Superintendent Rufner and his assistants
Never did g en-. Lee do q worse thing thar
| he did in nominating thai man for 50 mischiev
GUS an Office.
| Out of tenderness to his memory, will omi
saying what I intended or this subject.
O! it is sad spectacle TO see whole State!
and nations drawn into this vortex OF destruc
tion and oblivion.
Even Tennessee, of which we had hoped
better things, is voluntarily surrendering it
| high reuown for illitergcy, and establishing
new system of free schools, with all the abom
nations Of State and County Superintendents
and Boards of Education.
Some arttul men, stealing the hearts Of the
people, have managed to bring over the whole
| BODY Of teachers, from the College down to the
lowest schools; ard prating about the adyaE.
taees-moral, social and fnancial-of genera
intelligence, and humbuging the people, abou
inducing emigrants and capitalists to come iatt
the State, they have worked the people up t.
perfect fury, SO that they are actually besieg
ing the LEGISLATURE and clamoring for NOR,
perfect system of public schools. Nashville
Memphis, and Knoxville are the plague-spots
Of that oppressed State, making their fre.
schools SO attractive as to spread the contagior
all around them.
As to West Virginia, We hardly know wha
TO think. It's no great shakes anyhow"
did suppose-such was my misplaced faitl
in human nature-that when the conservative
party had ell the power in their hands and were
trusted to revise the Constitution. they woulc
be s'slow instead of fast to gulp the system :;
but they swallowed the poison, and much gooe
may it do them.
Georgia. blush to ay.it-has also proved
! faithless. No one can tell the incalculable mis-
chief which its infatuated Legislature has al
ready done. And there is Professor Orr, (wh(
| would believe it?) once so true and now no
ashamed to be State Superintendent of fres
schools, and the cities Of Savannah Augusta
Atlanta and Columbus are. the very hotbeds O
this pestilential system; and, what is the un
kipdest cut of all, the aristocraey Of these cit
les are not only leaders in the movement, bu
''olory in their shame.
Charleston, S. C.-pity twas not wholly
| brrn+ dowo-with its Aikens and Rhetts anC