The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-07-24
From Decatur.

EDITOR OF THE TRUE NORTH zRNER -
Our excellent editor or the Decatur Re-
publican is gushing" again, but it is now
over the incorrectness of statements, y" friv.
olous and puerlle charges" etc., embodied IN a
communication to your paper last week. We
We wish to say that the statements made are
uncolored truth. and appear as facts In the
history OF our school during the past two years.
1t may seem to your readers to be great folly
for us to make this assertion IN the face Of the
unimpeachabeness of the Republican, as shown
in speaking of legal matters whose history is
before the people of this County. As to their
character being frivolous and puerlle" we
leave people TO Judge OF them according to the
light they have on such matters. For ourselves,
we consider it sneaking way of promoting
ones reputation as a dlsciplinaran and popular
teacher.
So far as the definition OF "red tape" is con-
cerned, we think, II we recolect Alright, that it
was first brought forward and made notable as
phrase in the history OF How not to do II"
and has ever since held that shade of meaning.
We will not deny that the piece OF tape that the
red-tapist ties around the bundle of public doc
uments most admirably subserves the purpose
for which it was designed. but il in looking
over the charges 1t Is found that that bit Of red
tape costs too much, somebody will be sure to
ask. " Why such price for so small an affair? "
We know that the introduction Of, and attend
ing to, machinery that will grind out these re-
markably good reports has left class Of
IL
or turned over to one Of their own number,
day after day, and has consumed time that
should have been made use OF in advancing
pupils who we're kept in large, mixed classes,
because there was no time to divide such classe
and help on such as were anxious to advance.
Office work has been 30 occupying small children
must be questioned and cross-questioned, if
they have been out of school on account of ill
ness, as to whether they have been out side
OF the yard or not" ETC., etc.
We would like to have the real school-teach.
ing work that has been done here for the last
two years at seven dollars per day compared
with that OF any Professor in this county OF
adjoining counties, and il =" How not to do it,
does not prove to be most conspicuous here we
will yield the ground. When our neighbor
Blackman has children from fifteen years old
and upward in school he will naturally give
them credit for being able to Judge whether
they are getting material aid in their studies
or are being helped to superabundance OF
"whim whams." And If it should come tc
pass that he should some time pay five-eighths
Of his taxes for the support OF such school. he
would naturally be interested to look and see
if such monies were bringing him a REASONABLE,
remuneration. III Mr.. Blackman will look at I
communication in the New York Weekly Tribun,
Of July 18th on the subject of schools, he viii
find some comments that apply admirably t
our school in particular, and no doubt many il
general, and we feelIt to be the duty and priv
lege OF citizens to look into the matter and eel
If there is not some help for the difficulties.
SCHOOL Patron.