The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-03-20
THE RING ALARaED.
.Reror,n" is After Them With Sharp
Sticks.

. -OA~OASaChI9 OOAASN6hIhbAy hO OhS N~N
surprised at the ebullition OF temper
exhibited by Progression" in last
weeks Ledger. 1t is one of the char
acteristics of weak minds, when driv-
en- to the wall by the hard logic OF
facts, to get mad and cry out, 'you
lie." The last report of the clerk OF
the Board of Education of the city OF
Emporia, now on file in the Office OF
the County Superintendent, and open
to the examination of any one, states
that the amount received for school
purposes during the year was $12,-
233.GO. IT he received it, somebody
paid it. l ask any candid man to ex-
anime for himself, and then say where
the Eentruth" Is, whether with me or
with Progression" / am glad to be
corrected in regard to the salary paid
to two OF the teachers. Until recently
the lowest price paid was as stated,
and frankly acknowledge that / was
ignorant of the change with regard to
two of them, and here desire to state
that there are two teachers in our city
schools who only receive $3.50 per day.
feel fiattered that from the mass OF
facts have presented, only this little
mistake can be found. have nothing
to say with regard to the rcst-of the
article In question. 1t has nothing to
do with the subject am endeavOring
in my "I.illiputian" way, to discuss,
and 1 will not be drawn aside from my
object to handy epitAess with any one,
or reply to uncandld and ungentle-
manly insinuations. 1t is to be ex-
pected that those who are profiting
largely by the abuses of our school
system, should cry out against the cor
rection of those abuses.
In their greed of gain, and impo-
tencc of hate, they cry out against all
true reform, that we are trying to pull
down our common school system. As
we'll may you charge the surgeon with
attempting to murder his patient, be-
cause he applies the knife to eradicate
the cancer which is destroying the life
of its victim. AS well may you
charge that the great mass of the peo-
pie are trying to destroy all our insti-
buttons, because they have at last
arisen in their might, and determined
to destroy the vampires who have so
long been sucking the very life blood
of the people. am trying to knock
off some of the barnacles which are
clinging to our goedly ship, and sup
porting their miserable existance from
its substance. 1 am trying, with all
my "Lilliputian- might" to stop some
of the enormous leaks you have made.
If this be treason to free schools, make
the most of it. And now desire to
say few plain words to "Progres-
sion," and through him to portion of
the school board, whose mouth piece
he evidently is.
You have been requested more than
once to publish your proceedings, that
the public might know what you are
doing, or about to do, with their
money. This you dare not do. You
dare not let the people know the names
of those who voted aye, and those who
voted no, on the various questions
coming before you. You dare not let
the public know your method of pur-
chasing supplies for the schools. You
dare not let us see in print the votes
on the employment of teachers. You
dare not make public the favoriteism
OF some, and the petty spite of others.
You dare not show the people your
method of examining and allowing
claims.
1t will be said there is no law COM
Polling the publication. OF course
not, neither is there in the case of the
city council, which does not spend
near as much money annually as you
have; yet what howl would be rails
ed If they refused to let their constitu-
ents know what they were doing with
the peoples money.
Come again, "PrOg if you
feel like it, and will furnish you facts
in regard to specific cases, dericed from
members Of tie board, which will raise
the blush of shame on your cheeks, II
such thing be possible.
A few words in answer to "Nnmber
Five" stated that my figures were
derived from the ''latest official
sources" We all know that the school
year, and fiscal year are not identical.
The reports for the school year en-
brace part of two fiscal years.
(This defect has been partly cured by
recent legislation.) The last levy for
school purposes in district No. was
1901 .05, not one cent is for bonds or in
terest. The clerk OF that district re-
ports the average attendance at 20, the
whole number enrolled, 81.
L stated in the beginning that my
object was to show how little good the
people were actually receiviag for the
immense sums they were expanding.
In showing the actual cost per scholar,
there is no more reason for taking the
number enrolled, than there would be
for taking the whole number in the
district OF school age. have tried,
honestly and faithfully, to place the
facts before the people in condensed
form, hoping and BELIEVING that they
would apply the remedy for the evil,
which each individual case might de-
mand,
Take, for instance, district No. 6,
which does not collect cent this year.
What is the inference? That they
have no school? Certainly not, but
that the year before or some former
year, they collected twice as much as
they needed, and now have the money
lying idle, when it should be doing
good among those who paid it. 1 do
not believe the people of that district
will again allow such injustice.
leave it to the people to judge who
is the "cnemy of our common schools, !"
he who Is fattening on the spoils
wrung from an Over-taxed people, or
he who is honestly endeavoring 10 cor
rect those abuses, which are fast sink
ing both schools and people to ruin. :
REFORM.
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS.
The city council met in regular ses-
sion March 10th, 1874, Mayor Spicer in
the chair aud ali members present ex-