The Arizona sentinel., 1874-02-21
have e25 1O-in all 11.O6O 12

| Afnpl 1tS on nahu are dS flIpWS
 In Pima APO B; in Yavapai 269 :
 l9; iu Yuma 525 47; in Maric"pa
 57 'i7; in MOhave 499 95-in all
 27724l
 The cash invested in public
 Srhool-hou,es and furniture is :
 In Pima POO; in Yivapai 175; in
 Yuma I047; in Maric"pa 20OO; in .dOhave 50-in all 6472.
 The number of children in the
 Territory between the ag..s of six
 aud twenty-One years is 1860; and
 inc numbers attending public
 schools are: Tn Pima 40; in Yu- ma 7j; in MaricOpa 6I; in Yavapdi
 B; tn MohaVe l4-in all 343.
 Under the circumstance. there
 has heen gratifying progress in
 he promotion nt education in Ar
 iznna during the past year. The
 last le.iSlatu-4 imposed tax of 25 cents on earh loo dollars of tax
 able property in the several cOun-
 lies for school purposes, and like tax on all the property Of the Ter
 ritory tn be c"llerted and paid to the various counties in proportion to the number of children within each. But small pIrti1n of the taxes derived from these two sources was not pai until late in
 1873, "nd therefore the benefit~ of this wise statute reOnlyhegi, hing tu be realized. IL is believed that there will be sufficient revenue in the future t., mai liain free schools m each of the districts in the Ter ritOry for at least six months in Ihe year. AS our schools are all primary in their character, the policy of employing fem tie teach CTS has been favored, and put in practice so far a. practicable. The 'XpeIienre Uf the most eminent educatOrS throughout the land, is in favor of female teachers. IL
 HbeAn the purpose of the off c4A in charge of our schools to procure the services of the best md most thorough teachers, and I believe that in the main such have teen secured The people -npak ing through their represen- tatiVe, nave said that fee schools muSt be prOvided whereby every rniid Df suund mind and proper age can receive an education free ui individual cost and that the children of poor parents in our Territory may aS readily acquire an education and nave ID equally ihteiiigent art in fife as those of rich ones Agreeable to the de m md of the people, means for this purpose have been provided and tn ? schools are in u.cesSlul
 operation. The census show that many children do not attent school, but an increase of attend ,nce is gradual and equal to reasonable expectations. To the end that children of every reli. yiouS faith may consistently at tend these schools, the legislature wisely prohibited the use of srcta- rian books and religious teaching m them. Therein children of pd rents of any and every faith can meet in harmony and upon an quality in all respectS. Rastd up on any other character of law the free school system would and soon be destroyed. Were one religious doctrine taught, children nf other religious doc. trines would surely be driven from the schools. In this aga of scirnre, learning and religious nd political independence, II will not do to promote any sect at , he common pXprnse The funds which maintain the grand free schools, are drawn from people of every CrevG- and if k bat ju-j that .tll shall be equally beueu,e,i without the least attempt Co in ,-uiCate any Of n r. many reiIgirus beliefs Religious instruction De ruliarly belongs 10 the f,miiy cir lie aud church. The most cruel and btO"dy wars recorded ia tl-i p 'ges of history, show that they were the nff>pring of the intOler.7 ance of religious sects. BigOtry has brought untold thousands of innocent men and women to tor Iure and death. The cloak of re- ligion has been used 10 cover such dire crimes against mankind, but happily for popr and rich of all beliefs and conditions, the time for such cruel intolerance has passed away.
 Under the benign influences Of our free republic, every one h IS ant can exercise the inalienahle right, free trJm threats and ol. pression. to worship tod in hIs own Way; and our public schools constitute the safe foundation up- on which the prosperity and ell durance of our belnV,d country re-ts and our rightiul liberties are secured and assured. In the pub lc schO ,l 'OIm, the children Of every creed are gathered, n)t to drspise and hate each other d. lu oldem times under sectirian teach ing, but to love and respect man