Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1875-06-20

EDITOR SENTINEL: In Tuesdays
issue Of your paper, under the head of
"The School Question:" appeared a
communication from q correspondent
on Ruby Hill, whose name "Lucifer "
smells strongly Of birthstone, but
the intemperance of whose writing
would suggest bad whisky. Without
advancing one new idea he treats his
readers to a rehash of a lot of bonn
bast that has appeared in print at least
a hundred times within the last year,
only this time in a far worse taste thin
usual. He starts out thus: "The at
tempt OF some dispicd6le Uretches
in the Eastern States to divide the
School Fund among the churches has
raised a storm of indignation that is
ominous. CThe italics r mine.) He
then hurls a threat at the heads of
"the instigatOrs, contreres, as we'll
as the supporters Of the nefarioas
scheme that is Ominous too"
Now, the question is, Mr.. Lucifer, if
the proposition to divide the School
Fund is a "~nefarious scheme" and
that the mere mention of it "has
| raised a storm of Indignation" what is
there ominous about it?
Lucifer states that the standard OF
general intelligence is higher in this
country than it is in any country
where the schools are entirely under
the control of the clergy; therefore our
public schools are perfect.
/ have seen it frequently stated that
| American intelligence was due more
to the press than to the schools, and
concur in the opinion. The newspa-
per is the great instructor that visits
every house in the country, whether
palace or cabin. We may indeed be
Justly proud of our intelligence, but
before condemning the institutions Of
others, because of their ignorance.
view the circumstances and see if the
balance in our favor is not more in the
bounty of Providence than in our pub
lie schools.
Here we have an extensive country
teeming with wealth of every kind
with a population moi yet too much t.
interfere with the prosperity OF any, sc
that plenty is within b reach o
every man, and he can afford to re
gale himself, according to his tastt
WlLu a oENflNEL VI al fbftcSPf1 ot, 9
Harper's Weekly or a Police Meas
a LEDGER or a New Sensation, or an,
other literature. He can also afiort
to clothe his children in suitable gar
ments and send them 70 schoo
whether it rains or shines. Not so II
other lands. There are, it is true, thu
" privileged few who have ample OPP
portunities and whose intelligence viii
not suffer by a comparison with ours
but with the masses it is quite differ
ent. The money they might wish t
invest in information necessity de
mands for bread; when the parent be
gins to clothe and prepare the chile
for school, necessity demand
more bread, and their information
and education are tho victims of ne
cessity. Is it any wonder then his in
telligence IS not equal to ours ever
though his school system may be su
perior?
Place a population as large in pro
portion on the most favored portion
of this country and compel them t.
live off it under similar circumstances
anc see If our superior intelligence will
not buy q loaf before a newspaper AM
come near starving into the bargain. :
Lucifer tries to show from the prison
records that one-fourth of our popu
lation who never attended publ
schools furnishes three-fourths of on
criminals, and thus our public school