The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1876-02-03
909w4
CORRESPONDENCE.

MEME. JAN. % The writer attended
tie discussion entitled Free Text Books
| in Schools" which WIS held in your city
on Saturday last. Many excellent points
were l4osght DOT 10y the several able de.
haters in support of their respective views.
| Those opposed 10 the measure failed 10
press their best argument against the law,
viz, It's Injustice. No unjust statute ought
to be enforced, and most assuredly the
law compelling Districts to furnish text
books for the free use Of scholars therein
would be woefully out of place. Did all the
tax payers of IA town or district support
the free school system all would go well;
hut we have many in our midst who look
,.non the ruhlic school az an evil rather
han 4 blessing. Especially can tbs be
a - Of The Germans. They see no SINH
Iar;ts between :he public schools Of ,his
and The ola country. Many 0! them lcok
,u,oo the Amer, an common school as ex
tr.meIv pon,cnsicnl.,. mere machine, in
fact, partly runring at II. Hr EXPENSE anu
from which they reap no benz H. Ivy
have been taught to value educat, "n anu
know its advantages; bat education :"
them is the Old Country education, thc
scund, sensible, p.acticai education which
they Say is universally distributed through'
our Fatherlund. They wish to transmit
this system of instruction to their children,
and hence build select school houses, place
German teachers therein, who z"alously
disseminate kno 81 ledge in accordance with
well established old country rules. Schools
Of this class are In nearly every town
throughout the county; nay in some towns
there are two or three all literally Support
ed and encouraged and shat too by Ameri-
can citizen taxpayers. Who will say that
these people have not a perfect absolute
right to build and maimtain these schools?
They ask nc public aid or patronage. They
raw taxes toward the c0maon school Of
their district, Il school in which their chill
dren never learned syllable or the door Of
which they never darkened. They do this
cheerfully and willingly and now will you
add insult to injury 10y compelling them
To continually furnish sets of schooIhooks
brother Johnathans or JOHNNY Bulls who
reside in the district? Such law would
be contrary to the spirit OF the American
constitution. As well might you compel
them to supply bair oil and jack
knives for their peculiar and Individual
use and benefit. These and kindred strong
points were not pressed Icy the debaters on
Saturday night. The writer would have
modestly referred to them We're he asked to
do so, but the diotng uishedP ident, though
calling upon the other great minds of the
Asst mbly-including Mr.. Cartwright
passed him by unnoticed, evidently fearing
the homely truths that were pert up be-
meath his unassumng garb.
/ Social gatherings and ''socal develop
----->' - II 81" here nnw. Beirg
leap year. the ladies take advantage OF
their privileges and hold two or three "sur
prise parties" weekly. Thess parties are
merry and profitable, and at many OF them,
the course of true love, for tie time being,
at least, runs smooth.
Wells which throw immense volumes of
water TO very considerable height have
been recently "struck" IN the south,ea t
portion of the town. One on the premises
spectacle, throwing water clear as cryStai
several feet above the surface. / shall
visit them e'er long and endeavor to write
them up" on some future occasion.
i G.