The teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1876-1878, 1877-01-27

OF January 1877 tho 6rst ysar Of tho new
century following our national iodspsnd-
ence, tho citisens Of Lewiston, . town Of
sixteen years Of age, and the oldest IN the
Territory Of Idaho, and having over one
hundred and thirty school children to bs
educated, deliberately refused 10 vote
tax in support Of their public school. II
this had been done at tho beginning Of the
last century the act would have been sx-
cusable on tho grounds Of the ignorance Of
the people in regard to tho value and i'm
portance Of public schools. But At this
day, With the thousands Of experiments
made all over tho Union proving tho value
of such schools, and the results Of those
published and circulated thr oughout every
village and hamlet, Lewiston not excepted,
this refusal to vote tax cannot Do reason
ably attributed to the ignorance Of our Cit
liens, and We must look for other reasons
Why this tax was voted down. In compar.
ing our citizens with those Of other local..
ties Ia point Of general intelligence on oil
questions Of practical life We think the
people Of Lewiston will not suffer. The 70.
fusal of tho tax so far ~ ws can gather
from the expressions of the voters did not
occur from any general belief in the insfaca-
cy Of the public schools to accomplish
what is claimed for them by their friends,
although few still cling to tho old and
exploded theory that tho property Of the
rich should never be taxed to school the
children OF tho poor, and that the rich
mans children should never Do educated
in tho same school room with tho poor, .
species Of aristocrscy and suobbsry long
since exploded among the intelligent rich
in this country, aud utterly opposed to the
genius and policy Of our system Of govern
ment. nv a..
Why then this opposition to tax and why
was it successful. ,, ... u -
First and foremost was tho general dull.
ness Of the season in regard to business and
many good men had the blues, and could
not foresee whore the money was to como
from to meet the tax when levied, and 10
this state Of despoudency they have resolved
to lop of oil expenditures possible without
regard to discriminating betw cen tempo
rary luxury aud necessity for the proper
education Of the children Of tho place,
through dull times a. we'll ~ dush. 4
people will make poor progress, If in every
case Of dull times they retrench 80 ~ to
suspend the regular support Of their schools.
We have had no District tax for two years
past and the income from the two levied
BY the County Commissioners has been in.
adequate to support the school more than
three mouths Of the year and that In On in.
efficient manner. The remainder Of the
year children have been allowed to run 1t
large and the tendency Of such inattsntion
to study In children 10 to obliterass what
they had previously learned, till such time
- they have mastered the principles Of q
school education. A man may
rstrsnch in his habits Of eating, drinking,
wearing apparel, smoking, chewing and
many other things during hard simss,
thersby save many dollars year, and ne
injury to anyone bs done thereby and per.
haps In many instances benefit be dsriv ID
both in point Of health and character. Blu,
no man and no community can rstrsnch
from liberal provision for the maiusa 10.
aues Of school for the education Of his 0,
iss children without injury both TO tn,
children themselves and tho com muni.y IL
which they live.
Another element Of opposition e1isset
among class Of men who, though citizen,
among ", with oil legal rights, and claim
ing them and projection to their person,
and property uuder our laws, and cous.an,l,
making money from the hard earnings Of
0ur manila at ennssA.. ,