The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-07-10
Tha pnnfic schools.

s. r,eneral MAHoNg eVidensly believes in enc
nopular say ing, that 6 rs goes the Dsspasc'
= -so soes the State, Last week he and We
I came out simultaneously in articles on thu
S nublic debt. Yesterday the General ap
reared In i letter on the subject oil the pub
lie schools, which reads as II IL had beer
made up ont Of the columns OF the Dsspascn
We are glad to see the General setting MIN
sell Alright before the people on these i'm
s portant questions. To show bow c'oseiy
he follows the path which we biazed out z f 9.
ali the candidates to pursue, we copy h y |.
an an extract from an editorial In the Uaspdtc'
of June aist, and then IAN extract i ''''''
General MAHoSE's letter: .-,..e 8,
ss fsrom the Daily Dispatch, June ALL, :,
Public schools are comparatively new =.
{. the South; but there is no reason 20: uoIps
sha. ,.hat has been the experience OF the
ssycr4h In regard to them Will be cue eSpe-
I. .r;antt Of the South. sss. 1900
s1 - First public schools are more popular in
,.ne North than anything else whatever. nc
man who desires public favor dares TO say
ono word against them. The same VIII De
nroyed TO he the case here should anybody
pres,,me to nut the matter to the test. ~
ne choice ,rere bet,eeen reputation ana me
ooafinuapcs of the public schools, the puoaac
DEBT ,couid be repadiated. Ii the entire
CITY Council were to unite upon q
measure inimical to the public schools, ana
should resolve to sink or swim togetner,
every man Of the body would go down IN
the next popular election. One OF the speak
ers who addressed these schools at the tne-
atre last week said that 1t would take Doid
man to oppose them. He spoke the truth;
Day after day-morning, afternoon, ana
nfght-the theatre and other haiis were
crowded with interested and enthusiastic
enectatnrs md auditors. They were num-
hered by thousands, and they know their
strength. We know a few excellent men
men who are amongst the very best OF on?
fetlow-citizens-who are opposed TO the
public schools; but we do not know one
man who desires votes .Whois willing to
class himself, with these estimable gentle
men. We don't Eaotc any candidate .tor
Gouernor, for Lieutenant-Goyernor, for
Attorney. General, for Congress, for the
Legislature, for the City Council, for the
Office even Of Justice OF the peace, acho IS
: not a qcdr7n friend of the public schools, II
he is to be believed. s,,,4.z.,s:i - ,s,i
That is what we said several weeks ago.
Not one OF the candidates for Governor has
thought it necessary to write to us to say
that we misrepresented his views. They
all occupy the platform that we erected,
and upon which General MALONE yesterday
announced that he was standing. Whether
any OF the other aspirnnts will deem it ne
cessary. to, prop his sinking fortunes by
a declaration upon the subject, we cannot
tell. ,,..-..g..
- from General Mahone's letter.J =!
II in q position to determine such ques-
tions I would let the very wheels OF Gov
eminent stand still before would be the
instrument or the quiet observer OF so cruel
a wrong to the children of the State, SO
manifest breach of trust, SO palpable q
disregard Of the organic law, and so gross
violation OF the will OF the people, as the
peryersion or conversion OF the public.
school fund to any other purpose than thai
for which it was created. 1t flows now IN
that channel which gives fertility to the
minds upon whose training rests the future
OF the Commonwealth. Could speak by ali'
thority, not one cent Of it should ever 60 te
a use less sacred. 5f:,s:s.&
That is as strong declaration as our own
: We need not say more. Every reader vii
see for himself that the Dispatch is as usua
ahead of "Little BILLY" We certainly dc
not intend to allow him to appropriate oul
thunder. We occupy now the same ground
which we have occupied ever since the ques
ton OF establishing public schools here was
first mooted.