The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-06-08
THE PUBLIC sHoOL QUrs'
TION.
Tho Trustee o. rFoL Giio.' sehaoi
speak NeFds af Nisdom.

speak haFds Of Nishum,
NO the Editor ofrhs Ieraldl
We, NJ shool District Eight, were
iAutl pleased With lhe prlgT,sa VI
l'fuL Giles success, under the ciTWm,
stances The clAasps In reading ge-
uBlAphJi grammar W4lurWalils AID
FRENCH lll very well lAel Friday.
The actual attendance throughout
llle seven mouths taught, has
averaged nom eighty i've "a ninety.
During the severe weather uf last win,
ltT ana spring all were crowded into
one room with but one stove tn warm
II nearly OF quite q third were with
OUT q single book few, II any, with
null u complement, and not u desk nor
bookcase TO keep these few iu
We did not feel authorized, under
the law m trustees, 10 tXptud tic
iund Ia purchasing books Dor those
who had none, or In purchasing
desks, bookcases, elG. The INV
OF Professor Giles would moi
admit Of his doing soi bring hut
one hundred aud lhy dollars per
month for the first three, winter one
hundred dollars per month for the
next two, aud one hundred aud TWEEN.
ty'llye dollars per month for the other
two, Out OF these sums h0 had % nay
twenty dollars per month for house
rent, for his interchangeable assistants,
Miss Reddlck, the whole term, and
Miss l.. Carlton, the last two months,
and furnished his own wood, leaving
his portion quite small. Our wonder
Is that they did 80 much, under the
circumstances.
A. this closes the county system, the
public school having passed 10 the
city authorities, we beg the indulgence
Ota few suggestions, viz;
First That an efficient school, wheth.
er private or public, cannot be carried
on without money. We understand
the taxable property In the corporate
limits OF the city OF Dallas h three
aud one'halfto four millions OF dol.
lars. The proposed tax oiOne. fourth
ofone per cent on that will produce
ut least $500, The funds from the
state last year TO the city, was about
5000, which will Ice increased by the
poll tax and dog tax, An additional
sum Of $1,000 may be obtained from
the Peabody fund, making some
Sl4, 600 to $4,000 annually. This sum
should build school.houses In each dis.
trict, and run the school ten months
the first year. After houses are COM
pleted, the tax might be greatly 70.
duced. Thus, the means of a good bu.
siness education would he placed In
the reach Of every child raised In the
city, than which nothing would do
more to induce settlers in our city.
The city can adopt an efficient and
uniform system OF discipline, mode Of
teaching and standard books, furnish
books and stationery to those who can
not furnish them, etc, TO that new
set of books will not have to he gotten
and new mode OF teaching tried
every session,
Suitable buildings can he put up,
comfortably warmed in winter proper
seats with desks, book cases, etc, and
there is no reason why just rs efficient
teachers should not he employed, and
the school conducted in ns good n
manner as the test OF private schools
and colleges.
Some object "to sending to public
schools as vulgar and degrading
which we think wrong. City, county
amt state governments are carried on
by the public, yet we notice few, If
any, decline accepting office under
them, while to many these places are
objects OF the greatest solicitude. Chill.
dren are public property, and the pubs
lie should see they are all educated,
There is no reason, if az well con-
Quoted, why public school should not
be considered as honorable as a pri.
vate one.
Others say, ~ have no children to ed
lcate, and 1t is not right for me to pay
TO educate other peoples children"
This Is not satisfactory. You may
have no children, but you have life,
liberty and property to protect. The
state furnishes your protectors, and
this cannot be derived from an igno.
rant and per force vicious population.
In our government, all officers of
whatever rank or grade, are elected
by the people, and it would be as rea-
s0nable to expect corrupt fountain 10
send forth pure water, as that an ig'
norant and vicious population should
select wise and virtuous ralers, 1t is
impossible for the great laboring class,
the overwhelming majority of every
people, to make support and pay tu-
ition for the education Of their chill
dren. 1t can be done by the public
alone. These great masses, well edu.
Gated and employed, make the pride
and strength of their country; but when
ignorant and vicious, they are the ever
fit material for mobs and violence.
But we have taken too much of your
spare time.
JOHN j. EAKlNS,
j. II. CARLETON,