The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1877-03-30
GRADED PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
NUMBER III.

HGMDhh Aiis
As stated in article Number l. the
Public Schools are Kept open only
three months of the year ; on account
of the insufiiciency of the school
fund. Now, the question is, what
shall be done to make the system
more effective aud continuous in its
operation As far as Marietta towns
ship is concerned, the town authori-
ties ought at once to hold a meeting
and consult as to the propriety Of in
augurating scheme.
How would it do 10 levy and APP
propriate the poll tax to educational
purposes Let the poll tax paid by
the whites go to the education Of
white children, and the poll tax paid
by the colored people 60 to the ed
ucation of their children. This would
be equal and fair to both races: aud
as little as Marietta ought to do. 1T
spends thousands for repairing the
streets; preventing property from
being destroyed by fire; and to pro
vide a city for the dead, but what
has it ever done to improve, educate
and elevate the Giving material i'm
mortal ~
All the citizens, interested in the
welfare of Marietta, should cheerful
Iy consent to this wise and benfcient
disposition of the poll tax fund.
There is not a city in the North
that does not contribute largely to
this noble cause, as evidenced by
their elegant school buildings, first
rate teachers and appliances. Then
the Pablo School fund, with the city
school fund, supplemented by the
Peabody fund. and the poll tax, with
all the individual aid that could be
secured, would give the amount nee
essary for the school Of Marietta
township. The other townships
could, in a measure, adopt the same
plan.
The appropriation of the poll tax
is better than the levy of a property
tax. for school purposes, as it would
bear equally upon all, inasmuch as it
is here known, that nearly all the
property in this section is owned by
the whites, and tax levy upon
their property to support the child
rem of both races, would seem to BE-
onerous. This is the reason why the
levy of tax of one>sixth of one per
cent. has been opposed. But we do
need public schools of high order,
conducted on the graded school sys-
tenn and, in our opinion, the plan
proposed is the right one for the
present, By the time of the next
meeting Of the Legislature better
plan may be worked upon. That
body may increase the public school
fund, or grant certain local privi-
leges.
Instead, then, of having half
dozen small schools of 20 or 40 pu-
pills each, as is now the case in this
town, we could have first class
Graded School, where the course of
study would be uninterrupted and
progressive. This plan would not
throw out of employment any good
teachers; as they would be needed
to take charge under the manage
nent OF first class superintendent,
of different grades to which they
would be best qualified and adapted.
Then our people would take
pride in their schools, and private
subscriptions would be added to the
fund as proposed and. after awhile,
elegant buildings would be secured
or erected for their accommodation,
with all the advantages Of modern
improvements, books; libraries, &c
Let us flee from the ghost of ''mur'
de.ed time" end with the Bscouian
cry of "fructus fructus !" strike
the chord of utility and progress
This is what Atlanta, Macon, Au
gusta, Americas and other places
have done, and shall we still cling
to The visionary nature Of the old
philosophy with all its impracticable
NoX.