The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-05-09
The Truth Well Snoken.

We cannot occupy SO much space with
truer sentences or more philosophic reflec-
tions than the following taken from the edi-
torial columns of the Richmond State, and
designed to influence the municipal election
in that city. We adopt them as peculiarly
appropriate to Staunton, and ask their
thoughtful perusal by every one of our read
ers
1t matters very little who the mayor nav
be, so only ne is respectable and RESPONSE
BILE citizen, representing the best elements
OF our municipal society. its bone and sinew,
and wealth, as well as its brains, and reflect
ing in his own person its highest morality.
A city is combination OF tradesmen. 1t is
eminently body polite of shop-keepers,
and the anpe'1uns an amperio OF the State.
Here the people are more dependent upon
one another for protection and defence, and
more stringent rules and regulations are re-
quired to preserve order, secure the public
health, and insure the repose of society. All
classes are equally necessary to the perfect
and harmonious working of its economy.
The poor man is as useful as the rich, ana
the learned as the unlearned. Each has hi 5
place and his duty in that place, but there
is no law to bind him to any grade, and
therefore we see constant changes taking
place, and the poor man OF to- day becomes
the millionaire Of tomorrow, and through
the wise provisions of our school system,
which deprives done of any advantage, but
gives to all an opportunity to obtain all the
knowledge that can be taught, the child of
the most ignorant parents may become the
most learned among us and aspire to the
highest place. This school system is the
glory OF our Christian civilization, and does
good wherever it is rightly enforced. Dem
agogues may cry 1t down, to gain favor with
a few exclusives. but the great mass Of the
people know the benefits to be derived from
it for themselves and their children, and
will, therefore, never consent that it shall
be crippled or its efficiency impaired; but
on the contrary, that it shall go on improv-
ing each year, and approaching nearer to
perfection.
There is no demagoguic cant in this de-
mand that the public schools shall be main
tanned inviolate, and that they shall be the
leading feature-the corner-stone-of OUR
municipal po!ity, taking precedence OF the
police system, for the prevention of crime
and improvement of the general morale;
and therefore it is useless for any. one to
raise the cry of demagoguery against those
who advocate the fullest and most complete
system OF education. They are acting upon
the simple philosophic theory of lettering
the mass Of the people through enlighten-
ment and instruction, and making them
more useful as citizens. That education
does this and diminishes crime, there can
be no question; therefore we cannot have
too much fit. The people who live in
cities all contribute equally for the support
of the community worker by his work,
the capitalist by his money, the teacher by
his intelligence-and therefore there is no
sense in this cry Of taxpayer and nom tax
payer. All producers, all who make any
thing and add to the wealth of the world,
are useful and good citizens. 1t is only the
idle and worthless consumer, who produces
nothing and is drone in the busy hive, who
lies under the iaputation of being burden
and not a benefit TO society.