Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-05-11
A Few Words In kepiy.

Our high personal regard for the author Of tie
above c,mmunicaton, whose honorable career as
successful newspaper man entities him to the
respect Of the fraternity re.trains us from present
ing just sach an answer as his naughty and stilty
communication deserves We will, however, VEN
ture q few kindly words.
First his slluson to our report of the meeting
on Wednesday, is extremely unfair and untruth-
full. Only in the white heat of anger would he
accuse US Of making one-sided report Of any
meeting. He knows full well, as Q newspaper
man, that ordinarily such an insulting imputation
would al the outset consign his effusion to the
waste paper basket, without further reading
Secondly, as it . CRIME 10 be chldles. ," ask.
Mr. H. No; except under certain circumstances
We have made no imputation upon the characters
Of the childless ones, but only referred to their
presence in the school meeting to show that they
would be less likely to have that vital personal
interest in the schools as those having children
growing up to be educated. These 'childes,"
ones, whether wealthy or poor land we respect
wealth accumulated by honest il)-hsve precise.
ly the same rights in q school meeting, and no
more as those who have children. Because a man
happens TO be in the possession of wealth his &C
tons are not above criticism or public censure.
Because he has wealth, that is not to exempt him
from the law of common courtesy and common
decency. Wealth does not carry with it the right
to stgmatze the poor man as pauper; and if
sometimes the poor man didn't "hold the purse.
strings Of the community" and our public institn
tons were left to the administration of the parsi
monious wealthy, we should pity the aforesaid
community.
Thirdly, the effort of our corresp Dndent to place
the money question above every other question, is
foreign TO the spirit of our free institutions There
are certain things of great value that money won't
buy. and which you cannot measure by the money
gauge. 1t will not buy an education, though i,
will grease the ways nightly which reach to that
end. 1t will not if self.hly boarded and gloated
over buy the good will of the public, and the
kindly benedictons of your fellow citizens. Would
our correspondent build up a monied aristocracv,
such as existed in the middle ages, and such As
curses the mother country to-day, where the nor
nal condition of the common and laboring people
is that of serfdom, and the landowners and "child.
less wealthy" are the supreme dctators and lords
of creation1 Not quite that Mr.. H., in the vii
lage district of Augusta
Fourthly, our correspondent inquiries sa,cssti
cslly, if the editor of the Journal is "the recog.
nzed organ and official mouth piece of the direc-
tors of the village disricti" The directors ask
for no organ and require none; they will Just go
about their business appropriating the money put
into their hands for the support of schools employ
ing teachers aud trsnsacting their legitimate dut-
les. These duties not to be mapped out by
Mr.. II. or the Journal nor even by the school
meeting, but they are fired by the lars Of the
State. The law establishes this board as a safe
guard of the interests of the people and the cause
of education. The trainers of the law saw it
would not be safe TO entrust these precious inter
ests to the whims or caprice Of the psrsimon ous
and nge ardly; that the ''chdless wealthy" that
old men in their dotage whose names are soon to
be placed upon gravestones, that baldhesded an.
tedeluvian specimens of humanity whose rafting
dry bones have been called together from the val
ley OF Jehosophat to attend school meetings
are not exactly safe custodians to sdudicate upon
living. throbbng measures. And SO the board OF
Directors have certain powers, under the law. no,
to be troubled or set aside.
While disclaiming any connection with the "or.
gan" business, We happen to know that the Jour,