Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-04-19
CONRG.TECATED.

Friend Zittle-I notice that you have
got yourself into snarl about the Free
Schools, and I propose to come to your
rescue. Pitch into them BY all means
and l will stand by YOU ill your nose
gets bloodcd.
You and | must admit that, at first
sight, there is something grand and i'm
posing in a system that secures some
education for everybody, and ! confess,
that, for long time, vas captivated
with Free Schools. like every thing
else, however. this question must DE
viewed in the light Of experience, and,
thi0k We have had trial enough OF our
present system Of schools 10 be able 10
iadgc intslligeutly OF lis practical work
; ing.
No man can fail 70 notice the grow.
ing dissemination Of orr young men TO
learn mechanical trades or 10 work on
tr5ms. One horse preachers, one-hoise
! doctors aad ore horse or one ass t"ach-
ere, sic ~ thick SIS hlarkbcrries in July;
tut ! fsil 10 hnd any man under thirty
yeare OF age with horny hand or g
sun-hurnpd face unlfss he has spent
DAY fishing aud hrs had his skin sun
browncd by the unwonted exposure. II
ie plain that ali OF our young men can
no; earn living at the learned pro!ts-
sion, and that, even ii they could make
money, somebody mist cultivate some
thing for them to eat; and that their
shoes andshrecches MUS; tee made, and
PERHAPS patched. The truth ia, friend
Ziiiip, that in cducsting the tag rag-and
bobtsil at The public expense, you are
filing their heads with notions that will
tend TO your own ruin and theirs, and
iha, YOU are exciting hopes that can not
be realized i'll one case in thousand;
and that 10 spending y"ur money to cl-
evate tie masses, as the eau; phrase
GOES, you are sowing the wiud to
resp Hhills'ind II CommnHitn. SO Is
the case in Germany at present. \ IA
,orile argument with the friends OF FREQ
Schools is tbs, the mixing OF all classes
Of our youth together tends to elevate
the Gepraved. They forget that this
rule, like AZ others, vii! work two
waYs, and human nature is SO constiru-
led, that ! fear the rule works ottener
"the other say" than ss they suppose.
| 90 not approve Of elevating the "
cious st the expense Of those who have
good home influences even were 1t pos
sible 20 10 50. The iu6iscfiminate mix
ing togst her Of Our Youth does no good
to either party, and to one 1t is ruinons.
If you pour quart Of good port wine
into the same vessel with a quart OF
vinegar, You spoil the nobler liquor
without improving the haser.
Let US now consider the working Of
the system in our own county. With
us iii, demoralizing not onlyto the chlld-
rem but to the teachers and she whole
community. See what disgracetu scenes
are enacted among Is at or after the
election OF school officers. The scatter
ing of a handful Of copPers among
crowd OF hsggers never caused more
scrambliug or fighting than the appoint
ment Of teachers, end it is more than
suspected, that the school fund is re
gardcd % 4 legitimate provision LOT
poor relations and broken down relics
OF antiqua,ed genlility. Do yon believe
that next Fall, the most accomplished
professor OF Yale or Cambridge or of
Oxford, could get Tie appointment as
teacher in one Of yonr primaries? No.
sir. The school officers will be elected
with view 10 having certain parties
appointed. right or wrong. And many
who sre as ignorant as those they pre-
tend 10 teach. will not blush to rob the
children Of education, and the taxpay-
ers of their money, and the school Off
GERS will not only permit the fraud, but
they will be active in liz preparation.
know that opposition TO Free Schools
is net popular and l suppose it never
will be so as long as we have universal
suffrage; but as things look at present, l
believe there are some how living who
will see both, together with many 9TH
ers of our most Distinguishing and most
cherished institutions, go down in tie
crash of a revolution compared with
which ",he Reign of Terror" was
mere frolic.