The Portland daily press., 1879-02-12
MIR. GuptiII ON The High schools.

Mr.. Guptill of Gorham, one Of the promi-
uent Greenbackers in the House, takes sharp
Issue with his party on the High School ques-
tion. In speech delivered last week he re-
viewed the genesis and development Of the
High School in this state, showed that it was
the legitimate and logical outcome of that sys-
tenn of..educatoe on which Maine has so long
and SO justly prded itself, and exposed the
nakedpess of the objections brought against il.
So able defence is peculiarly gratifying from
this source The remarks of Mr.. Guptill con.
cerning the expense Of our High Schools are
neatly put, as will be seen By this extract:
Talk of the expense of our educational sys-
tenn: it costs money We know, but the ex penss
IN this state is much less than tie expense in
many others of the states. We expend for ed
ucatiOnal purposes less per scholar than nine
teen of the other states. We are the twentieth
state on the list in the matter of expenditure
Tor education. Twenty-One of the states pay
male teachers higher wages than we do, and
thirty of the states pay female teachers higher
wages than Maine.
Ia population we rank the fourteenth state
in the Union, and the fact that the people of
this state raised last year more than 100000
10 excess of the legal requirements shows cou-
clusvely that we are not having too much
moneV for school purposes. And what is the
great expense of this school, talked about and
magnifed into such enormous proportions. SIX
cents per capita. Only six cents for every
mao, woman and child in the state. Not
enough to buy good cigar apiece, less than
seventeen cents on $1,000 of the state valua-
ton, and this sum is affordlng advanced edn-
cation to $4,000 pupils, two-thirds of whom are
the sons aud daughters of poor, but worth,
parents, who could not get an education in any
other way. We should willingly aid in this
matter, and not be actuated by this peDurious
idea. In the language of an eminent writeI:
"Fhe race of mankind would perish, did
they cease to aid each other. From the time
that the mother binds the child's head till tn.
moment that some kind ass slant wipes the
desth-tamp from the brow of the dying, we
cannot exist without mutual help. All, there
fore, that need aid, have right to ask for it
power OF granting can refuse it wthous guilt
The municipalities, or many of them, are
suffering from high taxation, and it is a mat
ter of r+gret that it is so. Strict economy has
been exceptional. Extravagsnce and reck-
lessness have oeen the general rule. and this
is the main cause Of the great burdens COM
planned OF. The main cause is local.
Many OF the towns have invested largely 10
railroad stock aud bonds, and are compelled to
pay large sum- for interest, annually, and
there are many other schemes that are cob-
stantly drawing largely from the people. We
all regret that it is SO; bat we can not and
ought not to cripple )ur educational interests,
for the purpose of easing up these munlcpali-
ties, that have brought heavy burdens upon
themselves, BY their own reckless acts. No
excuse whatever should be accepted for dt.-
turbing tuis beautiful system Of education,
which IS so capable of doing such good service
to all classes of our people. The system is SO
perfect that human Ingenuity could hardly i'm
prove it. Ia the name of justice, let it alone.