, 1879-02-23

dividuals who are, constantly cla1noring for the
| 'tthrec Rs" and nothing else, in our common
Ing, writing and cipherin5, aad still be unable to
guard themselves against all sorts Of imnos;.
| tions. They should be prepared to think an,
| Judge for themselves: should understand tI,.
laws Of nature, and learn OF the history OF III.
world such facts as have been fruitful in 1he nd.
| yancement OF the human family. That Is vLar
! our cotnmon-school system is aiming at, and the
law does not Interfere with or it. But saw
the enemies Of liberal education, such studies
| may be Taught in high schools; they have no
| business in common schools. These indiyiuuaIs
| take paus to misconstrue persstcntty the term
''con.mon schools" as though it meant
" schools OF low grade" This is neither the
construction Ct tue law, nor that OF Linguistic
authorities. Only to the low-miudcd the com
| mon thing Is loI. Let US see what Webster
SAYS on the subject: s'Common School: 4
! school maintained at the public expense, a,d
| open to ALL" The word common, then, is usei
monwealth, whicl. implies certainly nothing low
or mean. The common school may be an Gle.
mentary, grammar, high school, or uni
ycrsity. That this meaning Of the word is also
States and the works of educational authors.
The com1non-schooi system first appeared in
Massachusetts. The statute by which it was c.
tablished provided, according to DR.. Gilman,
these as its essential features: Local respoust-
Diity, State oversight, moderate charges OF
cratuitous instruction; provision for all, and
not for the poor alone; aud recognition Of
three harmonious grades: the primary school,
the grammar school, and the university" In
the days wnen that statute was enacted the
term :. grammar school" was used for such
schools IN which Latin and Greek were taught:
so that the *s grammar school - Of old Is on the
grade OF our present thigh schools" That our
own statute does not certainly intend to limit tie
education in our common schools to the r RI
is evident from the fact that the act itself il
headed "An act to establish and maintain
system OF free schools" All through the act
the terms free schools, common schools public
schools are promiscuously used to express the
same idea. The free schools to be established
shall provide education for children over t; aud
under II years OF age. IT the education was to
be limited to the three RS, why then provide fur
the net requires ia system of schools. ."-low,
high, and highcst,-and plainly provides, in Sec.
IS, Us follows: upon petition OF fifty votern
Of any school township, it shall be the duty ok
the Township Treasurer to notify the voters OF
the township that an election for and
against high school will be held, and ii
majority OF the votes OF such election slall be
found to be in favor OF a high school . it
shall be the duty OF such Trustees to establish
high school for the education OF the more adj
vanced pupils"
What semblance of right, then, have the op-
poneuts OF d liberal Education to lower the
standard and drag down the common SCHOOL,
It is their nature that prompts them to cripple
lAe ii1ek44s VI eiI'1.1AS Aa!u EA'5ueeA4is, tae
people. A sot, an ignorant FELLOW, Is easier im-
posed upon, is easier led, than an intelligent
mind: tnaI Is Inc sum anu SUBSTANCE OF their
policy. Beware Of themI
feope 1a11 ~ tAe e. nisner years o. n1e wlll; With
some twenty years ago. Although our city had
out le" puDl'c otl1iulnSS5, Lone DUE the poor
would send their children to q free school. Nhy
tn1ss II was generaiiy cIalned that the lastruc-
lion was 100 poor, en1luren dlu not learn enough
restricted to little more than the three Ks,
whl'e private schools 1urnsheo instruction
IN other oTanches atso. Inc pubic could not
oe blamed 1Qf w1thnoldlns lhe'r children from
city elected Mr. Wells Superintendent OF In
structlon, thurousnly grated course was estab-
1lshed, tue numDer OF branches was multiplied,
ATTRACTIVE 5 stou.es, sueh as sosa music, drawmg
d tbs. aed edfen M result a is t
schools: than 1I when there are no better schools
IN the CITY. Mill you lose again or even risk the
loss Of this glorious success:
But the cry r. q economy Is raised. 4 deceitful
ton ts the best investment any individual or
community can make. The more We pay
for. schools and teachers, the more We
save on police and prisons. Il the city
cannot Just Tor this moment furnish NIL
the means desired tor tue erection Of new
school-houses, who is to blame for ila We have
to submit TO our misfortune brought on by the
great fire OF lo7l; oil good citizens will manly
strive to make up the losses and work harmoni-
ouslE for the election OF q wise and patriotic
City Government. But there Is one class ct in
diVlduafs who deserve public condemnation, and
they aTe to blaLnc foE the stringency in the city
fnanca5r Lo!-,thee tH-dghters! they are the
traitors to the commonwealth. They should be-
Stunned in public and private; no citizen Of
sell respect should allow them to visit at his
house or to be member of society OF which
be is q member. That was the action OF ancient
De-, rr-1f."