The Russellville Democrat., 1880-12-02

receiving Laoo a year. aad they wers found with only ons boy in { school.
 l We shAll now sndeavnr lo narrxts faw of the many historical events connected with. and oi vKsE imp0r tance so ourselves.
 UsIted States of America. the most powerful nation of the west~rn hemisphere. and the largest republie in the world, has a record ot free pubic schools which holds the rsins of the universe. Tae ehaFmntsm oi the early coionists of North America courageous, independent. and in. tolerant of oppression wouldof itself furnish prssumpsive evidence that tue course Of education in the New World was nos neglected. Positive evidence on this point however, is not wanting. The earliest records of the colonies attest the truth of the arrangement for the proper instFue. ton of their children. This is par. ticularly true of the New England States, and a forcible illustration of it. is afforded in the early school Legislation of Massachusetts in its famous school law of l647. The first trace of anything like psrms- nent fund for school purposes is found at very early day. However, not until 1S34-35 a most important step was taken for placing the pub. lie common school system of the states on a firm financiai basis. PHILADELPHIA. The first school opened in this city was a private English school conducted by Enoch Flower, in 1888. The society of friends established a public school in 1889. In 1776 . permanent free school system was established.
 The school system oi this colony when It became distinct state in 1920, was the same as that of the parent state, Massachusetts. A gen eral law was enacted by them in 1921.
 | NEW HAMPSHIRE. The first act of the government in regard to school was enacted in 1880, and was passed, and established in 1893.
 VIRGINIA,
 The oldest of the thirteen original states of the American union; from 1776 to 1865, the education of the people was an object of solicitude, even during the revolutionary war, they, with MT. Jefferson at their head, battled In favor of a scheme of free schools. In 1s40 they created a literary fund, which was at nrst devoted exclusively to the education of the poor. In ls40 they estab- lished system of free pubhc schools. OHIO.
 The germ of public education m Ohio is to be found Tn the ordinance of July 13, 17S7. In 1898 s state school fund of $200, ,000 was created, and & county and local tax for build ing purposes was made, and report from teachers required.
 NEW YORK.
 The City of New York, the me. tropolis of the state, and the chief emporium Of the United States, and the most populous city of the west ern continent; the history of educa- tion in this city commences almost with it's first settlement hy the Dutch, who, in their own country, had already realized the importance of free education. Neither the per ils of war, nor the busy pursuits Of gain, nor the excitement of political strife ever caused them to neglect the duty of educating their offspring. And as carly as 1633 schools were everywhere provided at the expense of the public.
 KENTUCKY.
 The first step taken by this state in the interest of education after it's admission into the union was in l79S, when by act of the legislature, 5000 acres of the pubic lands were given to the Franklin, Salem and Kentucky academies, and Lexing- ton and Jefferson seminaries. In lS05-0S these privileges were ex- tended to all the counties of the state. In 1S3S the first law for the establishment of a general system of common schools was enacted. In lS47- AS her people proposed to levy tax of two per cent. on each one hundred dollars for common schools, the result of which election showed . majority of 36,8S2 votes favoring the taxation. In 1S49 the state bends for school purposes were for. ever dedicated to common school interests.
 ARKANSAS.
 The constitution of 1886 contain ed declaration to the effect that knowledge and learning generally diffused through the community are essential to the preservation of free government" and in 1868 the law relating to free schools provided that there should be a superintend- ent of public instruction, and crested and supported system of freo com mon schools for the gratuitous edu- II. .I