Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1880-03-04

directors in regard to the plan OF governing the
school, and think that was more Of misun-
derStandng than q difference of opinion.
However, the school run down in interest and
the teacher called a meeting Of the directors
and they all met N consultation and talked the
! matter over in pleasant way and buslness-like
manner, as they thought The teacher explained
the matter in gentlemanly and honest way
He said he would rather close the school, so the
directors considered the matter. The teacher
| said he would teach his time out if they wished
| him to do so, but under the circumstances it
would be lost money to the district, or nearly
| 50, and the directors thought the same. Things
| were rather in an unpleasant shape to run the
| school to advantage, and the directors thought
| it not best to waste the money for which Mr.
Enquirer wants "value received" The direc
| tors and Mr. Enquirer are together on that
point. The only trouble see there is that the
directors thought perhaps, under the circum-
stances it might possibly be better to risk their
own judgment, with that Of the teacher. in re-
| gard to closing the school than that Of Mr.. En-
| quirer, as they were fully acquainted with all
the facts in regard to the condition Of things in
Joint Sub-District No. /. Yet there were only
| four against one (That may be why he refers
| to the Maine trOubles,) These directors were
elected by the voters of the above named dis
trCt and were sworn into office. Therefore
they were acting under Oath and, / have no
| doubt, did what they thought was right and
best for the district think it is likely that the
directors have as many big boys that ought to
| be in school as Mr.. Enquirer has, but nOtwith-
| stunning All IulS, liz III lUGlI JuuSlututs JUbN
thought that the patrons (as he calls them were
| not getting " value received" for their money
it was their duty to close the school
| don't claim that these directors made no
mistakes; neither do | claim that the teacher
made no mistakes, as we are all imperfect to
some extent; therefore we expect mistakes, and
| hope the people will make all necessary allow
ance, for it does look like the voters of said dis
! trict made a sad mistake when they elected the
| present board of local directors, when at the
! same time there were other men in the district
| who felt themselves fully competent to fill the
office with credit to themselves and honor to the
| district. ! hope the voters will hereafter keep
an eve to that, and not let that kind of talent
go to waste, for it is very rare IN the above dis
| trict; and hereafter when you find an intelli-
gent man at school election electiOneering for
| himself, don't let the ballots when counted out
count him but one vote, and then say you know
how he came to get that vote, which is as good
as to say he voted for himself. What if he did?
This is a free country, and man has a right to
vote for who he pleases; and if he sees more
talent for school director in one man than an
other it is his imperative duty to vote for him.
Well, the school is closed, and the directors
feel sorry for the teacher, as he has acted very
gentlemanly in telling them that he could not
do them justice, and proposed giving up the
school rather than take their money without
giving them "value received" The directors
concluded to say butlittle about the matter, and
let it wear away as quietly as possible, as all
such things should do. The directors made
some effort to get another teacher, but failed,
and then came to the conclusion to wait until
the spring term would commence, and thought
the matter was quiet, as they wished it to be,
and heard but very little said about it for about
a week, and their minds began to be somewhat
at rest. But alas! here comes great flaming
article in the HERALD from Mr. Enquirer ask
ing Whose was the fault?' of which | can't
understand the allusions nor the inference.
But he has blown the inquiry to the world, as
though he thought that would be the best way
to find out who was in the fault. Perhaps if he
4 ha
that article by asking the directors or teacher
about the matter, he might have been able to |
have answered the great question which he has
sent to the world himself, don't propose to
answerthe great question, but Go propose to
examine his article alittle.
Well, he commences in this wise: We, the
patrons Of School District No. l, Paint town
ship have been treated to a broken dose Of the
louisiana aZoo- Maine plan in our school," |
Why he alludes to these things i can't tell, |
Docs the gentleman think that perhaps away
down in the cypress swamps Of LOulslana,Where
they believe in spOOks, witches and ghosts and
all hobgOblins OF q superstitiOus age, there
might be one that would come forth and cOnjure
out the all-absOTbing question? | think not. |
Or does he think that If one would come out
as a candidate for school director against the
present board he would be treated as candi- !
date for Sheriff was last fall in YazOO? If that
should be the case it would not the ques-
ton at issue. But you have no fears about that.
You or any other intelligent man is at perfect
trict No. l.
Or does he think if he blows this matter away
to the State of Maine where the Yankees have |
two Governors and run two Legislatures at the
same time in one small State-Where they have !
their election ideas frightened up to the high |
est state of briliancy-that some keen, sharp, |
shrewd, real bluebellied Yankee will take hold |
and solve the great question at once? think
not.
combination being complete success, and the |
count, as it now stands, the school is counted |
out until about April y, 1880" | must confess
that here again is something that don't un-
derstand. Mr.. Enquirer may think that some |
of these men who go away up into Minnesota |
and Wisconsin, in the birch sWampS and piner- |
les, in the winter season, to get out lumber |
(where they have to go in companies, carrying |
their FeVOlVers to keep off the bears and other |
wild beasts while they hack out road through |
the birch swamps) will be at leisure as soon as |
the sWamps thaW out so they can't log to ad- |
vantage, and some of them will take hold of
the question and work it out to demOnstra- |
ton and have the answer here by the 18th of |
April, when school opens again. l hope they |
will
Mr.. Enquirer further says: And the teacher |
well. for aught know, he is counted out in
definitely" Poor fellow! that may be long |
time, but think if this matter had not got into
the newspapers, or even if the facts had been .
correctly stated, and not coupled with the Lou
isiana- YazOO- Maine troubles, he would have |
been counted in before eternity would have
gone half way round.
Again he saws: And at sending of present
dispatches the local Board Of Directors hold the
fort" What language! That reminds one of
war times Hold the fort!" That infers that
there has been a battle. What stuff! Some
thing | suppose the teacher and directors never
thought Of When he says ' fort" does he mean
the school house, If he does l have no doubt
but he or any other civil, intelligent gentleman
can have access to the "fOrt'' at any time. He
saws "it may not matter to them how long they
hold it, but to some of the patrons it does matter
a great deal Just now when we want to send our
This admit, is unfortunate for those who nave
big boys; but perhaps it is better to have them
at home at work than to have them in school
where they do no good.
Again he says sit matters because we pay our
proportion of the tax for school purposes, ana
we expect value received " That is what the dl-
rectors want and as 1 stated BEFORE that is
why the school is closed
Again he says that it matters furthermore be-
cause Fayette county boasts OF her excelsior
school system and perfect teachers, and this
case cOntradicts both somewhat. Well that
does look little that way but have long since
come to the conclusion that Boaster is neither
school system nor school teacher, and not very
often even school director, and never TOOK
much stock in him, though have frequently
seen him, and my ways and actions frequently
contradict him. Therefore l have never de-
rived much benefit from him, although he ap-
pears to be q great comfort and consolation to
some people. | always thought he amounted,
in community, to about the same as neWspa-
per popularity to a school director,
He further says, The report from the 'front.'
now is that on Saturday two Of our firm direc-
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