The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-02-18
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
SALT LAKE CITY, Fee. II, 80.

SALT LAKE CITY, Fec. II, 80.
Editors Herald:
The amendment to the School Bill,
offered by Mr.. Jacques and accepted
by the House last Friday, in the
interest of the poor, and which has
caused some discussion, reaGs as
follows
"Any pupil of district school, at
the Cption of his parents or guardian,
or at his own option il he has no
parent nor guardian, may confne his
studies to the four fundamental
branches-spelling, reading. writing.
and arithmetic. Che tuition fee of
any pupil, by or in whose behalf such
option shall be taken, shall in no
case exceed 81 per term, in addition
to his proportion Of the territorial
appropriation"
Perhaps il WculI be impossible to
present sn educational measure that
would be satisfactory TO all persons,
IS some people favor one thing, and
other people favor another thing.
The great fault in the new school
bill, as it was introduced in the
House, was that it contained no pre-
vision for the education of the poor,
no. one solitary provision of that
kind. nor hint nor suggestion OF one.
This was 6 capital defect. The bill
had the appearance of having been
gotten up by school teachers, who
looked at their side OF the question
almost exclusively. Bat the peoples
side OF the question Is at least equally
as important, and should not be
! Ignored, nor passed over lightly.
The amendment above quoted vas
apparently designed TO remedy this
defect, and IN that light was the best
feature Of the bill, in fact the redeem
ing feature of it. | have heard
several people m Ike remarks to this
effect, while some people shake their
heads 10 doubt, and few consider
the amendment impracticsble. Any
thing is imprac!icable to the imprac.
ticables, those who don't want to
make a suggestion practicable. It is
particu arly remarkable how imprac.
ticable every suggestion is to help the
poor, especially to help them without
degrading or humbliDg them. 1t has
been said that there wOulI be an in
vidious distinction drawn between the
81 school child and the So schoo!
child. l think little OF the objection.
There is really nothing in it. Similar
distinctions are quite common in
everyday life and incite no special
remark. We see them il food, houses,
furniture, clothing. in everything.
One man will wear a 81 hat. and
another So hat, but ali Ike to have
some sort of a hat. One man will
live in 81 a week house, and another
IN a 50 week house, but 81. like to |
have some sort of house TO live in.
One man will 81; in 81 chair, aud |
another N q 50 chair, but sll ike to
have a chair of some sort to sit in.
One man will 90 and take a 81 sub |
stantisl dinner, while another will |
not be satisfied with anything less
-LttA q W ietuOy dlbICIs UuE ali ike
10 have a dinner of some sort. 1
rather favor the restaurant plan of
iving-hsve what you like or can
afford, and pay only for what you
lave. At such a place, if you want
25c. dinner. you can have it. Il
'ou want 8 So dinner, you can have
{. You can fare according to your
leeds and circumstances and means.
Bat you do not like to 20 without any
inner at all. Neither 90 you want
0 plead poverty and beg your dinner
! you were really poor and hungry,
nd q plain, substantial lunch was
ct free for anybody, you would have
o scruples against sitting down 10 eat
18th the next man. So with educs-
On-one child may have a 81 edu-
atom and another a So education, :
I'd both without humiliation. But
is bad for a child to have no eddca-
on, and it is humiliating fox him 10