The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-03-23
The Proposed sch0o, Tax

While tho spirit of the ago is progressive
| ii ia AT the same ''time mercenary, and while
the business of education should not DO con
Quoted solely with An eye 70 dollars and cents
yet each one of ia Is entitled 70 mn opinion
MS to the best way Of using tho peoples mon
oy for that purpose, and while il may be the
privilege OF those in authority TO constitute
themselves high priests Of tho power that
controle tho interests of tho people and by u
little "briot authority" build up barrier be-
tween the people and the city government, it
would be better to pause and exchange n few
words across tho border concerning the meth
DDS best suited 10 sid in the education Of the
children, us well rs tho means OF placing
Dallas upon proper footing. Before the
people vote upon the proportion to levy an adj
dilOnal tax OF twenty Thousand dollars year
for two years,th taxpayers would be pleased
to know when, whore, and how many school
houses arc to be built,what tho plans of build
ing are, who arc TO disburse the money, what
facilities they propose TO offer tho people of
tho surrounding country who might wish to
select Dallas M " proper place TO educate
their sous and daughters and should the funds
give out whether they propose TO levy an ad-
ditional lax, etc, etc. In the absence of any
plan will suggest one, if | can DO pardoncd
for the presumption.
In the first place would not levy o special
school tax for building six ward school houses,
because tho fret years tax will not build all
tho school houses, which will create dissatis-
faction smong those who do not 70. thom.
There ara other objections. Instead Of levy.
ing the tsx OF forty thousand dollars for the
two years, | would issue forty thousand dol
lars in bonds, so that the funds could be com.
manded as fast as needed; thon, with these
funds would build magnificent college or
graded school building, with capacity TO
accommodate one thousand pupils or more
(which is twice the number that has attended
herelofore) which | would equip with corps
of professors and teachers of the highest
character rs teachers, with superintendent
etc, and would make that school equal TO
tho best college in tho country. Such q
school would require tcwor teachers, aud for
that reason the best talent could DO had by
paying higher salaries. would 20 for tho
quality rather than tho quantity OF teachers.
Individuals mako education or teaching
an occupation for proiityet their success do
ponds upon tho character Of tho school and
whether it is established and conducted upon
business principles orno. The school house for
colorod children may DO Of less dimensions,
rs il is not likely there will DO MS much
patronage from outside tho city. Suppose
by proper inducements, we could secure the
attendance of five hundred students annually
from abroad in addition to our own children
and young men and women above tho
scholastic age, how would that affect Dallas?
as business proposition, our people have
no direct interest in tho profits OF railroads
or cotton factories or rolling mills, or any
thing OF that kind, but it pays them TO aid
these enterprises in every way possible, even to
tho taking Of money out OF their own pockets,
because common business sagscity tells them
they will DO amply reimbursed in the growth,
wealth and business prosperity of The city.
Should the city build four school houses for
tho white and two for the colorod children,
to be conducted Us they have boon or will DO,
could we reasonably look for patronage from
outside of Dallas, and would We not DO under
the necessity Of sending those above tho
scholastic age 20 other places where the
schools arc of higher character Or in
other words, what use would tho outside
world DO to us if our institutions consisted of
common ward schools? The advocates OF
separate ward schools hive only ono argu-
ment, and that is, children have too far to
go TO school, which | think is all stuff. Who
among tho advocates Of separate ward schools
has not trudged oil his one, two or three
miles year after year, whom no was boy ?
No child should DO sont TO school under the
ago OF eight years, for schools arc frequently
buydened with children too young 10 receive
any benefit, sent there by parents for the
want of nurse at homo. These suggestions
arc respectfully submitted. WIS