The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-11-24
ooRREsPoNDENcE


Albany, Or, New. 81, 1882.
Eds. Democrat: s
''There are those who claim that Ale
tany is going down hill" Pemoerat
New. lT. Aud they are quite correct.
The reason is so apparent, that We be-
lieve If hundred coed business men
were to come to The city aud spend one
week locking for the cause, ninty.five
would te ready at the end Of that time
with their answers, and agree on the
principal cause and tha hrst necessary
step for relief. Did you ever in your
travels see . town where there was life
enough to convince stranger that the
inhabitants were not all simply "wait.
ing for the undertaken where there
Was energy enough 70 make business,
or take advantage Of an opportunity,
witk such q remarkable display of pub
lie school buildings, az we have in this
cityl say Remarkable display sd.
vissdly. You may travel over Oregon,
Washington or any other State or Ter
itery and you will not end another
town that IL not utterly dead, or that
has any hope Of resurrection or resuci-
tation, with such peas to herd their
children in a. the enterprising city of
Albany provides. Now, | de not want
you TO tell this 30 it will get out, but
do you know the school house over on |
the Indian reservation for the little In
diaDs il far superior to any we've gotl
We provide standing room for about
half Of the scholars in town, such as it
is. Then we provide the roughost,
ricksty, straight backed benches aud
worse desks, and herd our children in.
Make rules and regulations by which
they are to be governed, a1d hire a
man to come and train and teach them,
and then we pat ourselves on the back
and say we've done our duty nobly.
Never thinking Of the health and COM
fort Of the children or the moral ten
dsncy Of such gloomy, forbidding and
surroundings. What
brings this subject mere than usually
prominent before as now, ia the grow.
ing sneeess Of our present principal,
Prof Robb. He has clearly proven
bis ability, with half show, TO make
our public schsol local prids-some-
thing taat We can pay our money for
and know it il well invested Some
thing of which strangers will say there
is at least one good thing in Albany.
''To ie successful teacher one must
love children" is principle / believe
by everyone. Now, Mr. Ed
itor, were you ever forced TO inAict
pain and suffering on one you lovedl
Some delicate innocent child perfectly
helpless under your iron hand and
stronger will Ii not, yos have ne Gen.
,eption of what we require of our pub
ic teachers. Will dingy dark unventil-
lted rooms jammed to suffocation with
pupils, blocked and bolstered up in the /
most uncomfortable positions that il
possible to get children in, with yawn-
ng cracks and gaping joints staring
1t. them from every side. The teacher
IS expected to enforce discipline, With
ais mind continually upon the unneces- F
,sry misery around. It must require
| constitution of iron and,nerves of steel
% bear the constant strain. The condi- 1
ion of the Albany school is known all
,yer the valley, and draws people to
,ur town quite as much as pest house. !
10 much fer the reason why 9Albany
s going down hill" Either the lack
II proper school buildings, or because
he citizens are too dead to care for
hem. Now for the remedy. i have
leard some Of the mort prominent busi-
less men say that "a good school house
n Albany would bring back to the tax. II
payers each gear the full amount of the
money invested. Now if they do not 8
more than one half, wnat a
rand Investment that would be. Init
act, everyone that ] have heard speak
f it express about the same mind, but {
II seem to wait for some one to start
he ball rolling. Now, Mr.. Editor,
INT it good time for you to get in !
our work. Start the ball. Keep i
olling all the time nntillt lt rolls up in
, q fine new school house. -
CITIZEN. {
WHY WILL YOU cough when Shiloh'sl :,