The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-08-13
The Free School Contest.

The election last Saturday re-
suited in the selection of ESQ. j.
R. Bumpass by SO majority over
Mr.. w. G. Davis for school direc-
tor. Not being present to hear the
the reasons urged by friends of ell
ther, we confess we are at a loss to
say what the result means. We
thought that the issue oftree schools
was squarely presented in the per-
son of Mr.. Davis, but now we learn
that Mr.. Bumpass is also a free
school advocate, the only difference
being that while Mr.. Davis favored
a consolidated school, Mr.. Bumpass
favors distributing the fund among
all the schools. There were many
absurd stories circulated concern
ing the matter that misled many
people. The CITIZEN knew these
tales were beng told and it warned
the voters not ''be misled by them.
It was told that Mr.. Davis was Mr..
Mann's candidate, and that Mr..
Ewing was to get 5000 for selling
Giles College to the board, and
that the board was going to spend
all the school money thus and
there would be none left for the ne
groes' schools. This was equiva-
lent to asserting that Mr.. Mann,
Mr.. Ewing, Mr.. Davis and the
whole board of mayor and alder
men were unmitigated scoundrels
honorable, unimpeacheable, intel
ligent gentlemen as every single one
of them are. 1t was a shameful
accusation, and strange to say, it
carried the election.
We assume that all the men in
terested in this contest are honora-
BILE gentlemen and are fighting for
what they conceive to be their best
interests. We know that Esq.
Bumpass is a high-ton gentleman
and will execute the law without
fear. The CITIZEN, however, places
public above personal interest, and
believing that to scatter out
the fund among all the schools will
be an injudicious waste of the mon
ey, we have Insisted that the fund
ought to be consolidated into one
big school. No city or locality has
established a successful school sys
tenn on this scatteratlon plan, and
Notwithstanding it has been repeat
edly shown that the consolidated
plan is the only successful one in
use anywhere, there are still ma
jority of our people who favor di-
viding it up and thus wasting it in
effect. The CITIzEg has been the
friend and exponent of all Pulaski s
schools and would like to see their
teachers all prosperous, but we do
insist that no one persons interests
are to be consulted at the expense
of the public good. This school
ought to be established, if at al,
upon q plan that is known to be
successful. and not upon plan that
is known to be failure. We i'm
peach no mans motives, however.
We are asIliable to be mistaken as
any one, but one thing asserts 1T
self in favor Of the wisdom of our
position: the CITIZEN has no iron in
the fire.
We call upon all our people to
think seriously before they decide
to assist in running the scheme
that promises so much for our town.
We learn that Esq. Bumpass' cleo
tion can have no possible effect, as
he does not come in until Septem
Der and the board has already de
oided to have one consolidated
school. The refunding bond was
made last Saturday, and we are in
formed authoritatively that a hun
dred thousand dollar bond could
have been made if necessary. We
know of some whose names appear
among the enjoiners who now IA
vor the school and we have heard OF
others who voted under a misap-
prehension Thursday. Let's all al
least wait and see what the result
will be and then perhaps some OF
US will be like Lawyer Figuers OF
Columbia who was employed for
$500 to break up Columbla's system
when it was started, but before the
bill came to a hearing the school
children turned out one day a thou
sand strong and marched through
the streets behind q brass band, and
Immediately Mr.. Figuers felt
ashamed of himself and did not
further prosecute the bill. And