The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-05
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Thu City schonls

Ine City SCHOOLS.
To the Editor of the Indianapolis journal.
Perhaps the School Board are asses. No
doubt they seem so to good many people just
now Such are usually the first impressions of
people when they begin to think on a matter
they had neverb bestowed a minutes thought on
before. The philosophy of it all is that no one
ever gets perfect impression of a thing at the
first glimpse, though they usually think they do.
But the School Board may be wrong, too I
know that is possible, and perhaps they are a
set of asses. But it must also be said that they
have large constituency of asses also-dead
and alive The present system was organized
many years ago, and there are still members in
the board who have been elected, year after
was going on all this time
Is it not about time to cease fool-criticism?
Your correspondent Anarchy" in Fridays
Journal. sent the iron to the heart of it. What
ever the schools are, are what they have been
made by the people of this city. dead and alive.
What they are, are the slow growth through the
attrition of thought through the long years of
OF the past The evolution has not been differ
ent from that through which all other insttu-
tons have been developed. But this is not the
way the matter is now treated. Anarchy" was
not only very precise in the shots he sent TO the
heart of the slosh, but most happy in the choice
OF his nom de plume. This whole year, far,
has been full of little else than anarchy. have
my idea of the origin aud impel.ing causes be-
hind it all, but don't want to discuss them now.
Evidently anarchy is contagious. It seems to
have begun with the discharge Of Hall from the
railway service in Texas, and spread to
all departments Of life and thought.
but it didn't. It's root is deeper.
But passing ali that suppose we rally little
good sense on this city school system question,
and not go to pieces in passion over the dis
c0very that we have multiplied school popula-
ton more rapidly than we have increased values
on fixed basis of school support and therefore
that 1t costs proportionately more to support
them. know that additional expense in any
direction is an aggravation in times like these.
But the father who should get into a passion
for being compelled to buy an additional pair of
shoes for his growing family from year to year,
would not seem more foolish than some people
do over this school matter. And if in his mad
ness he put his family on half rations on that
account it would not make him seem less like a
fool. Suppose we start a solution of the school
problem here with agreement as to the facts:
l. The schools and the system are what we
have all made them
2. If they wrong in any respect, we are
equally to blame for the wrong.
3. If schools are good and the system a fair
one, the inadequate sum of money for their sup
port comes of the fact that the growth of school
population is very much greater than the growth
| of the revenues on fixed basis of levy for sup
port.
Now these are plain propositions, and no
amount of defamation and assertion can put
them aside. Then if we agree these three
points, we proceed easily to solve
the questions involved Either thai the
consensus of not only this city, but
OF all others, is wrong as to the
need of such system, or that it is right If the
latter, the remedy for the present embarrass-
menti is plain. If the former, we can easily cut
off fhnC ucfoy o,Ay 11okA oa1xv
| universal concensus, defiantly cut down our sys-
| tenn. continue to pay Difference and taxes to sup
port State universities and State normal schools
to educate such of our wealthy classes
afford to send to them, and, finally, import our
teachers from Podunk, and send the children of
the the poor, who are educated and become our
teachers under the present system, into the
factories to work at 10 cents dag, or gather
rags on the streets. In any event, we can peace
fully settle the matter amicaby among ourselves.
each sharing the responsibility for the past and
present.
In the meantime, want to enter an early pro-
test against that kind of civilization which pro-
poses to continue making people good citizens by
statute, legislative action and the Judiciary, viz
which expends millions for the enactment and
enforcement of criminal law through courts.
prisons and police, and only thousands for mold
ing the helpless shapeless. plastic clay born into
the world at somebody else's election If twenty
five cents on the hundred dollars valuation of
property is five cents too much for any one God
have mercy on his poor, lean, stingy soul.
INDIANAPOLIS, June A. JOHN B. CONNER.
Gen. Browne and the Oleomargarine Bill.
To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal.
Our Representative in Congress. Gen. T. NJ.
Browne. has felt that your special from Wash
ington, of recent date. concerning his position
on the oleomargarine bill, was of sufficient inn
portance to require him to card the public in
answer thereto. He says II am not aware
that my effort to secure a fair and just cleo
margarine bill has excited the least dissatisfac
ton in my district Not whisper of the kind
has reached me-" The General has not had his
ear close to the political ground in his district,
or he might have heard some mutterings of dis
satisfaction if not of absolute disgust, at his eff
fort to secure fair and just bill By the way,
what particular effort did the General make to
secure such billl We have IAN honest and
lawful home industry" here in our little city,
that employs, ordinarily, sixty men, and furn-
ishes MARKET for the products (butter, pure
and unadulterated) Of 'lawful home industry"
to the Generals whole district and much other
country round about. This lawful and honest
home industry. ordinarily, does business OF
million dollars annually, but the crude imperfect
counterfeit can be placed on the counters of our
merchants at a much less price, thus. in large
measure. destroying the employment of the
sixty men, the market of the Generals district,
and the investment of a million Of dollars annu
ally. This in very small corner of the old
Sixth district What it does elsewhere can be
measured in the same way. not to say anything
about the evils Of an adulterated article of food
There is not a farmer in this district or in any
district in the State, for that matter that is not
manufacturer of a surplus of butter product
that must now come into competition with this
adulteration called oleomarearine Yet Mr.
Browne thinks there IS no dissatisfaction be-
cause of his vote on the bill. He says that the
bill cannot be passed in its present shape, then
why not offer such amendment as will make it
just and fair. and show his constituents that he
is honest in his opposition to t9 s.
UNION Cry, June 9, 1886.
The Colonization Society.