The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-01-28
The School Law.

l LlO SOuOO4 14dWa
That every one may see exactly
what the law is that gives US the
free schools, how it is to be execu
ted and by whom, we publish it en-
tire elsewhere. As we stated las
week, the city and district boards
have consolidated the fund and
children outside the city limits may
attend this school for the first ten
months. We do not believe that
this is permissible under the, law.
The first power granted in the act
is, to establish q system of free
schools for all classes of children
IN SAID toa0n." Sec. makes it plain
that the legislature contemplated
the city and district schools shall
be separate, and it points out the
manner in which the fund is to be
divided. Sec. 4 lays down the man
ner in which children living out
side the city limits may gain adj
mission, and by one of the COM
monest rules of interpreting stat
utes, this excludes all other means.
The town is nowhere granted pow
er 10 establish a school for children
outside the limits, and when the
statute undertakes to point out the
means by which an outside pupil
may be entered, all other means are
excluded.
If the statute does not admit of
the Interpretation we give it, still
we think it exceedingly unwise in
the board to mix the city school in
with the district school. The board
thus offers a premium to the man
in the country who wishes to get
his children into our schools to
squat just outside the corpora
ton line. He avoids taxes thus
and gets into school. He doesn't
get any more than his just pro
rata, perhaps, but he gets into a
better system, and he gets advan-
tage of the things that cost Pulaski !
and her people many dollars, much
hard thought to establish and many |
hard words. The outsider is not
only not entitled to these advan-
tages, but we offer him a premium
to rent or build just outside the
city limits, and thus we cut off the
very best effect that the graded |.
schools were to have on Pulaski.
We think the schools ought to be
and rigidly kept solely |
FOR the benefit of Inhabitants, and
thus make it to the Interest of all
men to seek citizenship here, in
stead of offering them an induce
ment to settle outside.
The act ought to be now entitled
IAN act to build up the suburbs of
Pulaski and to educate the chill
lren outside" When the CITIZEN
avored a system of graded free
schools for Pulaski it was moved to
t by an earnest desire to build up
he town. We wanted to see a
school established here that would
make Pulaski famous and impel
,eople to seek citizenship here, SO
hat the town would be built up and
business increased,
We hope the board will reconsid-
r their act of consolidation. They {
ave squeezed out of the movement '
he only element of real substan tial i
'enefit. If Pulaski is not to be
'uilt up by this, then let's go back {
o the old method and not tax our
eople enormously for nothing.
Have the citizens of Pulaski :
bought of these things2 We con- $
ider it our duty to call the tax
ayers attention to it and to in
ist that this wrong step be recov :
red before il is too late. If we are
,roDg, or if the citizens of Pulaski
re satisfied to let it be as it is,
hen we shall not interpose further s
riticism, bat we shall lose all con-
dence in the system as far as the T
God it will do the town,
The new board of aldermen
leet tonight. Will it investigate b
t once and see whether or not this Is
tep is legal, and whether or not /
ne free schools have been shorn
the very best feature? I
rrT7 imam on nDTuRTnO zrTTcm ID A DIN e