Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1888-12-08
Answer to Mrs. Vaughan.

issue appears an article in "Answer to Correc-
tion,' in which the writer claims that the word
LARGE and not LARGER appeared in the original
manuscript. Whether the one, or the other was
used is matter of but little moment as it was the
entire clause, and not the word to which I called
attention; not in the spirit Of criticism, however,
but because | thought the writer did not intend it
to convey the meaning it most certainly did, aud
does still, as it stands.
+ Permit me to quote the passage referred to,
"The large per cent of vicious children who attend
these schools make them as powerful agents for
evil as for good May | ask the writer what
would be considered a large per cent? Perhaps
our methods of computing percentage differ and
what she would consider very large might con-
slider an extremely small per cent, or vice versa.
But let me say, as [ did from the first, it is not
the per cent, nor the word large, but the statement
that ''the public schools" become through these
''vicious children as powerful agents for evil as for
good" zz#
4 am sorry to learn that the writer 'st believes
this to be fact s'Can corrupt tree bring
forth good fruit? BY their fruits we shall know
them" Look abroad over our fair land and point
out to us some of the 'evil influences that coun-
terbalancs the multitude OF blessings conferred on
all classes, both rich and poor, by these public
schools ..f-
Ignorance and vice are twin sisters that go hand
in hand, and history tells sad stories of those
countries where free education is denied the
masses.
But it was "from the moral point of view and
not the Intellectual" 1 did not for moment con-
slider it from any other than the moral nor did [
so construe the meaning Of the article, or any part
Of it. Nd -..-.,.
The writer says 81 still think that they should,
as all good things, conduce to the greatest good to
the greatest number That is their aim tell us,
please, wherein they fail
am glad to know that as teachers we are not
held responsible for evil influences exerted in our
schools of which we may be ignorant"
''But this ignorance of the eating cancer of
moral depravity is fact to which would gladly
direct the attention of the teachers of our public
schools, says the writer. | answer, that as true
teachers, we are ready at all times to investigate
questions Of vital Importance for The Improvement
of our schools. eff, after careful and thorough
examination of this subject ''the large per cent
OF VICIOUS children VINO attend these schools, CAN
BE FOUND, will be MORE than surprised. | have
taught in these same public schools almost fifteen
years, and have been brought into direct contact
with more than as many hundreds of Children Of
hundreds of families, and 50 speak from personal
knowledge and experience. OF THESE CHILDREN, l
conscientiously affirm, that have not met this
''large per cent"
Yes, we have heard the old tale of the rotten
apple corrupting the basket of sound ones, but if
memory serves one faithfully, there was nothing
done to correct it's ''evil influence" Not so the
school, governed by wise laws made to reach and
control such Influences AT no time does the pub
lie school ever, or in any sense, become reform
atory If children of pronounced vicious tenden-
cies enter these schools, the remedy lies in the
hands of the teacher, and the retaining of such
pupils would be, to say the least. NEGLECT Of duty