San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-04-25
THE SCHOOL HOUSE QUESTION.

The Grand Foundation LAID
in 1eras.
In our quotation last week from
the American addition to Chambers
Cyclopodia, occurs tho following
passage;
Before the civil war there was no
general woll-orderod system OF Com
mon Schools in the southern states.
But in their new state constitutions
the have made provision for them,
and are now pressing forward the
work.
The fact stated in tho first clause
of tho above will not be disputed.
The reason is obyious-the existence
of "the peculiar institution" necessi-
tated large plantations, 80 that COM
munities were not sufficiently com
pact TO maintain such schools, even
Lad there been no other cause. But
there were other obvious reasons. The
large land and shareholders were able
to hire competent private teachers
for their children, or send them to
the best educational institutions else
where; and 80, rs human nature goes,
became indifferent to the educational
wants of the poorer classes Of their
own race, until it came to be believed
that they were better of, in the
sphere to which fortune seemed to
have allotted them, in state Of ig-
norance. It is true there was some
sort OF pretenso of schools for this
class, but they amounted to very
little. The teachers we're of the class
known in Southern literature rs sold
field schoolmasters," men Of learning
sometimes, but generally more dis
tinguished for the severity of their
discipline than for their temperate
habits or stability or worth rs citizens.
Their style has not been unknown in
Texas, and the name of one, at least,
will recur to many of our readers in
this connection.
A STRANGE THING EXPLAINED.
Right here let US remark that this
state of things, prev ailing for II cen
tury or two, will account for what
seems so surprising and unaccount-
able to q northern man on coming
south-the actual hostility which too
generally prevails to the public school
system. The old timo ruling class
would of course hold this position,
and, strange to say, they managed
largely to indoctrinate even tho 'poor
whites with the same preposterous
spirit. They were made to look up
ON free public schools as sort of
charity affair, instead OF one of their
dearest and most sacred rights, as
they are now regarded throughout
the north and west, and slowly being
recognized at the South. We fire.
quently hear men of this prejudiced
class bitterly denouncing free schools,
who, had they enjoyed their priv
leges in youth, would have been
vastly more intelligent members of
society. Poor follows! "They know
not what they do"
We refer to these facts, not by way
of reproach or disparagement of the
South, but merely by way Of expla-
nation the circumstances which so
long environed them conspired to
render different course and different
views well nigh impossible. And we
are glad to know, rs stated in the
the authority above quoted, that the
tide is slowly but surely setting III
favor of public schools and the widest
general education throughout the
South, rs we'll as elsewhere. tits not
indeed reasonably to be expected
that prejudices SO long predominant
can very soon be entirely eradicated
but the signs of the times are auspi
cious.
A YANKEE INSTITUTION.
But we fancy we hear a general
cutlery among this prejudiced class
that public schools are peculiarly q
yankee institution, and hence to be
repudiated by all true southerners.
1t is true, as we stated in our last,
that they originated in New England,
but they have long since lost their
local character. The Great West has
become as much the stronghold of the
public school system as any other
portion of the Union, and the South
must follow next. But even if this
were not the case, shall il besnid that
no good can come out Of the yankee