San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-04-11

BILE substances, such as paints, oils, turpen-
tine, alcohol, etc., which II ignited. would
have produced great conaagration.
Words OF Consolation for Trustee.
The correspondent Of the Times signing
himself Trustee will see by the line of dis.
cussion of the school house question outlin.
cd in another column. the various points
raised by him will be properly met. But
as he seems very FESTIVE, We will give him
some present consolation.
First as to the arrangement by which the
Methodist conference pledged itself to
raise ten thousand dollars for the purchase
of buildings or otherwise in aid of Coronal
Institute, provided that the citizens would
subscribe the same amount, the main facts
as stated by us are true. according to his
own showing, viz that while the outsiders
paid large part Of their subscriptions, the
conference did little or nothing, This
point however is rather immaterial, save
as showing how the church, while recrsant
to duty as an organization relied on con-
tributions, public and private, as it has
ever since done, while virtually managing
to preclude competition and compel that
same public to obtain an education for
their children through the channel thus
furnished, or have them 60 without.
Trustees next point is that the In stitute,
though owned and controlled by the Metho-
dist church, is not sectsrian, This is an
abuse of the English language too pitiful
for serious answer. II indeed it is not
sectarian, the plain letter of the constitu.
ton and laws of the state has no meaning.
1. not sectarian, why did the people of this
town, by decided majority, vote to separ-
ate the public school from it mainly ON this
ground Of its being sectarian in
character
Trustee works himself up considerably
over our reference to the fact of the oppo-
sltion of the special friends of Coronal In
stiute to the building of the present public
school house. When we made reference to
this matter in former article we had not
time to refer to the files of the FREE PRESS,
and hence, writing from memory, did not
claim to give exact figures. But by such
reference since, we find the main
points we made abundantly sustain
I'd. Trustee, if then q resident here, ought
10 haye known better than to have provok-
his inquiry. In the FREE PRESS of 1875
appears memorial on the subject from
Major Hutchinson and the late Major Ed.
Burleson, setting forth that the school
rustees- VIGOROUSLY under the influence
If the church and the Instltute-had ille-
yally secured from the county treasury q
sum of money collected by
aw for the building of public school houses.
That they had built house for the Negroes
but failed to build one for the white child.
ZEN of the town, and that this refusal had
continued since 1873. In this the trustees,
u was we'll understood at the time, did the
bidding of the special friends of the Insti-
ute, so that the Times correspondent "de-
,ial" they had any thing to do with this fund
is mere subterfuge. Now as to the
mount of this fund designed for school
building for the white children of the town,
Iessrs. Hutchinson and Burleson in the ar
icle referred to, say that over year be-
ore it amounted to about $4,000. OF
course it was more at the date of their CON-
nunication, and still more at the time of
building the house. It constituted the
main fund for that purpose, SO that our es-
innate of 81 900. 90, could not have been 30
ar wrong. That, however. is immaterial /;
he main fact of the Withholding of the mon
y from its legitimate purpose is establish
d. We append the concluding paragraph
# the article of Messrs. Hutchinson and
,urleson. II is to the point
In the name of the tai. payers, in the
anne of the widow and orphan, We demand
4 these officers that they discharge their
lain duty under the law, and at once APP
'ropriate this money for the purpose for
1hich it was collected.
The Hutchison-Burleson article, how
yer, did not at once have the desired effect,
was not until two or three weeks later,
fter Major Hutchison had appeared oyer
is own signature in a column article for
he FREE Press, that the money was re-
1rned to the county treasury and acquies-
ence yielded to its use in building q pub
Q school house for the white children Of
an Marcos.
Il will thus be seen that some fifteen or
xteen years ago the same opposition and
ION the same source, was manifested to
he building Of public school house as
revails to-day.
The school house was built and school
arted in il. The hostility however did
OF cease. After year or so the Institute
OF control OF the house and school, worked
lem for all they we're worth aud then left
,e house 10 the bats and owls until the
ote Of separation was had, and the present
,hool started Add still the opposition TO
: growth aud progress goes on.
We do not care to enlarge on this branch
our subject al present, but simply ap-
cal TO an inisIligsni public IL re did not
s,s the truth as to the main obstacle 10 .
,oosssfal free school system in San Mar
. for fifteen years pat. and 70 o new