San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-03-14

sluV vi the SCHOOL House VucS'iOn.
Editorial Rejolnder.
In accordance with the well-known
line OF conduct of the FREE PREss, 10
give both sides of oil questions Of
I'pubilc interest, We give place to the
communication below and follow it
by some comments OF our own:
EDITOR FREE Pass Mayor Hardy
says, LET us reason together" referring
to tho proposition to erect an additional
school building,
II it can DO shown that we need an extra
house for school purposes. and the need so
urgent Notwithstanding hard tunes and the
scarcity Of money! that delay is impaeti-
cable, then of course, no one will object,
But is this the case remember only
Il few years ago, when men and ladies too,
were cheerfully giving to build up Coronal
Institute, and It's benefits to the town OF
San Marcos and surrounding country were
loudly procaimed-that in consequence OF
this institute San Marcos Ould become an
educational centre &c. Scarcely were the
present walls completed and the school in
good running order when men began TO
complain, saying it was Methodist school
controlled by the Methodist church aud
consequently sectarian, therefore should not
be allowed any of the public school funds
until, by vote Of the people, the town of
San Marcos assumed control of the public
free schools, and ever since, no one who
patronizes Coronal Institute can receive any
benefits from the Sta te aid, /. 0. are denied
the use of any portion of the funds furnish
ed by the State " hich certainly intends that
all shall share and share alike, Why clog
the use of this institution by saying by our
acts, that no friend of Coronal Institute
shall have a single dollar to aid in the edu-
cation of his or her children Is this what
was reasonably expected when this enter
prise was undtrtakenp was assured by
one of the principals of this school to-day
there is ample room for one to two hundred
more pupils at this time inside the college
walls. If the free school is crowded, why
not relieve it by allowing some to go here,
thereby, for the present at least, saving the
necessity of new and costly building !?
Besides why give oil the money to Prof.
Williams school2 Why is it that schools
seem to be the only enterprise in life that
needs no competition All people are not
alike-some will buy goods from Messrs.
johnson IL johnson, others, from j. V.
Hutchins, while still others at different
places, although they may all be of one
price and equally worthy. For the same
reason, people will prefer different schools,
teachers ETC.
In this connection, am informed by his
honor, Judge Kone, that Notwithstanding
all the free school money, say $1,000, the
entire white scholastic population of our
city, that about fifty per cent of the pupils
in the scholastic age attend the present free
school, receiving not only their own half of
the State allowance, but the other half too.
In fact, some one told me that Prof, Will
liams alone drew 5000 of this money,
Don't understand that blame Pref. Will
liams-not in the least-but l must certain
" protest against educating a part of the
rising generation to the exclusion of an
other portion, and at the same time to be
kindly invited to walk up and vote another
burden for the benefit of this select or fat
half. No, Mayor Hardy, I would much
prefer to stand with you and Mr.. Julian,
and watch the boys under 10 work on the
streets. But right here | want to ask,
who will pay the street commissioner, and
who will feed the mules, while the boys
under iudicous management macadamize
the streets of San Marcos? And if 100
men work five days each and there should
be say 3l5 working days in the year, will
not one and half hands represent your
daily working force.
But Mayor Hardy shows how easily
$40 900 can be put into n nice building {;
and 80 900 more used il tho purchase of
site. all by the process of issuing bonds
bearing 6 per cent interest, Well take his
figures. He says that 25 cents tax on the
hundred dollars on the property of San
Marcos, will produce $1S75 revenue. He
forgot to tell us that there might be some
delinauents, and that the assessor and COL
lector would probably charge something
near one hundred dollars each year, for his
services. However, If all his propositions
are correct. let us see how much the people
of San Marcos would pay before canceling
the last bond. He proposes to raise 1885
each year for twenty years. this will make
exactly 1877, 500 to carry out his programme
that we would finally pay for this build
ing. So that it would be costly luxury.
especially if the people when it was complet-
ed, legislated against it as they do Coron-
al Institute.
Besides is q school building all we need?
How about our streets and side walks? 1t
men subject to road duty 5 days each, that
the town owns o pair Vt mules, scraper
&c, and that with these men judiciously
managed, all will be well. Who is subject
to road duty? The man under As years old,
Now is it not cute to get our streets paved
by the young men and we old fellows get
the benefit from EXCHANGED property values.
1t strikes me since I come to remember,
that Mr.. Hardy has been Mayor of San Mar
COS, nearly two years, and one OF his dutles
is to appoint committee on streets and
alleys. Where are the beautifully paved
streets and lovely walls completed by the
iudicious management for two years past!
Where! Oh Where! This reminds me OF an
incident that occurred in one of our princl-
pal streets during the last heavy rains. A
gentleman passing along saw wagon whip
sticking up out of the mud, and taking hold
of it was moving on, when q voice from
below implored him not to take the whip,
for says he 81 am driving six mule team
down here, and will never get out without
that whip" Certainly this may be exagera-
ton. Now Mr.. Editor, as am not Judge
nor a myor, please excuse me on account
of my very great modesty in not signing
my real name hereto. CITIZEN.
REMARKS ON THE FOREGOING.
A few words only will suffice rs to
the first half of the above. Citizen is
evidently a very strong partisan OF
the Coronal Institute. In asking
why that institution cannot educate
the free school pupils he begs the
question. His controversy here is
with the constitution and laws of the
State of Texas, and we believe, of
every other state in Union. which ex-
clude sectarian or UNCONVENTIONAL