The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-09-26

We have become interested in dis
cussion, upon the subject of the estab-
lishment OF savings banks in connection
with the common or public schools, now
going on between the Troy Daily Press
and various other papers and gentlemen,
notably the Rev. N. G. Remick of that
city, ct ais. The Press is opposed to
such a movement and the affirmative
is taken bythose last referred to. In sup
port of the proposition to which the Press
significantly gives the title above, the
great burden of the argument lies in the
idea of thereby establishing habits of
thrift and economy. The fallacy of this
consists in the fact that the school saw
ings banks would not cultivate habits of
economy in the details of life, but stimu.
late on the contrary, the selfshness and
avarice OF which we already have a suf-
fciency. 1t is not nation Of skin flinis
that we desire to raise, but people who
ehan possess true economy and yet be of
q generous disposition. Neither skin
fints nor spend thrifts, but true men
and women. The application locally
does not now seem to be called for, yet
we have known the chat to be passed"
under one pretense or another even here
where some child may have been NOR
titled and placed to a disadvantage be-
cause Of poverty.
We give in this connection an illustra-
tion OF how the scheme works, taken
from the editorial columns of the Press
rs follows "Apropos to the school saw
ings bank scheme andincident is told by
the Middletown Argus. 1t illustrates
wildly the folly and wrong of introduce
ing money-collectiDg projects Of any
kind in the public school 1t is no place
. for rich or well-to do children to make
a flourish Of financial superiority in any
way. Children are often thoughtlessly
and sometimes willfully cruel toward
unfortunate playmates. The Argus says:
"'On the day when the collection was
taken up, a girl, the daughter of man
IN poor circumstances and with a large
family, came to school without even a
penny In her pocket to add to the fund.
With the heartlessness that amounts
almost to brutality, which characterizes
90 many children, her schoolmates
tainted her with being too poor to.giye
even penny, Yesterday the little girl,
having in some way become possessor Of
a cent, brought 1t to school with her and
gave IL to her teacher, TO be added to the
fund, and then she was jibed and tainted
by her heaftless companions because it
had taken her two days to get any money,
and then she had only got penny. The
poor girl stood their taunts for a time
and then burst into tears, They were
bitter tears which she shed, for they
were tears of shame and humiliation,
born Of sense OF wrong and injustice;
Ind In her little heart she must have felt
that her lot was harder tLan il ought to
be, and what wonder il she envied and
even hated those TO whom fourtune had
been kinder
Passing the hat for money for chart
table, educational, or any purpose what
soever in the public school ought TO be
prohibited. IL IS no proper place TO
make collections Of any kind. The in
stance cited is by no means an isolated
one. Thousands of pupils struggling
under the load Of poverty have learned
to dread school hours on account Of the
thoughtlessness or brutality of more fav-
ored children. Keep the schools demo
cratic, and free from all money raising,
banking and financial schemes"