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

those who do not IKE IL shoulu make
their quarrel with the fathers and
founders OF Texas, who laid the
foundations of our free school system,
and with the subsequent constitu'
tons and legislatures which have
carried out their will. So much for
that. And il does seem to us that
strong and wealthy religious organi-
cations should scorn to ask or accept
any share in the public school fund
while refusing to comply with the
legal conditions. They should sot a
better example Of respect for Ameri-
can institutions and for themselves
than all that comes to.
Citizens next point is against tho
supposed monopolistic spirit OF the
free schools, their alleged antpothy
to all competition etc. Now il Citi
zen had said this of his favorite Cor
onal Institute, he would have made a
point the justice OF which would at
once have been generally recognized.
Surely its special friends have no
cause to complain of lack OF discrimi-
nation in its favor, On the contrary
it has been the special pet of our town
and vicinity. No school, public or
private, has been allowed to come in
competition with it. Let us refresh
the memory of our readers little on
Il is subject.
In the year 1875 we believe, it was
proposed to aid the Institute by q
subscription of $4,000 by our citi-
liens, the conference engaging to
raise $4,000 in addition. The
former sum was subscribed, many
outside of the church contributing
literally. But the conference never
came up with their ten thous-
and dollars. That is our informa-
tion-if we are wrong, we stand
ready to make correction. All this,
however, is only by way of introdnc-
ton.
Up to 1876 or TT the Institute
had received the public school fund
without question. But there was a
fund collected under the law for
building a public school house. AT
the time we refer to, it had reached,
we believe, nearly $1,000 1t was
somehow held under control OF
the management of the Institute, and
we recollect there was considerable
agitation of the matter, and n sharp
article or two from Major Hutchinson,
who was conversant with the whole
subject, in the FREE PRESS, before the
money was forth coming. 1t was
used in erecting the present main
school on the hill, and a
public school was opened in it. 1t
continued year or SO when the
school was again merged in the In
stitute, the house being used for its
male department. This continued a
short time, till the public school, as a
distinct institution, was lost sight OF,
when the house was Abandoned to
the bats and owls, and so remained
till at the vote to separate the free
school from the Institute in 1856.
Separation was carried at very full
election by q decided vote OF the cit
liens.
That settled the matter for time,
but the partlsans of the Institute
have not been content with the stu
alton, although the trustees and lead
ing patrons of the public school
have sought to concilialate them. The
school and it's management have
been sedulously disparaged, and as
the unkindest cut of all, while OPP
posing the idea Of new school build
ing, the lack of it has been urged as
an argument against patronlzing the
public school, while now, that o vote
is to be taken, its opponents sud
denly discover that the house is am
ply good enough 49,.
It will thus be seen that Citizen s
charge that the public school is de-
signed to forestall all competition, lies
really at the door of Coronal institute.
Before going further, we must en-
ter our protest against our CORE
spondent's styling the school ''Prof
Williams school, 1t is the public
school of San Marcos, belonging to
and under the management of her
people. Prof. Williams is merely their
servant and subject to their will.
As to the alleged non-attendance
of large per cent of the free school
pupils, it is no doubt owing to the
opposition that the school is receiv-
ing, and also to lack of d suitable
building, facilities for grading and
other disadvantages calculated to
impair its success, in spite OF the best
efforts of the superintendent and trus-
tees.
We have not space to enter into
Citizens financial showing, we leave
that for others. We will only sug-
gest that he takes no account Oh Ihe
value of tuition for the twenty years,
and that S755 of the S1,S75, would
in the plan outlined by Mayor Hardy,
be expended each year to supplement
the school fund, which, in twenty
years, would amount to Sl5,1OO, and
at the end of that time the situation
would be about as follows: LIST. our
children would have received Sl5,-
100 worth of tuition in addition to
the regular state fund. I'd. We
would have n school house and
grounds worth at least $4,000, for
il is but reasonable to suppose that
the property would enhance $4,000
in value in tireHtg years 3D.. We