Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-01
The High school

To M Editor or ne he0tSte''
SR.-As the High School scheme nas
again been brought to the attesntion ~
,Se nnblIc by the late action u our
Road of Edncatios, now is the proper
moment for the people to make tEsm-
selves heard I'm opp0sition'to lt' dnu ~
bave their servants to understand tna'
the most satisfactory thing, they can ~ 40
will be 90 let we'll enough atone, suu nc
cease their efforts at tinkerlng III ~. 80
direction. Nobody has asked them ~
make apy radical changes In our puo,.o
school system, and untIl s genera u1
mand Is made upon them for saen
cSanoe the Board need not put ltsell 70
the trouble 10 plan and contriVe new Few
and elaborate methods for spending 'ne
public money. 90 tho
Now, what are the facts as u VIC
necessity for high school?
AT the meeting Of the Board lor oop
tsr,ber. and also at it's subsequent
meetings IN October and November;
there was considerable discussion ol
this Question, and we think enough
inflammation elected to show that Sucn
An Institution as Is now proposed WIN
the large expenditure necessary 10 pue
N into operation, is not one OF the neeus
~ the present. 1t has been fairy
shown by those members VINO are @oi!
combating the scheme, that tne coSs
OF suitable grounds and the erection VI
a suitable building will reach from
SIS. 600 TO 500, 900, not taking into tne
account the additional sum that wouiu
h. reopired for furniture and equip
ment. %
Would not this be large amount 10
saddle upon the taxpayers OF our CITY?
Who will be benefited by 1t? Thls Is
a plain question and should receive
plain answer. If any feel sumclenty
interested in this matter they have only
To visit the grammar departments OF our
schools TO find an answer TO 1t. Ihey
will find but a very small percentage OF
those entering the primary departments
there. because the great majority have
been Withdrawn before they are quall-
fed to enter the grammar rooms. Ger
tainly this high school will not oeneht
them. II we could look into this high
school what would we find? would we
find the children Of our common people
there? Nay, verify. But instead we
would find the children OF parents VINO
would be able TO give them equal or
superior advantages and pay for 1t out
OF their own pockets.
Therefore the poorer class OF people,
who are overwhelmingly in the majority,
would be compelled to shoulder this ad-
ditional burden of taxation that those
In better circumstances may reap ad-
vantages that they themselves could
not be benefited by. The curriculum
of our public schools is such as TO afford
to all who can avail themselves OF it,
most thorough training in every branch
of learning that can be of practical aid:
vantage except, perhaps, as to those
who may elect 70 pursue a professional
vocation; and as only very
limited number in any community
seek a higher education than Is
vOuchsafed by as good a common school
course as is pursued in this city, does
il not seem strange that anyone should
seek to increase our educational facill-
ties so far beyond the reach or require
mentS of q large majority Of the people,
who must inevitably be compelled to
foot the bills, and especially so when ii
is evident what an excessive burden it
would put upon them. Itwould appear
then that there can be DO pressing need
for such an ornamental appendage to
our schools. Also, in this connection,
il seems pertinent TO remark, that the
people in poor and moderate circum-
stances are taxed more heavily, in pro-
portion to their taxable assets, than the
rich.
Our people should take the lines in
their own hands, and stop this move
before it gets beyond their control. 1t
is now in their power to say mo" en-
phatically, and they should lose no time
in doing so. II, however, the future dis
covers no other remedy, let
them demand to be heard at
an election to be held for the
purpose, and l am sure the whole
scheme will be RELOCATED to "innocuOus
dsuetude," and be heard of no more.
One member Of the Board remarked
at one Of its recent meetings that he
was going to vote for high school,
III udtNtI Mu0b IL NOSbs LutlOly WISH
to call public attention to the fact that
this gentlemen does not reside in the
school district which he pretends to rep
resent, nor in the independent school
district Of Wheeling, but lives some
three or four miles east OF the city,
in Triadelphia district, and has no more
right to seat upon the Board, nor to
vote upon any question coming before
it, than would the King of the Cannibal
Islands. / can not close this without
reference TO q remark made by another
member, the President OF the Board Of
Education Or. JepSon). He said: "a
scholar with the training received here
could not enter the freshman class of a
college Of any standing. do not know
Of more abominable, mixed-up system
of education than we have right here. "
l have quoted from the published pro-
ceedings OF the Board at its September
meeting. II the doctor has been cor
rectly reported, submit without COM
ment his estimate as TO the manage