The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-09
MinOOka.


The citizens of Lackawanna town
ship who have banded together for the
purpose OF restraining the school board
from building the new school at
Moosic. have issued the following to
the president and members of the
school board:
In the district of township OF Lacka-
wanna IN Lackawanna county.
The undersigned citizens and tax payers
OF the township that it appearing in the
Issue OF the daily papers on Aug. Z, '9t
that proposals are being presented to the
pubic Tor the construction Of q certain
building and improvements to be erected
Dy aud under the authority Of the school
poard above mentioned, for the use Of the
SAID township, and the said improve
msnts consisting in the erection of a large
and expensive school house In the village
OF Moosic, in tho said township, and the
necessary equipment of the said building
Win 1Ntures, with such appointments as
arc necessary in such cases. Now
the undersigned citizens and tax
payers desire to set forth Mt the outset thai
that they put the highest value and i'm
portnnce in the mRintainance and support
OF our public schools as the bulwark Of
civil liberty and fully realiz3 that the per-
petuatlon OF that this OWL and religious
liberty in our country is best guaranteed
by the hearty support and corporation Of
every taxpayer and citizen.
Ana whereas the undersigned fully
realize that a large discretion il vested in
the several school boards Of the common
wealth in the matter of the construction
and location of the new SCHOOLS neverthe.
less, the same law which vested this au-
thorlty in said schools mainly the act Of
May 8, 1854, provides in respect to the 10.
cation ana construction of school houses
as follows SIN all cases it Is proper to
ascertain and to q proper extent to be
guided by public sentiment on questions
which the public are directly interested,
but is can be as well ascertaned with
out the formality Of an election, which
generally only embitters the contest when
the result of the vote is not binding" These
words quoted from the school laws of our
comm nwealth are to the point. Now the
citizens and the taxpayers take those pre-
sumptions to be unbeatable.
flrst-That you rs board Of directors
are the chosen servants of the people to
carry out in regular and wise manner the
wishes Of the people who are your superb
ors in all that pertains to the government
OF the people, by the people and for the
people.
Second--Tt is to be presumed that if you
should lind strong sentiment run.
ming counter to your actions in given di-
rectlon- that you would Immediately give
the expression of that public sentiment
your dutllul and earnest consideration and
endeavor to bring yourselves in line with
such public sentiment. 1t is your sworn
duty to do so
Third-In view Of the premises, gentle
men Of the I.aCkawanna school board, there
il strong and widely spread spirit of pro-
test and Indignation in every section Of
Lackawanna township against your action
IN reference to the proposed construction
Of the new and expensive building to be
erected d in the village Of Moosic. and this
and this protest comes from the following
reasons:
First-The construction Of this proposed
building is not necessary, there being sui1i.
clent accommodations for the school pop
ulation as now constitutes in the village Of
Moosic.
Second-There was no expressed public
demand for the construction Of the said
building, such as would jnstify tho board
IN increasing enormously the already over
burdenad township of Lacka wanna.
Third-There is no prospect of any large
increase of population such as TO demand
the building for further needs.
Fourth-Taylor borough has recently in
corporated and there is reason to believe
that anneXatinns will be made to the said
borough from territory comprising now a
part of Lackawanna township in the not
distant future, thus weakening the re-
sources Of the township for taxable pur-
poses.
Fifth-Lackawanna township is in.
debted in the sum approaching $4,000.
The construction of this building will
greatly increase this amount.
SiXth--Thil inevitable increase of taxa
tien is largely borne by poor working peo-
pie who Can Ill afford to have additional
burdens added to their already heavy load
70 the board that this protest Is not
feigned but is the genuine alarm of the
people against violation of their consti-
tutional rights, we append herewith
some Of the names of those who are lOud
in their protest and unceremoniously join
in requesting the board to discontinue
the present uuwarranted proceeding until
the subject is given that con liberation and
delihcration which questions Of public
concern demands and which honest Off
cials having an eve single to the public
NeiIdie WIN, dS lh uuGH UOuhu W, IeuueI
their constituents.
Seventh-The protest also to the man
ner in which The board has refrained from
getting at the public sentiment in refer
ence to this important matter. And fur
ther we disapprove of the perceptions
manner in which the furniture for said
building was purchased without the pub.
hcity of proposals as we are given to uu-
derstand. These are in fine some of the
reasons that are current among the public
in the township touching this protest and
in order to demonstrate to the board that
this protest is not feigned, but is the gen.
uine alarm of the people against their
constitutional rights, we append herewith
some Of the names of those who are LOUD
in their protect and pressing the board to
discontinue the present unwarranted ex-
penditure of public m ney: Martin Nc
Donough, Owen Connolly, James Egdn,
I,I,, T,1,. t,I,, tyl,,,