The herald., 1895-08-14
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
"PeddIer" Takes II Upon Himself to
Write q Letter
He Quotes Consul nortlmer and Count Toistoi
and Then Hints at a Warm
Time Coming

! "Peddler" again comes to the front
with an open letter 10 the honorable
board of supervisors. 1t is far too lengthy
for publication in full, but the gist is as
| follows
| Since your sleuths are now upon oul
trail to force us to pay the fines which
You have decreed we shall pay for work.
ing to make an honest living, we desire
to call the attention OF your august body
to another matter of great importance
which may have escaped your notice. In
order TO present the matter clearly and
forclbly to your minds, we quote from a
recent issue Of q contem porary of this
city, an extract from the report of the
English consul, the Hon. Mr.. Mortimer,
to his government on the same, as fol-
lows: In regard to the public school sys-
tenn, Mr.. Mortimer has the following re-
marks which contain germ of truth :
There are forty free schools in this city,
attended by upward of II. 900 pupils. The
estimated value of the school property is
f160. 600. large mum Der are the children
of extremely poor persons. and many peo-
pie here are becoming little doubtful as
to the wisdom of giving these children
an education which will unfit them for
the callings in life which are open to
them. They argue that il the money ex-
pened in giving lot of poor boys book
learning. which will be practically use
less to them, were expended in teaching
them trade or occupation by the exer-
else of which they could make a comfort
table living, the results would be much
more satisfactory to the boys and to the
community.
1--WE also quote the noted Russian, Toll
stol. who said The less people know
the more easily they are governed
Now, gentlemen, il the 'callings in
life in which an education is needed are
no longer open to the children of poor
persons, and if in being governed the
poor are also to be robbed and despoiled
in the outrageous manner contemplated
by the ordinance which you have Or
dained, then the many people who doubt
the wisdom OF giving these young chill
dren an educatlon are on the right track.
They must not read the declara
tion of independence They must not
know OF the mistaken idea that prevailed
IN 1776, that all men are created free
and equal. They must not i'm Dibe the
political heresy that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights, or in fact with any rights what
ever. If they do, there will be trouble.
In view of these facts, which your hon.
ors will doubtless recognize as such. we
suggest that since you fine us for working
to make living for our children. you
should also fine us for sending our chill
dren 10 school. Make the fine large
enough to be prohibitive for the children
of all peddlers and other poor persons
And now, in plain English, If you
and others like Won in authOritv all over
this broad land are to succeed permanent
ly in this ana similar schemes to rob and
Cypress the poor, you must first crush the
spirit of liberty and independence which
dwells in the breasts OF millions of the
poor of this country. You must blot out
and obliterate from their minds and
hearts the history of the glorious past.
If you fail in this-and you will fail
then YOU must deal justly by them. Quit
robbing them and making life burden
and hell for them, or they will one day
make very warm climate for you. "