The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-03-01
INCENSE rnnM r,.nntc scnooI.


INCENSE FROM PtBLIC ScHooI.
EpITok OF THE EMPRESS;
Wll YOU kiadN grant n,r ihe spae'
in yonr Walm6lr eolUnH> 70 speaE
briefly concerning, the Hat of uu
city couacil charaitg l.r Publ,
Schollsa ietlss torutyela tepnent
their ailiIity " tna6ly al IN d rem
der as a sch Mi>h 10 i, az as Il
citizen, Whusc Interest a1l yyr.S de-
sire, is theps ls.aleitt clftrr, \, gress,
and intellectual and noptl develop.
nient Of our city and its sehonls. Nir-
tually this city has teen my home
these last six years, and it is with re-
gret that feel these times demand
our notice Of such a question MS this.
You will please understand ME, that
do not speak from the stand point Of
the Principalship Of our schools, which
position as u servant of the people
have the honor to occupy; hut plainly
as citizen whose interests arc the in
terests Of us all
Education is the hoa~ thr pride, the
safety ofiour American Republic, The
Common School said Horace Mann,
is sthe Republican line lorlitica,ions,n
and his words have been sounded,
echoed and re-echoed, from coast to
coast, from the Gulf to the British
Dominion, until they have become u
Iproverb, In every city, village, and
country place, the public school is
open and free to all the youth Of eur
land. There they receive the funda-
mental principles Of All education,
and drink in draughls of patriotism
and devotion to their country beneath
the folds Of her flag. A free education
for free people.
| We must of course meet all the
expenses incident to the management
of our city; but it should be done by
other means than this. The very
thought, much less the act that the
Public School shall pay Il license, even
on the very day it meets to honor and
commemorate the Anniversary Of the
beloved and immortal Father of our
country is a shame aud disgrace.
This is not the way 10 foster educa-
tion. The entertainments of the
Public Schools should be always and
forever free from tax Of every nature.
Let us collect our license from our
Balls, and the enterprises gotten up
for the sole purpose Of bringing money
profit to their management, hut never,
never from the efforts Of our children,
whose achievements and successes are
theirs and their couniry's safety, and
our pride.
If our city ordinance contains Il
single clause Which requires the col.
lection of license from any of our
home educational talent it should be
ut once repealed. Our schools need
every advantage and encouragement
they cali get; from seven TO eight
months in the year is all the school we
have been aGle to have. and unless
this is given under the strongest ell
lcouragement, from all directions, how
eau We expect our children to compare
in life's race, when IN n few years they
stand shoulder to shoulder in the
world with tine youth receiving from
nine to ten months training each
year?
If there be any one who would seek
u sheltering cloak by saying, that the
school should not have charged an
admission Of l0c., as ii did; (which
statement have heard madel let him
consider how The expenses Of an en-
Itertainnent are to be met. Besides |
will say that all the moneys received
above the expenses went into the
school Library fund, to thus become
permanent profit to the school.
Who remembers time, or place
before, when tie exercises OF Il Public
School Of this land have paid one cent
Of license ur of tribute? The schools of
Eour city have given entertainments Of
similar nature before, and under the
very same city ordinance we now have.
Is our city ordinance to be subject
ito innunerable constructions? 1t
should not be so. If this is the conai-
ton Of things, let US have our o. din
ance changed, encourage the education
Of our children and our schools, and
let their not be another generation
grow up to remember the the day
when Lebanon charged the Public
School license to commemorate the
anniversary of Washington.
Very truly,
G. II. WILKES.
1t Passed.
The hill 10 tax all forpipn fire