The Newtown bee., 1900-04-13

ACTS OF IGNORANCE.
 Three years ago this town by very 1 pronounced majority voted to consolidatI it's districts and become & single schoo district. When this consolidation tool place the school property of the district which had existed prior to such vote be came vested absolutely in the town. Int management of our schools was placed in the hands of nine men elected by thC town as provided by the statute in casel of consolidation. The assumption of of flee by the men elected placed in thei1 hands and upon their shoulders the tasl of trying to uplift the educational sys tenn of our town. The assumption of of flee gave these men the control of all o1 the schoolhouses in our town, some IF ir number. These had to great extent been neglected under the old district sys. tenn. From time to time the question has been discussed by the school board and also by prominent men of eur town as to what course to pursue in regard to our school buildings, which are rapidly falling into dilapidation and decay.
 A number have been practically aban- doned, there being no scholars in their immediate vicinity. Several of the vii Iage schoolhouses are not large enough to accommodate the fast growing needs of their situation, particularly the one in the. village of West Cornwall. The more intellectual class of the men of our town recognized the fact that the present state of affairs could not exist for any length of time and maintain the past rep utation of the town. They knew that new schoolhouses would sooner or later have to be built to replace the dilapida- ted and antiquated ones. With this in view the school board of our town con- sisting of Leonard J. Nickerson, George c. Harrison, Charles l.. Gold, Frank Whitcomb, Minor Rogers, Burritt E. Yale, Dr William Curtiss and Philo M. Kellogg voted unanimously, at meeting held short time ago, to recommend to the town that suitable school building be erected at West Cornwall and at Corn
 
 necessary repairs on the school buildings in the town that might be deemed advis- able. In view of the urgent recommen- datiOns of the school committee, the se- lectman, by virtue of the power given them by statue, called a special town meeting to be held on Monday, March 26. Three members of the school board were appointed to draw proper vote to be presented at the meeting. Judge George c. Harrison presented the vote drawn by himself, and which included in it the erection of suitable school building in West Cornwall and Cornwall Bridge. The subject was thoroughly discussed and elucidated by different ones present showing the absolue necessity of some immediate action by the town if it's past honor and integrity were to be main tained. Argument was useless. It was simply casting pearls before swine,'' and Cornwall stood on record for retro gression instead of progression.
 Never in the history of the town has there been such an out turning to 8 town meeting called for 8 special purpose. Seventy-six teams were hitched in the vicinity of the building where the meet ing was held, and from the uttermost parts of the town came men, who blind ed with the needs and demands of the 23G children of our town, emphatically re. corded themselves as against every maaaura tapdTpop fn tho 5aua1o->;x,cs OA o.,. common schools. Appeals were in vain. They came determined that the school buildings of our town might rot to .theil foundations before single dollar should be expended for building or repairing. Never in the history of the common wealth of Connecticut has such lasting and disgraceful stigma been placed upo1 our town. Cornwall, the town who hal offered It's Sedgwick upon the field o1 battle for the maintenance of our Union to thunder at the walls of Ticonderoga Cornwall, from whose borders went thu first missionary, the bearer of education and enlightenment to the Sandwich Is lands; Cornwall, who has bred mel whose voices have been heard pleading for human rights and liberties in it temples of justice; Cornwall, who ha hitherto been foremost in intellectual ad vancement places itself on record by vott of 90 to 60 to cease it's progression ant turn backward in it's course of education al advantages.
 Such result was not expected by th' most conservative men of our town. AT rayed upon the side of education wer men who represented more than one hal of the taxable property.of the grand list while against them stood men, blinde by their own selfish natures, who coul not, would not, and did not want to SC any educational advancement. Men wh never owned single dollars worth 0 property. Men who pay no taxes to tn maintaining of our schools and public 1T stitutions. Men who cannot even req or write their own names. This was tn element who have put this lasting bic upon the heretofore fair name of Corr
 wall. AS soon as the realization of tn act had passed over the men who ha
 tried in vain to save the honor and intee
 rity of our town, a petition was draw up addressed to the selectmen deman ing that another special meeting shoul be called for the sole purpose of erectin
 school building at West Cornwall. T
 emphasize the stigma that rests upon or
 town, let few of the facts regarding tE