The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-10-12
AN OBJECT LESSON.

AN OBJECT LESSON.
Writing from Dexter, Iowa, to
the Republican Idea of Abbrville,
Mrs Ella &. Moody has the fol-
lowing to say about the public
schools in that State:
But must tell you about the schools
which all took up' on the f1rst Monday in
this month. About forty rods from my
window, where l now sit, stands one of the
picturesque country school houses upon a
beautiful hgh and rolling plat Of ground,
said to be the incest school plat in the town
ship. The public schools in the model school
houses of the country here, are now in .sfull
blast,'' SO to speak. o, 1 wish could show
you the modern school houses now adopted
every where here. They stand Just two
miles apart in every direction. In size, they
are about IS 80 or 40, as needed. and cost
only about $500 each. SO snug, trim and
pretty. Their plan is just this: Three win
COWS together at one end, at the pupils
Oacks, and three windows together on one
side only of the house. This is just as
cheap as the old fashioned three single win
dows on each side and SO much better for
the eyes of the children than to have cross
lights. 1t also leaves two whole walls for
blackboards. Two DOORS one each side of
teachers desk, open into an entrance room,
across the back of the building which has
one window at one end of it, and the out
the back of one side of building, hang up
their wraps, etc., in this little ante-room
place. all their dinner buckets on neat
shelves placed here, then enter school room
march out the same way. 1 think the plan
is just perfection for such country school.
There are nine such school houses in each
township. You know each county has I6
divided into 9 sub-d,stricts, which contain 4
sections each. The school house stands in
the center of each sub-dIstrict, Or where the
four section corners meet.
The great West has progressed
more rapidly than any other section
of the Union and the cause is not
difficult to find. The man who
settled in the West understood that
the first thing to do TO build up the
country was to have good public
schools, and it was not necessary
to tell him that in order to secure
good schools he had to raise the
money by taxation. That was the
ouly practical way and the sturdy
pioneer of the Western plains went
Immediately to work and the re-
suit of his efforts is seen to-day in
a magnificent system of free schools.
The older States in the South, first
hampered by the institution of
slavery, then by a cruel and disas-
trous war, followed by the terrible
era of reconstruction, have made
but little Roadway toward educa-
ton, compared with their younger
sisters of the West. And Louisiana,
though a much older Sta.e, may
profit by the example of Iowa,
This section of the country is to-
day enjoying large measure OF
prosperity, and now IS the oppor
tune time to strike hard and effec-
tive blows against the baneful in
f1uences of illiteracy.
Every child in Lafayette parish
should be given a chance to acquire
at least common school educa-
ton. With the qualification of the
suffrage, and the legal requirement
that the citizen must understand the
English language to serve on a
Jury, the necessity to send his child
to school is clearly apparent to
every parent who is not absolutely
devoid Of civic pride. What humi-
liating spectacle to see man born
and reared in Louisiana, whose
father and grandfather were natives
OF this State, denied the franchise
and rendered ineligible to serve as
Juror because of his inability to
read or understand the language Of
his country! An alien in his own
land, unable to exercise the duties
of citizenship, disqualified to parti
cipate in the government of Re
public whose fundamental doctrine
is equality of birth, equality before
the law and equality in all things!
The Gazette notes with genuine
satisfaction the efforts being made
in the sixth, first and seventh wards
of the parish and in the town Of La
fayette to improve the public
schools. Better houses, longer
terms and more schools are needed.
The school authorities, under the
leadership of an active and trained
superintendent, have given evidence