The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-11-16
Ten Pages.
TOWN TOPICS.
THE E-NORTn CENTER
DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION
PLAN.
T. J. CORBETT AGAIN STATES HIS
VIEWS.

TT. coRBETT AGAIN STATES HIS
VIEWS.
| EDITOR OF The NEwTOwN Bee
The reply of Rev Mr. George to my
last communication interests me
greatly. 1t shows what persistency
will accomplish: He has given us a
main it agrees with my surmises.
Like Horace Greeley's plan, Of resump-
tion Of specie payments in 1873, it Is
remarkable for its doctrinaire direct
ness. 1.-THE way to resume is to re-
sume," said the great editor. "The
way to unite North Center and Mid
die districts is to vote on it, says our
Rev Mr. George. Not one word about
the rights of the people Of either dis
trict, without the referendum or initi-
alive, without vote of either people
in their home schools to say whether
they want it or not. Well it is GER
tainly. autocratic, notwithstanding
Connecticut Is supposed to be the
nursery of Home rule and liberty, and
its foundation is the little body poll
| tics known as the common school dis
tricts This movement for union be-
gan all right under Mr. George at the
starting point of legislation, when he
introduced his famous motion asking
for committee in each district to
consider the advisability of union and
report to the people who empowered
them for future authority. Up to
this point everyone could support him;
but in failing to report as authorized,
this committee broke faith with the
people, and there could be no recipro-
city of feeling or favor after. When
the movers in this proposition as yet
to me unknown waived proceedings in
the court of first resort, the district
school meetings, and asked for its
meeting, the people OF the districts
could hardly be blamed for opposing
its further consideration as I stated
before. Rev Mr. George defines and
interprets very broadly the law quoted
by me last, and without word here
as to the validity Of his definitions de-
jure, desire to present proposition
in elementary law which he will adj
NIT to be correct. A change of venue
is only permitted when justice cannot
be assured in the court of original jul
risdiction. Couldn't he trust the peo-
pie of the districts interested? If he
could, why transfer his case to an out
side court. If he thought the town
meeting a court of equity, he should
have observed the law maxim of such
a court. For the relief sought he
must have adequate cause, and come
in with clean hands. DO the people
of either district who send their chill
dren to the public schools think he
he treated them right?' l have re-
peatedly answered that last question
in the negative. The first remains to
be answered. May the few people
who want and have an exclusive school
and pay for it, tell the common people
what is best for them. Count me
again in the negative. These are two
additions to the other objections I
have entered against the project OF
union, not consolidation, if Rev Mr.
George will pardon me. You may con-
solidate all the component parts, but
unite contiguous or related parts:
The town may consolidate alk it's
schools, but unite districts or parts of
districts.
But Rev Mr. George says ! have 9th.
er reasons for opposition, that stated
them to him after town meeting and
says If do not publish them he will.
he will have my gratitude if he does.
I gave some of them the least Obnoxi-
GUS from the standpoint of the Editor
of THE BEE in my last communication
and have his letter declining to pub
lish them. They will make interest.
ing reading now, If not valuable ad-
ditiOn to the current literature of this
discussion. 1t is sincerely to be hoped
he will overcome the editorial dictum
in regard to my other reasons, or fail
ing in this, give them second hand.
Now I am willing to let the public
Judge of the merits of the plan Of Rev
Mr. George, SO far as disclosed, looking
towards union of both districts and
stop right here and take up the other
parts Of his article, only saying once
again that think it series of alb
surditles in these particulars: To say
that a graded school can be run with
out principal, graded, classified and
supervised for 200 days in the year
with six statutory visits of a school
visitor, Is the reductio ad absurdum of
contentious. To maintain that
parallel case OF two schools One-half
mile apart as a graded school without
a principal exists in Connecticut TO-
day and doing good work is beyond my
comprehension. The naming of some
one teacher as the principal would
have been saving clause in our case,
but, as will be noted by the public,
in his somewhat nebulous plan as dis
closed by him in a series of interroga-
tories or negations for which he
seems to be famous. Has the Rev
Mr. George disclosed fully
his plan? do not know.
But believe owe myself, if not the
public, an apology. It is herewith
given. It is true saying, cit is the
unexpected that always happens"
Here was the writer wasting wealth
of sympathy and half column of re-
grets that Rev Mr. George had fallen
| into the clutches of the politicians in
| the hopeless task Of uniting North
Center and Middle districts, when 10
and behold, the Reverend gentleman
comes out and frankly avows himself
a politician and claims kindred with
the band supposed to he cajoling him.
| Nobody denied his ability to parry
their thrusts but to believe he is able
Ito jolly" them tn turn. passes COM
prehension. Just read the avowal,
and the accompanying 'jolly:" "We
are all politicians in a sense, or ought
to be-. They are men, but they are
not all SelfShly seeking an Office. They
have some interest in the town and in
the community. They want this to
be good town to live in. Sometimes
they have property, and sometimes
they have children to be educated. AT
any rate they know when the ma jority
of the community want good thing
and they are apt to favor it.''
Well, well, it remained for Rev Mr.