Year: 1859

The School, AND THE SHoOI.
DkBT y Our School debt-bow are We 10
get rid oft We certainly have no tbust
OF repudiation-there is no need oft ,leith-
er is there any necessity Of cancellig the
whole debt. in any one or two year 1t
can be done and shoud be done, and that
without law or litigation, as that coarse
would only incur expense and trouhe.--
Neither will the people of this city ssImit
to he without free Schools That wot.d be
calamity no. to he desired by thetnoet
Indifferent concerning education. S,rh u
course would entail direct loss to the
whole community, TO both parents and
children, the tax payers as well, whdher
they have children to send to School or not
1t would also prevent immigrants from
settling in our city for what intelligent
man would : tile in any city where there
are no public Schools In fact it would
! drive more citizens out of the place in one
year than would come Into it for the next
two years


We have had a glance at a very few oi
the evils that stare as in the face. Now for
the remedy. In the first place let there be a
tax raised sufficient to carry OH the Schools
on the most economical plan.


IN the second place let us set about pay
ing our debts-for which we propose a
plan and submit it to the public for their
careful consideration.


| 1t has been stated that the Schools are in
debt nearly :25 600, and we are W ell per
suaded that the tax payers of this city are
| not alb lie or willing to shoulder such an *
ira burden at any time, during these hard
times. Neither should they be called on to
do SO while there is any other remedy to I've
| had


We propose, then, that the School Board
be authorized TO issue bonds drawing ten
per e. t, for amt of the debt with a
| sinking f4ad For instance, say that he
debt Is $4,000 at ten per cent-s2, 500
then say that the yearly amount of sinking
fund is 81 ,250 the amount ,,ue at the end oi
the one year would t .3,75O, the amount
due at the end of the second year would be
1925.


Decreasing every year pro rata, till at
the end of 20 years, at which time it would
be all paid both principal and interest
the last years payment being only 1870
which would be q mere trifle and would
not be felt by the tax payers.


We eare well persuaded that the creditors
will accept of the Bonds as they will be
secure, and the whole difficulty settled sat
isfactory to all concerned.


! The Schools, fear are not as free from DO
litical designs as they should be. They have
been used by politicians as stepping stones
to office. That is all very wrong If there
Is any institution in the Union, that should
be free from political strife, it should be our
free Schools. Not only so. but they should
| also b. free from religious or sectional
creeds. The great aim and object Of free
Schools should be to give all an education
without regard to creed They should be
free, and so unquestionable that those hav
ing religious scruples could find no fault.
"Z"
Rock ISLAND TRADE.--Not all the
structures Of the Rock Island press can re
strain the lovely ladies of that city from
coming over here and purchasing thei,
dry goods The will do it, and there is nc
use of talking. For Why? Because oul
merchants have got the hest goods the
prettiest and most fashionable goods, and
they sell them chesper-so the ladies say
than the Rock Island merchants do W.
saw several going back yesterday, and al
had large bundles of the best goods they
could find in Davenport-and that is saving
considerable. The Rock Island merchant.
are growing into the old fogy line. they
scarcely adv ertise at home, and which one
OF them pays Davenport printer dime to
advertise them here Not one, and We,
they whine Poor fellows, We pity them
they have not ~aked up yet; they don't
know the almighty power of printers ink -
We must send a missionary among them.
Loss OF TRADE.-Tt is claimed by
our merchants that not having the streets
that is to say those in the business POI tier
of the town, lighted with gas, is a loss o.
trade to them Of several hundred dollars
individually, in the course of year. Par
ticularly at this season, when days are short
and evenings long. is this disadvantage ex-
perienced. We believe that good economist
are in favor of having the business portion
of our city lighted. What does the Cit,
Council say? Will they not take some ac.
tion upon this important question at th'
next meeting The city is now paying TO
gas that the citizens do not get the benefi
Of This is not good policy.