Year: 1871

For the Herald and Tribune. <'l-i i.,ifs ,-tit


The failure in our recent attempt to
levy a tax for the support of schools sug-
gests the important inquiry, how shall our
schools be maintained. 1t is not, we
trust. the design Of any, having the pre-
cious charge Of children, to bring them up
in total ignorance. Put the question to
any one and the ready answer is, IF L
cannotg give my children property | de-
sign at.least to give, them education" .
But the secondary consideration of how
this desirable end is to be attained seems
never to have entered into the calculation.
Most persons seem t. take it for granted
that the schools will go on as a kind of
automaton without any effort. aid or even
thought-nay in the very face Of oppo-
sition and disaster. For our own part
we confess we do not readily perceive
wherein consists the motive power unless
the very inertia of our schools is relied
upon as being a. sufficient force to carry
them forward. Among the various plans
proposed for establishing an efficient sys-
tenn of public schools-any of which
would be far better than none-none will
be adopted 'atIleast for some time to come.
What then is to be done? To suffer our
hitherto fourishing schools to ''go down"
to see the thousands of little girls and
boys in our smidst to grow up in ignor-
e-to permit their young and spark
ling talents to perish for want of culture,
is humiliating as we'll as distressing. Our
manifest duty is to start school in every
district in the county! To do this it is
true we will have to return to the laborl-
Gus and ex pensive system ofPriyate schools
in which each pupil will be charged with
tuition proportioned to the time of atten-
dance and grade of studies. Hard and
llfeless as this may appear it is better than
no school-better even than an inferior
weak and crippled public school. 1t has,
further, the important merit of indepen-
dence With all our experience we have
yet to learn the arduous lesson of self de-
pendence. and never perhaps in our edu-
cational history will we be favored with
more fitting opportunity to enter upon
this important course of training. Let US
bravely meet our responsibilities and
faithfully discharge our duties by pushing
forward the schools in the face of all diff
culties.3 By sopdoing We will prove our
selves worthy Of good school system
We will also learn to appreciate it when
it does come, and so will be prepared to
profit by it. 1t is doubtful whether a
first rate system would suit us at present.
Such for instance as that of New York or
Massachusetts would hang as lily upon us
as a mans garment upon ten year old
boy. Finally. if~eewduld mot remain in
gross ignorance -if we would prepare
ourselves for higher grade of schools and
prove ourselves worthy the sympathy and
co-operation of our sister counties and
our sister States-the very first thing to
be done. as we conceive, is to raise sub
scriptions in each district sufficient to Sc
cure the services of a competent teacher
and thus making virtue Of necessity


push forward the work of education
throughout the country in, dispite of all
difficulties and disappointments. While
thus we may rescue the rising generation,
from the shackles Of ignorance, We may at
the same time lay the foundation and


pave, the way for a,higher and more com
prehensiye system. Of schools. =. B. r. 4