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Show Schools. Salt Lake Crrr, Nov. 2o,lS7C. Ktiturs Herald : Alluw me to intrude again upon your oluiniis with a few words in refWeneu to the aclmol tux (iiminca. that h.w bun n before I he puhliu thi-paat thi-paat wettk. The editor of tlio Tnbunc asserts that I must be destitute of "culture and breeding" in clawing hU bosh and froth with the advice ol stroetcornor loafers. Perhaps I was, and I now think that a woll-culturod citizen would correctly class him and place him as a leper in moral society, whose very breath is filled with loath- uomeness, and whoso very presence well meaning citizens shun. This penny -a - huer continually talks ol , ladies who meet to devise plana for the ; relief of the needy as " female roosters," and with much culture essayB to brand all who profess to be Latter-day Saints as fools, serfs, cut throats, midnight assassins and tho lowest phaso of known Bociuly. He, apparently, must call names to hide his own depravity. But to tho point under consideration. The facts are patent that the majority ma-jority of tho peoplo who have settled hero came poor aud had a large amouut of work to Derfirtn fmnrp than citizens in almost any other organized territory) before they could see a certainly ol their bread and butter coming in. In fact, it has not been until tho last few years that the people, as a whole, bad an income more than would provide for tbe necessities of life, let, during the whole of this time, schools havo been kept in every school district, averaging aver-aging over sovon months in the year, aud today our record of illiteracy compares very favorably with three-fourths three-fourths of the old Btates in the Union. The matter of free schools has met with much and bitter opposition in many of the states, oven where thousands of residents had surplus of an income, and where endowments to tuuud und maintain institutions of learning had been frequent and the beneficial results so plainly manifest-id. manifest-id. I hold, Mr. Editor, that though I warmly advocate free schools, and conscientiously, too, another man may as warmly oppose free schools, also conscientiously, and I would not be jublili'-d iu pharisaically thanking God thai I w;is belter than that other man. I am happy to believe, though, that the doctrine of universal education educa-tion by universal taxation is taking a deep root in tho hearts of Utah's citizens, citi-zens, and unless some fools uuwiaoly destroy the rootlots it will gro-T and bear good fruit. But, this early in the season tho intended devastation oommonces. Thoughtless persons fight the collection of tho tax and trustees are called opprobrious names; suits are commenced, charges and counter-charges are made, honesty impugned and motives blackened.1 Those who have talked loudest about free schools are the first to "kick"! aud advise to annoy and breed con-' fusion. . The Sih school district war terminated termi-nated in favor of the trustees as far as the cases were reached aud the 12th school district matters are in the same state. The acbool law is eafly to be understood, and where the trustees and citizens desire education by taxation, and they conform to the1 law, all the fighting of men either in the courts or the high-toned and tcell-bred tcell-bred journals will not amount to a hill of beans. Tbe writer in the Tribune, who thought I lacked culture and breeding in questioning his motives, asserts that in tbe 12th district cases only a few loose sheets of paper were brought forward as the records. -1 accuse him of wilfully lying about this, as many other niatUrs. The ledger was produced, pro-duced, which has been kept iu a a straight-forward and business-like manner, and the day book was also to be seen in connection. Mr. Newton New-ton swore that tho notices of his assessment were not given him, and as the trustees did not oiler contradictory contra-dictory evidence (though I believe tbey could have done so) the judge's course was plain. Mr. Taylor's case was also plain, and I will now assert if Mr. Taylor expects to make a "picayune" by appealing bis case, he will loose a dollar by it before be gets through. School houses "shall" be erected, says the law. How? It "shall" be by the affirmative majority major-ity vote of a meeting called for the purpose of considering such matter; and if the taxpayers at such meelinps do not so vote, the trustees h ive no power or funds to use in the premises. But, let me remark here, that if the prospect is that trustees "shall" be hampered and annoyed by a few foolish men in each district, the building ol schoolhouses will bo a glow matter. After tho houses are built and placed in the hands of the trustees ihey can let them to Mormons or Methodists for meetings, etc., and tbe trustees are responsible to those who have elected them. These are the censors and with these we are willing to leave our case. When tho majority of the citizens in any Bchool district are ready for this broad system ol affording education, men will be found willing to iiccept iho onerous , position of trustees ami fill them better bet-ter than those who mouth so much about it -these are the oues that generally stand behind aud "holler" and nothing else. School Trustee. |