Show CHURCH SCHOOLS AND DISTRICT 41 SCHOOLS WE WB are informed that in some of the country school districts there tv is either opposition or negligence in relation to the district schools if this thie is so it is wrong and the wrong should be remedied at once it probably arises from a misunderstanding banding tan ding the establishment of schools under the direction of the church was not intended to interfere with aa A rf aci i aal 1 l schools regulated by law lav the church schools were designed to be chiefly high schools into which young people who had received instruction in the rudiments could be drafted and receive a higher education which would include religious training of course if circumstances permitted it would be better if the children of the latter day salute saints could attend schools from the beginning in which the doctrines and spirit and ordinances of the gospel are taught but under the laws of the territory a general tax is levied for the support of district schools and these must be open to the children of persons not of our laith faith as well as of those who are members of the church they are and must of necessity be common schools those who pay the taxes must receive the benefit of the taxes no matter what may be their religion or lack of religion therefore no particular creed or tenets can be legally taught in the district schools but the children of each denomination can be taught religion in the sunday schools by private instruction and by such other means and methods as each church provides and this should be done so as not to interfere with the district schools in any way morality may and we believe ought to be taught in all schools whether they be secular or religious but this need not involve any particular tenet or theological dogma right and wrong and the necessity of choosing good and refraining fra ining from evil from a purely moral mom standpoint should in our opinion form part of the instruction in every school in the territory to ry the church schools at present at least are intended to be of a grade between the district schools and the university or college institutions they are to be established wherever practicable so as not to come in the way of the maintenance of the district schools and if anyone imagines to the contrary he has made a mistake it is very import important aDt that local taxes in the respective districts tor the maintenance of a school or schools in each district where it has not already been attended to shall be at once assessed if a district school is not maintained in any particular district for at least twenty weeks during the school year pre preceding oeding unless it lo is a newly formed district it will not receive its apportionment of the territorial school tax for the year thus the property holders will have paid the tax but they will have no returns their proportion of the all school moneys will go to help those districts that have complied with the law 14 another thing to be remembered te is this all local special taxes for ell the maintenance of a district school must be it vied in the district before the of december in each year and within ten days after such levy certified returns of the per percent cent levied must be certified to the county clerk and the county assessor if there has been opposition to the district schools whether in the form of resistance to a necessary local tax or because such schools are secular and religion cannot be taught therein or because church schools are established near by or contemplated this opposition ought to be withdrawn in view of the facts we have here presented schoolhouses of sufficient capacity with the proper appurtenances and conveniences ought to be found in all the school districts of this territory where they do not exist that is a mark of lack of progress and refinement the old buildings adequate for bygone by gone days are not suited for prel present kent requirements and our friends should lie be up with the ti times jand see to it that every necessary facility for the aduca tion of the young to is provided th they ey should rather be filled with emulation A and desirous of having just as good buildings and schools as any of their neighbors than to be careless or obstructive or niggardly in relation to this important matter the district schools should be supported and encouraged for the young children religious tuition being provided for them in the primaries and the sunday schools and by such other arrangements as can be made suitable and convenient without bin hindering the district schools and from these them the older and advanced pupils can be placed in the church schools where they can receive further religious as well as secular training and thus the purpose in view will be achieved harmony will prevail between all branches of the educational system and ignorance will not be allowed to bold sway away in any part of the territory |