attention to the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the organization of the first public school system within the limits of the Northwest Territory, were part of a three day celebration at Cincinnati of the Sesquicentennial of the Territory. How did the public schools of Ohio get this start? It should be remembered that there were — and had been for more than 30 years — excellent private or “ subscription ’
schools in virtually all towns and settlements of the state. Moreover, these schools took account, in many instances, of the needs of the child whose parents were unable to pay the ordinarily modest tuition fee. Many of them had funds—donations or en- dowments— set aside for this special purpose. But clear sighted citizens of that day were alive to the fact that this was not public education. And on public education, they realized more and more, rests the main hope of a real democracy. So they did their best to push a movement for support of public schools through public taxation. Many well known public men participated in the movement. There is no question, however, as to who led it. This was Nathan Guilford, born in Massachusetts in 1786, graduated from Yale College in 1812, who came West and began to practice law in Cincinnati in 1816. Guilford became deeply interested in this matter of public education. He joined hands with Samuel Lewis and other outspoken advocates of a statewide public school system. He fought a good fight and won a signal victory, for a letter which he addressed to the general public on this funda- mental topic was published by the General Assembly of Ohio in 1824. Even so, the Assembly was not ready to risk advanced school legislation. So Guilford then got himself elected to the state senate, for this express purpose. He labored incessantly for passage of a school bill authorizing the assessment of half a mill on the value of all taxable property, for support of public schools. The bill passed in January, 1825, with a senate vote of 28 to 8 and a house vote of 48 to 24. Even so, the way was not yet clear. The law was objected to by many of the most important tax-payers, in Cincinnati and elsewhere. Proprietors of private schools had plenty— and very obvious— • objections. Even the underprivileged citizen, poor but proud, was dubious about the thing. He feared that should he permit his children to attend free schools, it would be accepting public charity. But gradually objections were overcome. Inadequacies of the law of 1825 were remedied by special action of the state legislature. A bill was introduced to amend the charter of the city of Cincinnati. Friends of public education seized this opportunity and obtained a state law which authorized the city to establish its own public schools. On January 26, 1827 , the city charter of Cincinnati was amended so as to make it compulsory for the City Council to provide for the support of
