Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-09-08
From the Woodstock Mercpy.
THE STATE SCHOOL FUND.
No 10

In our Inst, we proposed to "consider and ex-
anime the communications Of some writers IN The
Age, adverse to the abolition of The fund" THESE
writers though they do not say II, are in fact from
the ground they take, in favor ot imposing iii.
rect tax on the people to swell thus fund. Aud
here we wish for no representation ar mistake,
we say n direct tax, tor the government has al
ways been supported 10y direct TAX, and IL the
fragments OF the old VI. State Bank, the tax on
banks aud the money raised Tor licences Tor Ped
lers, hud flowed into the State Treasury, instead
Of being diverted 10 this visionary nnd," 1t would
have been The rase, from the commencement of
the fund. We saw, that the friends of this fund
are in favor OF importing, aud continuing upon
the ireemen of Vermont, "A drcct INK. in which
they would collect 100 Tor every SOB OO witch
will he handed over 10 the Commissioner Of the
fund aud out OF this S93 90 is 10 he deducted
the expense of managing and the lnsses Ivy bud
securities, and OF interest, when q per cent. cam
not he renliAed THEY also III favor OF raising
by direct tax, the SUN of Sl62OI6y3g TO pay the
debt due the fund, Ivy the STATE, thus sluking
Sl0,509,24 in the mere expense OF collecting;
aud when this is done, they wish still to continue
this system of taxation So ur 81 ears longer, that
tn.s they may iasleu upon our Descendants, debt
due the Stale, or fund of $4,000 600, that thence
forward as long Ms the fund stall as schools may
be- supported 10y The poor, while the rich slall he
exempted from all school taxes for The support Of
sclUOls ten months ~ the year.
The frleuds Oi the fund are willing 10 chain
down our descendants. TO that inevl'abe peniIry
and dependence, which the fund, il Accumulated,
will necessarily induce they ARE wiling 10 sub.
ect them, To the grinding operation OF State Elk
ecutious, TO wrench from them their Inst cent 10
pay aud interest; willing To leopard our free
institutions to Try the experiment OF thus fund
willing TO put The fund atl"at on the current of
time, ~ the vain hope, that II may reach "A gene
ration. which will need il more than the present
with no reasonable prospect, thai It VIII ever at
tam the at, ect contemplated III the nct, aud with
ths experience OF all, cOnversant with the subject
that such fund il collected, would be neither
necessary nor desirable, bat would prove adverse
To The best Interests of education. The friends OF
this fund are wiln. TO tax the people for 80 or
more Years to come, to accumulate the iuui IN
despite OF all such aud other grave considerations,
which might 6e fairly urged aganS 1t. Aud here
let it be asked, who are tuese friends of the pe0-
pie i? Those who would so freely lax the men of
the present. times those who have horne HE bur
den and heat OF the day, in clearing the wilder
ness, iOunu. all the institutions ut sncIey, bull
ding the Slate House, aud ali other<pnbl'c bull
dIngs, down TO the hunbest school house III the
Stale, besides educating thenseves? We should
hardly think they could belong to any reasonable
beings of the present day they cannot lie men
to he bOrn so years hence, for many obui0us rea-
sous, of which is tina; they would lie ashamed
| to ask it AT our hands II then these writer's are
not men of generation to be Dorn 30 years hence,
aud do not belong to any reasonable beings OF the
present day, ugan we ask who are they: Ihat
Is more than we can tell hut one thing is appa-
rent; if they were not ashamed OF their argu'
! nieus, they would become responsible for them
! 10y giving their names We say the question 10
be settled involves 81 900 600 in the fund aud the
| question Of saving that sum and $500 900 in its
| collection and management. Aud need IL man,
! an honest man We mean, lie ashamed 10 aid his
name To any communication, which he might of
Ter To The public on subject OF such pecuniary
! importance? But the iecuniary consideration
is perhaps one OF the least iinportahce involved IN
| the question. The fund, so long it lasts, will
he Il temptation to population, To irnud and pOni-
cal dishonesty. Ii will abstract Just as much as
| is accumulated in It, from the cause OF education
| for more Than fifty years 10 come, aud IA much
longer period, il the debt due the fund is not pad
| There is no reason, then, why any man should
not have his reasons tor against the iumd, such
Us he IS willing publicly TO vndicote and malntaIn.
| But we have looked in vain Tor ANY attempt TO an-
swer the reasons which We have urged, why tins
| iur was unwlse, iinprovident, iuexpedient ani
ought TO he abolished. We hear much about
fraud aud iaIsehood, and whiggery, and couns,
ani urstOcras, AM! poor mems fund, and extrav-
ugance, und State dehI, &c, &c. But no man IN
| favor OF continuing the fund has the canGor 10
! come out aud adult, wha' cannot be de- ned, VIZ,
thai The Slue debt is To lie attributed 10 the TOOL
ish attempt To collect this fund. Aud yet such is
| the fact, and were this fund turned INTO the state
Treasury where it belongs, by every consideration
" "n"''''u' P'''o9' VIC '0'".o Nv.
wv u'nn ooyu'u "s ro"o' W ~. w
s'sn'' 'u' We ""' w. 1o"o o ''o n
81, ., ~ ~.
}" Tue No VI "'e hse '"' '"e"'' i'"' W.T.
ler' over 'or s'S"a'u'e, "as 'r''' ou' a'''"e'
twn columns ot remarks, about things in general,
| without attempting to answer our reasons tor IL
Dos.hhg 'ie 'u"" N"' nave we w u'sc"fe'eo
'he hrsl "''er. VINO Jus n''e"p.eu 1t. us Is
virtual an ""h'ss'o" oy '"oSo ","e'S' "'"' '"o
sronhu we nave '"Nen rs n"pies"a"': i"s wiz
ter mas gwen no'h,y on p,', r ''s'""''ons
powers VI government "e'"eu r"'" ,ne peoP'e
people cafao'e oil sell government 'iat hh"Jori-
lies must RUE o"e"'eh:e necessary coh""h
schools gooh mug ana hna"y cp"es 10 con-
clis'on' That ihe i"l' WIN oe aoo''sheo' unless