Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1847-02-18
co Nj L MICA TION.
FOR THE SPECTATOR.
THE DISTRICT SCHOOL Law

The DISTRICT SCHOOL LAW.
NO. III.
Mr.. Edor,-l beg leave TO adopt the following
communication which appeared in the Democrat of
! last week:
THE SCHOOL LAW IN HENRY AND AUGUSTA
COUNTIES.
| Mr. Editor,-ln short paragraph in your last
paper noticing the petition of 352 voters of Henry
County for the repeal of the School Law, adopted by
that county last spring, you take occasion of caution
ING your readers ''to inquire into the merits OF the
system, they will be called upon soon 10 vote on
the adoption of the bill by the County" | beg Your
leave to aid to the extent of feeble ability such
of your readers, desire act on your suggestion
| by few remarks the relation Of the District
Free School system to the counties of Henry and
| Augusta.
| 1t is proper. at once 10 disabuse the minds of
your readers of an error, into which YOU have in
adverently, led them. The law adopted by Henry
county was the special law passed for II or Is
counties, and may be found on page 81, "Acts Of
Assembly" for last year. The law which it is pro-
posed to submit TO the people of Augusta is the ge-
neral law, found on page SD. These two laws
are the same in their general features. The latter
however, is less exceptonable in several respects
and especially so, in regard TO the power of the
people, in the premises. Should it be adopted by
any such precpitate action the former adopt
ed IN Henry county it contains within itself pro
dopon can only be effected by a vote OF tnot thirds.
| entirely acqniesce with you, Mr.. Editor, in the
Importance OF deliberation and caution in such an
affair. But apprehend there is no danger, that
the people of Augusta will run away with this
School Law. Indeed, rather fear its ultimate re-
lection by reason Of too much apathy and inditfcr-
ence. Permit me here TO correct another error In
! your statement. You speak confidently of our
SOON being ''called upon to vote the adoption"
OF the law. Now the general law which, only
we can be called upon to vote, contains provision
to the effect that no popular vote can be had till
onet third Of the qualified Uoters, aoi,o mag haze 10
ted last Spring, may have petitioned the County
Court to have the polls opened Petitions to that
effect are now extensively circulated, and take
| this opportunity of urging their presentation and
| begging every citizen TO sign them. There is no
comInal to vote one way or another on the part OF
the signers Surely the strongest opponents of the
law cannot object to the effort to have it tested be-
fore the people. Whatever may be our honest die
terences OF opinion, objections by the opponents Of
the law, to have vote taken, can only spring from
| the fear that the people may adopt the law. Pc
titions are in the hands of Dr. M'Chesney, Mr..
Graham, of Greenville, Mr.. VIM. NJ. Tate, Mr.
| Nathaniel NIasse. Rev. VIM. Brown Mr. Francis
| Bailey, Mr.. Walter Davis. Col. James Crawford
Mr. D. a. Cochran, DIR. Davidson, and several
Others
Nor Go I conceive that the petition of Henry
county, and the result Of the effort to engraft this
system in It's policy, properly considered furnish
any adequate reason for fears that the enterprise
here may prove ineXpedient or unsuccessful
BY documentary evidence furnished the last Legis-
lature, ii appears that Augusta county contains, in
round numbers, 81 900 acres. about 900 square
miles. Now fully 200 square miles OF this amount
may be deducted on account Of uninhabitable or
uninhaoed mountain land. Henry county is re-
ported TO contain in round numbers, 81 > 900 acres
or 536 square miles, from which no important de-
lucfiDn he mo do : ,n,,
really but little more than twice the size of Henry
In Henry county 3-7ths of the population is coored
| in Augusta not more than 10Th. So that the
actual white population, given area, in Angus
ia is much larger. Thus 1000 white people in
Henry county scattered over an area about one
half as large as is covered by $4,000 whites in Au-
gusta. The Petition" estimates the school popu-
lation at l776. BY the census of 1910 there are
only 1915 persons between the ages of 5 and 20,
and hardly more than 1000 embraced in any period
of 10 years of this time. In Augusta there is a
school population of $500 between the ares of and
20---or taking any 10 years of the period, abou;
1000. So that taking the proper area OF Augusta
to be twice that of Henry, aud its population quad
rupe or nearly so, there appears to be about twice
the number to square mile. The white popula-
ton OF Henry to square nilels | that Of Au-
gusta 2ll.
Now as to comparative wealth, taking the
present rate OF taxation as basis Augusta APP
pears far more than douby efficient Her taxation
for 1915 was $4,000, while that Of Henry, ac-
cording TO the Petition, was $3500-the former
nearly five times the latter. The docuMont ~ofer-
red to above gives the revenue TAX OF Augusta 81
GAP Ii +, and that Of Henry S2,254 S3-.thus show
ing similar proportion, and proving that the large
! ratio has not been owing to the dlsproportiOn OF
? county tax. 10 this should be added. that the
town tax of Staunton and Waynesboro will. tore
Their, nearly reach $1,000 year-so that, in fact
with entire population not quite three fold. Au
gusta is more than fivefod of Henry county in lis
ability. For although ours is not strictly an ad va
loren tax, yet under system it is good repre-
sentation of property.
Further, the county Of Augusta contains some
thing like five times the number of domestic ami
mals-as Horses, Cattle Sheep, Swine, Sc. Th
value of IFS agricultural products amounts TO tlrr