Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1847-06-10


viii not weigh feather. 1t will be lost in party
D violence-losi In sustaining party men, Yet which,
ever side may succeed will contend and feel instructed
that the main issue this SYSTEM when one voter
IN 70 never thought of it when be voting for his
man. -
i Pass the next August election, and say it is
doubtful question whether thepeope gave any express
sion the subject and let come up before the next
Legislature to pass law without submitting IL TO
the people, and 1t will there result in party
bic, or be strengthened by a combination of local
questions, aud either party can 90 home and show 10
Their constituents the absurdy Of the proposed sys-
ten. -
few years since portion Of a county patitoned
the board OF commissioners uier law passed Civ
iuhep the power tasuPPres groceries. 1t grant
ed candidate came out in favor of groceries. The
very men 81 his party who pftOned against groceries
butd lew weeks previous, at The August election voted
Tor the champion of groceries to save their party.
Their man succeeded, and had the law suppress the
selling of liquor repealed. This same champion was
asked to have law passed to submit the question of
license or no license to vote of the people the
next April election when party politics are usually
laid aside. He dare not deny the dear people their
!. request. law was passed, aud in two elections
winch succeeded, unconnected with party influence, a
decided vote was given against the avowed principles
OF this party Such is the unreasonableness of
parties and has been for years gone by questions Of
moral reform cannot with safety be submitted, mixed
with the selshness of party virulence Such is its
rage TO attain It's object, ii will swallow grocery
and the late vote in favor of license in New York
was not the result of the deliberate opinion of the
people Of that State, but the question was mixed with
or rather lost sight of in party at the same
/ election.
Again this is well termed progressive are--ar
! age Of reform-and among other things within few
years legislation has taken a shape. II proposes
questions or laws TO be decided by the voters at their
elections. Twenty years since such a mode never
had been heard of. To be the ratification of
constitutions had been submitted but laws thatswere
subject TO be repealed, altered and amended had not
been thus submitted The surrounding States had
adopted this method. Our own State had commented
It. The question whether towns would submit be
taxed for free schools has been already enacted into
laws by our Legislatures. Legislation cannot so
trade IN this manner of settling the municipal regu
latlons OF the community. 1t will take from the
demagogue the privilege Of selling out what is vaua-
bic to the State whole, for the benefit of himself
and party.
! Ask our Legislature to pass law for general |
system of education, to be submitted to the people
and they VIII not dare not refuse such request But
ask them TO lay direct tax without the approval of
The voters, and he, Mr. F., believed it would find nei-
tler political party had the moral courage to do it.
But call on the sensible portion of the tax PAYERS
OF The State, uninfuenced by party considerations
ERndr they Will consider, as a matter of dollars and
cents, 1t is profitable otoet6s13&ss, such system
Of schools will give each child at once 3 months
SShoOihS ulelT are WORM more
IN the vicinity of church school house, than they
costs and the poor who have to work our roads and
fight our battles we'll as the rich can Justly claim
the privilege.
He objected to the plan that counties might
adopt law and others not. 1t would cause the rich
tax payer to complain and to draw envious COMPARE
sons between his and other counties. IF he own
ed land IN one county where he was not taxed, he
would move his moveables to it, 1t would be an un-
settled queston-keeping up dissatisfaction between
The people OF those counties who adopted the system
and the counties who do not
A. LANE, Esq, of Dearborn regarded the subject
under consideration of transcendent importance
1t should take precedence of every question that was
now agitating the natiOn-war, State and national
politics, President making-a should sink into in
significance compared with the interest and MAGNITUDE
of the great subject of education.
II was the duty of the convention as friends of this
cause, TO give their whole, undivided and unremitng
attention, and exert for its promotion and general
diffusion, every faculty with which they were endow-
ed. The friends and advocates of other and minor
interests were actively at work Were the friends of
the Butler bill not active! Were the war men not
loud and clamorous in its advocacy, Or were the
Taylor men and President makers asleep at heir>.
posts! Common school education was infinitely more
important than all these,-it was as far above all
other interests, the rainbow was above the valley
Its friends had every thing TO encourage and stimulate
them'ln their enterprse-the elevation of the State
chancter-the happiness of the entire people Of the
country, and the pefmanency Of those institutions that
cost the blood and treasure of a nation Whatnober
enterprise could engage the energies of the friends
humanity! What richer reward could the heart of
claim, than the consciousness of having contrie
buted to the promotion of cause SO permanent and
lasting in lis benefits.
The convention, he said, need not fear the ntelli-
gence of the people. They understand their own in
terest, and sufficiently honest for the gene
raj good independent of individual inconvenences,
and local sacrifices. The political party that had
been so long in the minority owed their repeated de-
feats to the want of confidence in the people, The
confidence the convention reposes in them will be
reciprocated = confde in them and they will trust
you.
1t folly in the extreme, be said TO be eternay
talking about the freedom of the press aud to be Ia
boring for the distribution of bibles, and dissemina-
ting information among the people, unless they were
first taught TO read and write. The schoolmaster
should first go abroad and prepare the minds of the
people for the reception Of the missionaries of popu-
lar intelligence.
Mr.. l.. said that on a former occasion he had
calculation of the avals of the 10Th section allowed
for school purposes and had found it ample If Geo.
nOmicaly and judciousy managed, educate all the
children in the State.
Whether the question was submitted to the people
before it received the authority and sanction of law
it was immateria The great concern is to have the
subject agtaed keep it fresh and active before the
people. Let the subject be discussed i'll every school
distrctet il be the engrossing topic Of conversation.
Appoint committee to prepare address for general
circulation, and let the people, who cam read IT, and
those who cannot LEI it be read TO them, and success
VIII surely attend the effort. The people need not be
reasoned with or convinced theyneed only 10 be wake
kpp 1t sapatly, not resistance,-it is slulnbef,
not death, that pervades the people.