The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-04-14
c 0 NJ MU MIC TION 3.
For the Ledger.
The Free-school System Of So. Ca.
NUMBER ii.

Equality, and Policy of the present mode of
distribution of the Free School Fund.
AS before stated in the first number, the
Fund appropriated for Free School purposes
is distributed under the present system
among the several Rarishes and Districts in
the State according to Representation in the
House of Representatives. The appropria-
ton and mode. of distribution is regulated
under an act of the Legislature, passed in
1911, and entitled an act to establish Free
Schools throughout the State" Under this
act it is provided, "That Immediately after the
passing of this act, there shall be established
in each Election District within this State, a
number of Free Schools equal to the num-
Der of-members which such District is cnti-
tied to send 10 the House of Representatives
in the Legislature of this State" and also
"that for the support and maintenance of
the said Free Schools, the sum of Three
Hundred Dollars per annum for each (mem-
ber) is hereby and forever appropriated to be
paid out of thetTreasury of this State, in
the manner hereinafter directed, until other
sufficient funds may, by law, be provided"
The House Of Representatives is compo-
sed of one hundred and twcnty-four MEM
'bers; and the constitution of the State pre-
"a scribes the principle upon which the appor-
tionment of members is to bcmade.
Under the I'd Section of the amendments
of the constitution. ratified Dec. II, 1903, it
is thus expressed "The House of Repre-
sentatiyes shall consist of one hundred and
twenty -four. members, to be apportioned
among the several election Districts of the
State, according to. the number Of white in
habitants contained and the amount of all
taxes raised by the Legislature, whether di-
rect or indirect, or of whatever species, paid
in EACH" &C..
And IN section s4th Of the same, " In as
signing representatives to the several districts
this State, the Legislature shall allow
one representative for every sixty-second
part of the whole number of white inhabi-
tants in the State; and one representative al
so for every sixty-second part of the whole
taxes raised by the Legislature of the State"
sc.
o. And under the 9th section, If in the ap
portionment of representatives under these
amendments, any election District shall ap-
appear not to be entitled from its population,
and its tax Xes to a representative, such cleo
ton District shall nevertheless send one rem
resentative," &c.
From which it is observed that represent
tation in the House of Representatives is
based upon Tdration as we'll as Population,
and that,when there is not satfieieat amount
Of taxation, and sufficient population, to
entitle an Election District to n member
still II shall have one. A member in the House
OF Representatives derives his power, partly
from t0ratton, and partly from population,
and it may be, Ex Gratia-in the absence
of both taxation and population, as consti-
tutional basis.
70 distribute then, the fund according TO
representation in the House of Representa-
tiyes, would be to distribute the same accor-
Sing to taration and population among the
election Districts. Taxation and population
being the basis Of such representation.
This in effect would make mration as well IA
pqpulatioa the occasion of the necessity for
the Fund, and the application of it depend
upon these; when in fact, the want of Edu-
cation among the people Of the State origi-
mates the necessity for the appropriation To
show the unsoundness Of this principle, we
J. J; must notice the relation in which taxation
and population stand to Education. First,
then, we REMARK, the people only us they
stand in need Of education, become the sub
Jects and beneficiaries, of the Fund. and in
no other sense are they to be co".,,,oered in
onnection with A. The same may be said
Of the several Districts and Parishes. But,
in no sense, whatever, can taxable property
be considered the subject or beneficiary of
the Free School Fund. 1t was clearly the
intention of the Legislature IN voting the ap-
Precipitation, 10 meet if possible, the wants
OF Education in the several Districts and Pa
rishes in the State, having regard simply to
the Educational wants of each or of the
whole State. To effect this end, it was ne
N~iy 'OiOooio W dhdllOT, Ill OTuer 10 Iur-
nish the means. Hence it is, that Taxation
stands to Education in the relation ofmeans
to an end. This, indeed, is the only rela-
ton which it sustains to education. The
object of The Fund is Education, and the
fund itself is but the means ofattaining that
sbject; What more has taxation to do with
Education? Will any one say it forms one
of the subjects of Education! If taxable
property is to be educated, then the present
mode Of distribution is right This is an
! age ofnew things, but we have yet to learn this
fact. -
= Under any true system of Free Schools
the Education Of thepeople forms the object,
the people are the subjects, and the fund the
means of sttaining the object, and reaching
the subjects. From the insufficency of the
j.