The Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1852-1853, 1853-08-17
School Law.

We hear some persons, scary souls, who
are disposed to make great noise aboot the
small increase in the levy of tax for SCnooL
PURPOSES. Some of them seem to have con-
ceiyed the notion that the State levy Of two
mills in the dolarylluation is Just as much of
an increased tax! Now we beg 10 inform
such that for number of years past the
annual levy for school purposes has been
ono and half mills ON the dollar-one half
OF a mill being levied by the State and the
remaining mill the County Commissioners of
each county were by law required to levy rs
county tax. The law requiring this county
levy was repealed by the new school law,
and the whole amt is now levied as a State
tar and the amount collected distributed to
each county in proportion to its enumeration
of youth. The reason Cor this change in the
NODE of leyying the tax we have before ex-
planed-to place the youth of each county
upon an equ llity so far as school funds are
oncerned-making the education OF tho
youth of the State affair, and laying down
the principle that the property of tile State
should educate tie youth of the State, and
not eacA county its own youth as formerly
So after all, the increased tax is only one
half of mill; and now we beg to enquire
who is there who will object to such an in
crease of school funds for the education of
the rising generation? This slight increase
will never be ielt--no taxpayer will feel the
difference when he comes to pay his taxes :
yet its effects who can calculate them? who
can calculate the immense benefits to socie-
ty, civilization and christianity that may re-
suit from this small increase in the school
funds, in rescuing from life Of ignorance
degradation, vice and crime, hundreds, yea
thousands Of youth--to whom may hereaf-
ter BE- committed with confidence and gov
ernment, preservation and perpetuatlon OF
our free insti!utions--who, otherwise, would
have been untitled to exercise, the privileg-
es of freemen, fit subjects for filing our
our jails and penitentiares? Think of it
eight hundred thousand children in the
State Ohio, for whom the new Constitution
wisely required the General Assembly to
provide, by taxation, orotherse ga thorough
and efficient system Of Common Schools"
and yet when in obedience to the require
mcnts of the constitution they had sworn
to support, a constitution adopted by the
people themselycs-the Legislature increas-
ed the school funds TO the extent of half
mill on the dollar valuation there are MEN
reAey to 90 into fits about i'll
We repeat, what we have before said that
VIC do not doubt there are imperfecGons in
the new Scool law which time and expert
cnce will deyeiopc--but that we are dispos-
ed to give it fair trial. Like every thing
new it will meet with cayilIers and object
ors. Weknow members who voted for it
who objected to some Of its details, but still
believed twas Che best that could be obtain
ed under the circumstances. 1t is in the
Legislature as in a jury-rocm men must
compromise their views-else nothing can
be done. If no member had ever voted
for school law unless it plased him in eve
ry particular, our word it for it, Ohio never
would have had any lawupon the subject.
1t is therefore simply ridiculous nonsense to
condemn a measure, and particularly one SO
extensive in its ramificatons and diversified
in It's operations as shool law, because
there may be some provision in it which we
do notarprove.- Ohio Picayune.