Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-04-04
Free Schools.

The system is to be established by general law-but
Its working is to be entrusted the counties Each
county is TO be divided into Districts containing n
certain number Of children and the people Of these
Districts to choose Commissioners, who are to
have charge Of the schools The success Of this pro-
vision will depend upon the fact, whether not the
Commissioners paid officers. If the system is
tainted with money, the whole must prove failure.
Ii viii fall int" the hands or tile merccnary spoils
seekers who will prostitute the office to their own ac
grandiZement. IL the post of Commissioner be one
OF honor simply with no other reward attached to il
than that which attends the discharge of a patriotic
duty-it will fall to honorable and worthy men, The
obscene birds of prey-the place. hunters-will not
interfere. They never make their appearance unless
there is garbage to be dcvoured If there be not
among the substantial and independent farmers OF
Virginia enou gh public spirit enough regard for free
Government, enough consideration for their fellow
man, to induce them cheerully 10 undertake these
duties, without fee reward; no more need be SAID
about it 1t would argue, that we had reached that
stage of political and social degradation from which
all efforts at extrcation would be hopeless. 1t is true
that the whole drift of legislaton-cons,i
tutioLa and legislative has tended to foster spiit
of seseeking, and In substitute individual cupdi,y
for public disinteresedness but it has not We, COZ,
standard for Legislative and Congressional honors
declines greater number of worthy men are thrown
out OF the arena of political competition are left idle
In the country, and they would gladly undertake such
useful duties those that would deyolye on School
Commissioner
But this l. in anticipation. The first thingis to lie
move difficulties and to get the system established
The details can be perfected afterwards. To our
minds the great obstacle, OILY to system of Free
schools, but TO every other patriotic and laudabe ell
terPrlse IN the Commonwealth, which requires public
money, is the logrong principle which has obtained
ascendancy in the Legislature. This absorbs all the
ready change IN the Treasury, and threatens to mort
gage all the resources of the State for an indefinite
ume. The new jury law is onerous and it is yexa-
nous- In many counties, it costs nearly enough 10
educate the poor children-and in ALL it makes abeayy
hrat upon the time and patience of those sui
Jected 10 It's operation But this might be endured
'he good resulting was commensurate with the cos,
ana vezaton 1t creates. 1t is the log rolling system
however, which engenders evil and mars every laud-
able undertaking. 1t proceeds upon the principle
that whatever particular section can Srest from the
pubic treasury is so much gan-and no section
should hesitate to grab what it cana principle falls.
In political economy, and abonnable in ethics II
regards the common contributions of all the people n
fund to be scrambled or-as legitimate spoils for
porton-who by cunning force can succeed in an.
propiating it TO themselves. Itmultipies unscrupu.
ious oice>seckers and breeds dishonesty wherever it,
maign influence may reach. 1t is the spirit of inius-
tice and rapne ncarnated.
Inc BEST oil things beyond their measure coy,
Sleeps balmy blessing, loves endearing joy
Inc feast, the dance-whate'e r mankind desire
Zen the sweet charms of sacred numbers tire
But lust OF public plumber knows no safety. Its
appetite grows by what 1t feeds Its voracity and
ihpuuehce reached the climax last winter when the
following bill, transferring the whole credit of the
commonwealth to the Board of Public Works, was
introduced
81 BE it enacted by the General Assemble that Tho
Board OF Public Works be and thew arc La,orv' I,L5
to borrow on the credit OF Commonwealth in the mod
prescribed by existing laws the money necessary IN
suuc aud equip the Coyington and Ohio Railroad I'm, ~
more 'nah Que million aud five hundred thousand dollar
this act W. '"e purposes %
~ This act shall be in force from its passage
Ihls marvellous specimen of legislation was com.
prehensVe enough-it authorized the Board of prh.
Tic " orks TO raise hundred millions or five hundred
millions If they could. The whole credit Of ,be Con-,
noh"eaith was placed at their disposal without the
shalow OF Limitation. The only restriction in Tho
bill was that not more than million and , boI, sh,l
DC expended at one time en- the Coyinpton and ob;o
hairoad The remainder was to lie in the pocke,s oC
tue Board or to be used by them in whatever manre
tney might deem proper. This stupendous grab o, or
did the business. 1t startled even the loy.roIror.
themselves AL, not Immediately interested mr. ,rbo
did not hope to go snacks with the Board NJ p,,tI
works, took the alarm They saw that This scheme
proposed to absorb all the present and the f,,rro
revenues OF the State for at least hundred v,ars end
that they would be cut at of all share in1.g,i,o,.
lnere was halt but it sprung from no cha, 90 of
principle, no amendment Of morals There was in.
same eagerneSs as ever for spoatDn;-thc only diff
euiy was ms to the terms Of DIVISION This dfTcuIt
aJus'ed, the same demoralizing and plundernv roli
cy VIII resume its triumphant career
we nave ever felt that the system Of Internal I'm
proVements in Virginia founded on injustice Il
Is not just to take money from the pockets o
a. anu b. to build n road for the convent
ence and profit Of G. and D.-some bundte,ls o
miles distant But VIC, in common with others
YIELDED to what seemed to be State ncccssit,
ana aequiesced in the appropriation of public none
Tor tue construction Of what were REGARDED as pres
state Improvements. But log.rolfp bas been en-
grated on the system. Counties and sections sem
delegates to the Legislature for no other pntpose Tim
10 get ms much money possible out OF the Treasury
without reference to the end for which il is to be en-
pyod IL Is enough, that il is to be expended anon
tlem. The public Treasury is fund to be scramble
for, and the more they get the better for them
IL the morals Of the people could survive such
system, il is not possible that the public treasur
could. That has to be replenshcd 10y the people
but their capacity to contribute must become c,
hiustcd aud when three irresponsible men have III
power to create indefinite debt hopeless bankruptc
- inevitable and not distant.
by the side of this system, Free Schools and ever
ober useful scheme Tor The Advancement of the pull
lic happiness, mus, dwiudIc. Nothing can -FOUR,
neT IT, lisa Upas tree that blishis all around
MEDICAL SOcn1y oT NmGiSI.--Wc aro requested
sV iha, the Anuu Address before this body will he
ssIed by the President, Dr. Thos r. Atkinson. 10 Il
Hal Of The Society, Of Nsio and 18th Streets
Day At 10 o'clock, NJ