The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-09-10
unifarmI,r ln sehool Ma,,er,.


Constitution seems to promise the people
a system of schools which will be pros
porous and efficient. II is virtually the
Indiana system engrafted into Kansas
The same leading principle of uniformi-
ty runs through the education article Of
both Constitutions. The Indiana school
system is SO very unsatisfactory in its
workings that strong effort has been
made to revise the Constitution, so that
an efficient school law can he enacted
The Procrustean principle of uniformity
has crippled common schools in that State,
cutting up by the roots the graded schools
of cities, and only furnishing enough State
aid to maintain schools on an average but
three months in year; though, in many
localities, this is eked out by private sub
scription, to nine months.
Cities and townships were prohibited
from levyiug special taxes for school pur-
poses, because common schools were re-
quired to be uniform, and school funds to
be raised and appropriated in a uniform
manner
The Indiana State journal, of Aug. 27,
combats this provision of the Constitution
in an editorial urging revision of the
Constitution Of that State, observing that
Equality of support necessarily induces
equality of character among schools."-
The fund being only sufficient for ele-
mentary schools, the graded system oi
schools inaugurated in the cities was swept
by the board. 1t adds: "The Constitu-
ton, in reducing all the districts in the
State to the same support for free schools,
necessarily compels them all to be satis-
fed with the same degree aud character Of
instruction to large extent. This, we
have said, is an objection to the Constitu-
ton. So we regard it, and SO we believe
will every body regard it who looks at the
interests of the State, instead of the party
advantage that may be gained by clamor.
ing for equality of education"
The Supreme Court of Indiana annul.
led that portion of the school law author
izing townships to lovy special schoo
tax, and also the law which authorized
special taxes in cities for the support o.
higher grade of schools. The average
duration of the free schools in Indiana il
1858, was two months and ffty-four
hundredths; in 1856, three months anc
three-hundredths.
Not small share of the school funC
is used up in the percentage of the differ
ent officers through whose hands it passes
in going to ard from the State Superin
tendent, before reaching its final disburse
ment.
The uniformity system, in Indiana, fur
nished free schools in the cities only abou
two months in year. II this Constitu
ton is adopted, and the Legislature es
tablishes an uniform system of common
schools, nothing but similar result can b
expected. All taxes are to be assessed il
a uniform and equal manner. This vii
prohibit townships from assessing take
to make up the deficit of the school funds
for that would be a special tax. Th
interest on the proceeds of the perpetua
school fund, the rents of lands, and reve
nue. from the general school tax are to b.
appropriated to the support of common
schools, in equitable proportion to tn,
number of children in each district be
tween the ages of FIVE and twenty on,
years. This insures the same ''eaualit,
of education" which now curses Indiana
As if still more to fetter the school sys
TEN, the Wyandott Constitution in section
5 of the Education article, provides thai
"The school lands shall not be sold unles
such sale shall be authorized by vote o
the people at general election; but, sub
ject to a revaluation every five years, the,
may be leased for any number of year
not exceeding twenty-five, at rate es
tablished by law.'
1t may be impossible to obtain vote o
the people for such sale of the schoo
lands, in which case the basis of the schoo
fnnd will be mainly the five per cent. OF
the sale of public lands by the United
States, within this State after her admis
sion, the uncertain rents of the schoo
lands, and the general school tax. Should
there be delay in the sale of the lands
and failure to lease them, the common
school system of Kansas is crippled, and
the uniform system of free schools will
prove mere farce. aS
We are not disposed to be captious in
reference to this Education Article, but
looking at the incubus which has destroyed
the school system of Indiana, we have
reason to be fearful that the same curse
will be fastened on Kansas by the adop-
tion of this Constitution. If adopted, it
will require radical amendments of our
present school law, rendering it less eff
fsctive, and perilling the educational
interests Of the children of Kansas for
years to come. To the usual plea of the
ofhce-seekers, that "the Legislature can
remedy that feature" we must answer
they can reach it only by an alteration Of
the Constitution, and that may be defeated
By partisan pandering to the prejudiees of
the populace in favor Of equality of edn-
casion.''
o. E Il. GRANT is succeeded, in the
management Of the ST. Joseph Free Dem
~