Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-02-05
sec. 6s OF THE SCHOOL Law.


It would seem from indications which cannot
be misapprehended, that combination OF IN
huences has been concerted on the part of
few interested persons, who are large ta1-Pay-
ers or disbursers of School funds, resident in
Hamilton county, and perhaps in some OF the
other wealthy counties of the State, to amend
the 63d Section of the School Law, radically,
so as to defeat the just and equal levy OF the
State School tax, and prevent its distribution In
the manner provided by that section of the
law, which we copy in order that those who
feel interested in our excellent system of com
mon schools may comprehend the attempt which
is now making to destroy one of its most valu-
able features.
Sec g. Fort purpose of affording the ad-
vantages of free educ 4tion 70 all the youths OF
this State, the State Common School fund shall
hereafter consist of such sum will be pro
duced by the annual levy and assessment Of
one and half mill upon the dollar valuation
on the grand list of taxable property OF the
State; and there is hereby levied and assessed
annually, in addition to the revenues required
for general purposes, the said one and one half
the amount so levied and assessed, shall be col
lected in the same manner as other State taxes,
and when collected shall be annually distributed
to the several counties of the State in proper
ton to the enumeration of scholars, and be ap-
piled exclusively to the support OF Common
Schools
In this section is embodied the great and
leading principle on which our common school
system is founded. 1t declares in effect that
"the property of the State shall educate the
youth of the State" by the levy of uniform
tax, and that this tax, when collected, shall be
distributed to the several counties of the State
in proportion to the number of scholars, and be
applied exclusively to the support Of common
schools. In this way the rich man is taxed to
educate the children of the poor man, who is
perhaps his next neighbor. This we claim IS
just IN itself, and indispensable as measure Of
public policy. We regard it as important to
the true interests of the State to support gen
erai system of common schools, SIS it is to sus-
tain the executive, legislative, and judicial
branches of the government 1t we would
have good government, we must have good
common schools The one cannot exist without
the other The general school tax should fol
low property wherever found, without regard to
civil divisions of counties, and should be dis
tributed equally in the ratio of the number of
youth in each of the counties, without regard
to the amount of school tax each county
may pay into the State Treasury. No other
view of this matter, we are confident, will be
sustained by the people.
1t is just as important to the general welfare
that the youth of the poorer counties should be
educated, as it is that the youth of the richer
counties should be educated. Rich and poor
counties stand in the same relation, in this re-
spect, that rich and poor men do. In a gov
ornamental as well as in social point of view,
both have reciprocal rights and claims upon
each other. Hamilton county, because it is
rich, should have no exclusive privileges, nor
should the poorest county in the State, because
it is poor, be denied its just claims upon the
State government to equal protection of its
rights and education of its youth. If the prin-
ciple which the school law adopts in distribut-
ing the State school fund, be changed SO as to
favor Hamilton, and perhaps few Othercoun-
ties with the lions share, then the policy Of
maintaining an efficient system of common
schools, as enjoined by the Constitution, may
as well be abzndoned- az oneeY- zu,a- ll..-rsa-
mans children left to grow up in ignorance, and
become nothing better than the serfs of Russia
The true statesmen and philanthropists ofour
we trust. will look to this matter,
and not allow so insidious and selfish PROPOSE
ton, as that contained in the bill introduced by
Mr.. Collins, to receive their support.
Tho rrI,irtu NIiIIinnIRiII-..A Gnhatitnra