, 1860-03-31
Drcsa 4 Crihttur
CHICA GO.
WAEGIIOp ON SCHOOLS.
N

WACGuOP ON SCHOOLS,
Mr.. J. ". Waushop publishes a letter in tic
Journal of. last evening, III which the present
plan Of distributing the proceeds Of the School
Tax raised in the State, whereby Cook County
pays into the Treasury for school purposes,
Sss,s3s, aud receives in return only $35, ,594,
Is severely criticised. That matter has ffe-
1uently received attention from this paper,
Enough We believe none Of our contemporaries
{lave thought it Of sufficient importance to JUS
lilly their interference The unfnirness Of the
arrangement is patent; but VIC know that it
has been uaifsru,ly opposed in tie Legislature
By tho representatives Of the northern coun-
ties as long as they could oppose it without
defeating Tie otherwise beneficial legislation ty
which common schools have been fostereds
No know also that that method Of distribu-
LION has been sine qua non with The South
and Center, insisted upon alike by them and
hy Edwards and Powell, former Supcrintend-
s:s,ts Of Public Instruction, Us the only terms
upon which the majority in tie Legislature
wotil1 submit to any sc!loo! tax whatever. It
is grossly unfair, a,,l to the northern e,ouuties
toCook especially. exceedingly burdensomc, But
Gle attempt to make Scnntor Judd, and tie
'ncmbcrs i'll the lower house from Cook county,
=csroasibls solely for what has been ncces-
stity to which the minority rarts were obliged
to submit to insure my schools at all, is un-
worthy Of rroteEEed Republicans, and should
nc lett to the Democracy, to whom education
in any form has been generally distaStc-
fHl. Mr. Waushol's criticisms apply equally
to the Representatives Of I'LL the moro popu-
aous and wealthy counties in the State, aud
the defence Of cTh is that they preferred to
sacrifice something rather than hare Illinois
constitute tile solo exception among the tree
States to tie nuble system Of common schools.
The law as it stands is not to he de-
Tended OH principles of Justice Yet it docs
not always happen that those who pay most
fur public cnds reap the highest advantage
tllere!rom. The citizsrs Of Massachusetts are
taxed nearly two cents each on their let
tors. a''ovc tho cost Of transportation, to cna-
bic the citizens Of Iowa aud Texas TO get
their letters carried f1r three cents cacl,-in
sl'ort, to secure ii uniform ra:o Of postage,
Tic people Of Southern Illinois. who derive no
r'crciit from the Illinois and Michigan Canal,
7ave been largely taxed for the construction
of that worS that ne might erjny the benefit
"f wafer communication with the Mississippi.
The rich man with Do children is taxed largely
for The benefit Of the poor man with many, while
tho latter may, perhaps, never pay dollar
into the sclcol f,lal. Tho nonresident pron.
crtv holder, wl,ose children are all educated
IN IL dlslaut part Of the country, is taxed for
the support Of schools in Illinois, equally with
our own citizens. 1e; the principle, that each
4ub should E!aul on its own bottom, is 4 good
one; and s:o simple proposition, as that each
t'n1ty shopld he allowed to rctuin the ayails
ii is cwn school tax, ought not to liud III en-
.aar iu tho State
Nc arc glad " SEQ that Mr. Wnughop, who
"acc held tic oai:o Of School Commissioner in
tf1is county, has finally got walked UP to tic
importance of this question. lie will find in
the back numbers 81: this paper much useful
information on tho SUBJECT, together with n
:ull review Of the Facts attending the legsla-
4&'n ''o complains of-t;.cts which ought net
TO have escaped tile attention Of former CON-
'nou scl.o, fnncticnary.