Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-04-10
SIX DOLLARS pm YRAD
Invariably In Advance q

S63 %, the total amount Of all other chan stats
, .axea. OF which Hamilton county paid sI,s24,.
o'o 40. Now, If weadd to thissum the amount, |,
con.riouted to the State taxes by my county,
S4I2'o'7 ", We have 81, ,996, ,599 rs, the whole
amount OF taxes paid by Hsmiiton county. be-
Ing fraction short Of two miIliops. or nea.,,j
one-ffth of all the taxes collected n s,s,. j
Notwithstanding Hamilton and other coup,isa 7
are onerOusy taxed for local purposes, tbey "a
compelled by this law to contribute to the sehooI
fand for the support of schools in coupta.
where the local taxes are comparatively liebt.
We pay, according to the last annual ststemsnt
OF the State Auditor, nearly $4,000 for the
support OF schools in other counties This ann
Is less than 1t has been for several years past .
Inc passage of the bill would be saving 10
hamilton county annually Of nearly $4O.O -
I~enty-seyen other counties would be prono,.
sonaliy benefited. Have not succeeded IN j
showing why this bill should passl ~ n
The legitimate functions of governments ara I;
lew and simple. 1t is instituted for the preaa,.
vAtion OF order, for the protection of the indI-
Vidusi In his person and property. The yirtie
and intelligence of the people are essent;st Il
secure permanency and stability to the govern.
ment' Upon these also depend, ia an eu.:ncn.
degree' the character Of its civil and political
institutions. Hence the necessity to educate .
and TO educate all the people. Instruction a
the elementary branches of education Il abso- :
iu'ely necessary to qualify the individual for an
intelligent discharge Of his duties as good cit
izen' Education for the people is necessary.
considered merely as police regulation. Bot
it does not therefore follow that the State sboud
raise and distribute the funds necessary To fur-
nlsh the requisite educational privileges. / have
endeaVored to demonstrate that there is no more
propriety in the State performing this duty than
IN its furnishing food and clothing for the people
How farI have succeeded, leayeit withf the
House to decide, The State may, with proprie.
ty, by law, make provision 'for affording the
advantages of free education to all the youth
OF the State" But, in my judgment, experience
has demonstrated that the raislog and The dis
tributDg Of the funds necessary for this purpose,
$50 Wv NNN'hS h1A'6Smcbt duu cUQEfOl OF fOe
schools, should be left with the people, iu ths.r
local corporations. With such an arrangement.
We may feel confident that the schools will be
managed with prudence, and wise economy.h
which will secure success. and give complete
satisfaction. SER
In conclusion Mr.. Speaker, will repeat that
! am decidedly in favor of supporting the COM
mon schools by local taxation. For have an
abiding confidence in the peoples capacity to
manage their own affairs. In the administfa-
ton of the schools, due regard should be had
to economy and efficiency. These should be
primary objects of the law. To secure which,
the conIol aud management of the schools
should be brought as directly home to the pee
pie as practicable. The people of Ohio have
long been distinguished for their enterprise and
public spirit; and these are ample guarantees
that their constant and untiring efforts will be
directed to promote the success and usefulness
OF the schools The only danger that threatens
the common school syetem is, that its over
jealous friends will bring ii into disfayor with
the people, by amplifying and expanding it,
Boards of Education have the authority to es.ab.
lish township, central, or high schools. None
has yet been organized under the law, and Il Ia
to be hoped none ever will be. This is as much
of an excrescence upon the common school sys.
tenn as the raggedschool would be. The tendeu.
cy OF either, as an adjunct to the school system,
could not fail to do harm. II would dunavoidablyre-
sulti the establishment Of invidious distinctions
in society, for this reason 1t is to be deprecated
Our school law has become entirely too complex,
and there has been, regret to say, a disposition
upon the part of tbose who claim to be the
friends, par excellence, of our common schools
to render it even more so. The system is made
ponderous by excessive machinery. Il is the Z
nature OF power to centralize, and nowhere is
this more manifest than in the Ohio school
system. The hand of reform is needed upon It.
The common school system, pure and simple,
is amply sufficient to furnish the means of ele-,e
mentary instruction to all the youth of the
State. 1t is comparatively inexpensive and
popular with the people, and will remain so, 90,
long as it is kept within its legitimate sphere. r.
Let township or central high schools be estab.
lished by private enterprise, and public benevo.
lence will provide for the ragged school when
needed. Letour school system be purged of
and kept free from all extraueOus appendsges;
and we need have no fear of its success. 1reuea
Finally, let me say, Mr.. Speaker, the bill be- &
fore the House should pass. Il is eminently a
measure Of justice, and it will sooner or later be-g
come law. Depend. upon IL, this is onlya
question of time. Justice is slow, bat certain. q