Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1861-03-12


lful6lling the great ends for which governmen
i is ordained. "a7eonsq edtno .trsblod a. o. bo
Il SO spoke q philospphic statesman; and Will
the language recognizes the high Importance 0
developing the moral and Intellectual facultie
of man, IL presents the plain distinction betWeel
that theory which leaves II to the sphere of 10.
Idividual action, and that which assumes il 70
the State. Government is merely the plan
shell which yields 10 othe developing and expand
4 Ing faculties Of society which IL encircles; no
the nucleus around which society gathers ant
receives its vitality. ~ n /. .,.-.,,.,s ~.
Az an original question, Mr. Speaker,
Wouldsay public education IL not one OF the
functions of Governmant. = Edncation Is per-
sonal acquisition --just ~ q trade or profession
: is-or the cultiyation of manners or refinement
--or the acquisition Of business taet--or even az
: the requirement. Of any property as the basis o
future livelihood. Il is no more the pfoylnce
of Government to levy taxes for any one Of
these objects than for another, or all the 9th.
ers. II would be no wider departure from the
. proper functions Of the Government for the
Legislature 10 provide, by taxation, for the es-
tabishment of public magaxines where the
! people might 60 for clothing; or public tables
where they might resort for food! Sir, what ia
a taxi In its true acceptation, IL 10 simply q
sum which each citizen tacitly has agreed to
pay for the support of all necessary government
for the support Of the government they have
created for their protection. Any cum levied
for any other purpose is not q tar;i is tribute
extorted, or bounty drawn from one portion of
the community for the benefit Of another. II
plunder, and not legitimate taxation.
Mr.. BfowNE, of Miami Will the gentleman
from Madison explain what was intended BY the
second section of article OF vi. the Consultation
Of Ohio, in which 1t is declared that the Legis
lature shall make provision for the support of
an efficient system Of common schools through.
| out the State2Jli ~ Hsu.t la. ~.
Mr.. HurcHEsoN. l am aware Of the provi-
sion to which the gentleman from Miami
calls my attention. The gentlepan will recol-
lect that was discussing the system In the
light of the original principles which underlie
our theory Of government. am free to say
our Constitution makers have lost sight of these
fixed principles, as well as our law makers. -
The section to which the gentleman refers is at
most merely directory, and gives about as much
authority for supporting religion as public
schools, provided no preference Is given between
sects. The old Constitution expressly declared
that, "religioni morality and knowledge' were
all equally essential to good government. Bot
who Will say 1t was intended TO give even au-
thority to provide by public taxation for the sup
port Of religion7 "ft 'f at'
The truth is, the system Of common schools
took its rise from the policy of the General
| Government. In setting apart certain lands for
religious and educational purposes, which were
intended by the State TO be used for these pur-
poses. have no doubt the original intention
was to limit the funds to the sales and income
of these lands and other property, and TO limit
the system to much narrower objects than It now
contemplates. The section referred to un-
doubtedly gives the power to levy additional
taxes for school purposes, but the Legislature is
not compelled to do it.
Mr.. VoRIs Do understand the gentleman
from Madison to say that he is opposed to levy.
ing any taxes for school purposes7 l7g7
Mr.. HUTcHEsoN. Yes, sir, by State auth.
ority. My plan would be to divorce the State
from the system, except as the trustee of the
school lands and other property, and the income
arising tberefrom. l would abolish the Office
of State Commissioner, the Boards of Educ a.
tion and the Boards of School Examiners, and
leave each county to levy such tax, in addition
to its share of the public fund, as it might see
proper TO support strictly common school sys-
TEN. lido not propose here to perfect my ideas
Of the system would substitute, but the funda.
mental idea would be to let the County Com
missioners assess limited amount for their res.
pective counties, Here the system might rest,
and to the people for the pres.
ent; but in my Judgment they will not much ltng.
er endure the present oppressive system. In my
Judgment, the voluntary principle in education
is the truo one in every thing else Of the
kind, for substantial progress and improvement.
But the people of Ohio have been 60 long accus-
toned to public school system, supported BY
public taxation, that it would be at once unwise
and impracticable TO destroy IL at single blow.
But that they now demand q large deduction In
the expenses Of the system, and simplifcation
of it, have no doubt. They require at least
that 1t should be restored to its original pur-
poses. In my opinion, the whole thing has been
perverted to the aggrandizement of class inter-
est. .--... ........
Taking advantage Of the beneficence Of the
State of Ohio in educational and benevolent
facilities, interested and designing men have
constantly, for years, been besieging the Legls-
lature to make larger and still larger provisions,
until The people have had fastened on them the
present burtheLsome system They started out
with the proposition that ''ths property of he
State is bound for the education Of The ekldren Of
The State''-a loose expression that has no foun
dation in fact, whatever. N tits meant that the
citizen ought to devote q portion Of his property
or earnings 10 the education Of his children, all
will admit it.. But where have we the authority
to enforce this moral obligation7 If IL is meant
that the property and children belong to the
estate" in political sense, the proposition Is
simply untrue. There isno such thing as "emi-
nent domain" in this country. The property
belongs to the citizens, and the children to their
parents. They can not be deprived of the in
dependent enjoyment Of the one, or the control
of the other, without due process of law, or in
that extreme emergency when the safety of So
ciety itself ia at stake. The authors of the
system intoxicate the public mind with glowing
pictures Of the consequences that were 70 follow
its Inauguration. Vice and crime were to dis
appear, and psuperism to vanish. Itwas to be
the philosophers stone, that would turn every
thing it touched into pure gold. But, alas, as
in many other promised millenniurs, the prom.
ise is not realized. And as in many time be-
fore, It need not be surprising that those who
got up the educational Juror had some object
suited to Themselves, % well as the public,
whom they Hattered with such dazzling pros-
poets, angL 3 glao Qlar aiii % iall a.iP bssnrI
We have accordingly found that the common
school system has grown into great "institu.
ton" II secures for itself q vast taxation,
and makes large disbursements IL has an
army Of sinecures, dependents and employees.
hIt educates and. furnishes its own teachers, at
the States expense, and then enjoys monopc-
lyof teachefs' wages! Enjoying monopoly Of
the school book trade, il has entered into an al.
liance with the printing interest, and mammoth
ssBook Concerns" combine with IL, to swell its
power and share its plunder! Itspolltical power
Is now irresistible. If disposed to weld Il, II
would constitute an influence sufficient 10 con.l
troll the politics Of the State, l ADJ la is.iil
l. The object noio is not 20 educate the youth,
out 10 deype sevenues to support the class N the ia