The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1864-03-11
BEDFORD, Pa. FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH II. 1864.

three mills to the dollar, and some can have six
months school with a tax of two and half
mills 1t is very we'll for gentlemen who come
from rich counties to talk about increasing The
school term, but liz counties where the average
rate of school taxation is twelve and thirteen
mills to the dollar, and some as high as eighteen
mi'ls-nearly two per cent. on all The property
Ill the distr.ct--it is not So ligh. matter
When such enormous taxation rs this must be
borne there is great danger Of adding these dis
tricts to the long list Of those already MONACO
cepting, and if we increase the school term,
thus increasing the rate Of taxaion-ta king as
it were tine poorer districts for their very power
ty-we increase this danger. If Lancaster
county, or any of our rich countless had to pay
such q rate Of taxation to support their schools
as is patiently borne III the poorer parts of the
State, they would have non-aceeptlng districts
there also-they would discard the common
schools, and either resort to ol!ler means of ed
ucating their Children or let them grow up in
ignorance. and yet it has become fashionable
TO praise these counties for their rapid school
progress, and to censure the poorer counties for
not making the same progress. The latter are
really entitled to the greater credit.
If uniform taxation for school purposes, in
| stead Of by districts, could be secured he might
be IN favor OF the measure But this s neither
proposed by the resolution, nor desired by those
who advocate it. The friends of this measure
know it will not be burdensome to the rich cour,-
ties they represent, and they seem to care very
little how burdensome TO the people, Or ruinods
to the system it may be in parts Of the State
not so favorsbly situated
/ The recommendation that the resolution con-
| tains, TO increase the State appropriation, may
look very well on paper, but every one acquaint-
ed with the condition Of cur State Treasury
knows that i. can amount to very little in fact.
| with forty millions of public debt hanging like
an incubos on our treasury, no considerable in
crease of the State appropriation is possible,
Nine-tcnths of the money for the support Of The
schools must be raised by local taxation for the
next fifty years if not for the next five hundred.
/! has Been said in this debate that "the time
has come when the school term should be in
creased He regarded tho present time os the
most unfavorabe that could have been chosen
for such a measure. If ''the tine lad Gomez
at al it had come some years ago, and had beer
allowed 20 pass by unimproved. The prsen;
was no time for such legislation. When taxa.
'''' ~ S'o"'""S pPo" tho ISCP0 hlVIh O'Si J
quarter, at = rate unknown before in our hisle.
ry, any such legislation as this resolution pro-
poses, can not fail to multiply by hundreds the
number of districts that reject the common
schools. We should be wise enough 70 ''let
good enough alcne," The last straw may break
the camel's back. But why do gentlemen de.
sire this measure? The law as it now is allows
districts that are able to support longer terms
to have them. Directors are clothed with full
powers in this matter They can open then
schools six, eight or ten months, if the wealth
of the district and the wishes of the people re.
quire ii.
Do gentlemen desire measure like this tc
pass against the wish Of those solely interested
Those who desire longer school terms and arc
| able to support them, can have them without
any new legislation; and it would bo useless
and unjust TO make the school system still more
| burdensome upon the poorer parts of the State
| by increasing the school term He hored the
measure would not pass but that it would again
be disposed of as it was yesterday"