Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1864-04-04
Letter OF Judge Perkins TO a school
Teacher.
IYpIAvAroLIs. March p. ls64.

INDIANAPOLIS, NarCn 70, lcO4-
To Teacher in one Of the Public Schools in In
dianGPOLis:
DEAR SIR: On last Saturday. in a conversation
between us touching the common school system
Of Indiana, and the manner in which changes in
il could be affected, informed you, in reply to
at an early day. short article on the subject,
simply for the purpose of discussing The public
mind of errors with which is had been filed by
the untairness or ignorance of individuals in the
community who had sought to direct it on this
topic And. having been educated myself, so
far as was educated in school during my mi
nority, exclusively in common school. and
having afterwards been for two years a common
school teacher,it occurred to that had such a
relationship to the common school system and its
teachers in which my interest has never abated,
as justified my changing the previously intended
direction of my communication to the form of a
letter to YOU Hence its address. offer no fur
Their apology:
TIE OLD CONSTITUTION AND SCHOOLS UNDER 1T.
Indiana has existed as a State for fOrty-eight
years. During that period she has had two const-
tutionS the first one being in operation from 1916
to 1852, thirty-six years.
That constitution contained this provision on
the subject of common schools, viz: after pro-
yiding in Sec |, Art 9, for the application of
the permanent school fund, il ordained in Sec 10
of the same article, that, lit shall be the duty of
the general assembly, as soon as circumstances
will permit, to provide by law for general sys-
TEN of education, ascending in a regular grada-
ton, from township schools 10 a State university,
wherein tuition shall be gratis and equally open
to ALL" r. S. lS43, p. So.
Under this constitution. the Legislature bad
power to support by taxation, just as literally
as it pleased. general system of common
schools: aud it was not prohibited from permit
ting local system, that is. OF letting cities,
districts, &c. support common schools in their
own localities by taxation. or not as they
pleased
Now, what was the practice under that consti-
tutiohl During its existence, both parties were
alternately. periodically in power, but neither OF
them would levy taxes To support general sys-
ten of continuous common schools, thong both
enacted laws permitting such localities as saw hit
to DO so. TO support by local taxation local com
mon schools The consequence was. we had no
efficient general system. aud the census of 1880
showed notifying disparity between the state
OF education in Indiana and some of the other
States
THE NEW INSTITUTION AND THE PRACTICE UNDER 1T.
Iu 1850, the Convention assembled to form a
new constitution. The unfavorable educational
condition of the State produced by the practice
under the old constitution, was then wildly be-
fore the people of the State and the Constitution
al Convention. It determined to provide a
remedy. Ii was determined to do away with the
local system and render it necessary for all the
people, in order to obtain good aud continuous
common schools in any locality. to cause them to
exist all over the State; in short, to concentrate
the entire educational interest and energy of the
people upon one general system which should
secure. in its operation, a good common school
education to the entire body of tie children of
the State. To carry out this purpose, there was
inserted, in the new constitution, the following
provisions, which we're adopted by the people:
viz: Art g. section l. at shall be the duty of
the General Assembly TO provide by law for a
/ general and UNIFORM system of common schools.
wherein tution shall be without charge and
I equally open TO all d"
| This section, departing from the language of
the old constitution, enOins upon the Legislature
To establish general and uniform system through.
out the State; but il does prohibit, ia terms,
the return TO the local system, also; and, there
FORE 10 put the TO that system entirely
beyond possibility. the constitution further pro-
vided, section % article 4, that "the General
I Assembly shall not pass local or special laws
providing for supporting common schools -
/ There other provisions of like bearing IN
the constitution.
Thus, then, the new constitution commanded
general UNIFORM. and prohibited a local system
of common schools.
| Under this general system, il was. and u.s. in
the power Of the Legislature to support, by taxa
ton just as iberaiy as il pleases. common schools
in every district of the State that there should
be continuous schools the year round So the
| Supreme Court decided Ind. p $40.
/ Under the new constitution, both political par
ties have been alternately, periodically in power;
and if the schools have suffered for want of suf-
hcieut funds, il is much the fault of one party
AS the other
HOW THE FUNDS UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM ARR TIC
BE APPLIED.
il should be observed that all the funds raised
and appropriated by the State under the new con.
stitutiOn 10 be applied to the payment of sal
aries Of teachers of common schools, and to no
thing else. The districts, cities. &c, now raise
all the money they want for building, furnishing
! repairing, warming, &c their school houses, by
local taxation. So the Supreme Court has re
peatedly decided school, within the meaning
of the constitution, consists of a teacher anC
scholars. independent of the room or house il j,
taught in.
HOW THE NEW SYSTEM WORKS.
There are, to-day. i'm Indianapolis, {, 900 child
rem. who will draw school money, the coming
year. They draw. in round numbers, one dollar
aud forty cents per head, making the SUN in rounC
numbers, Of eleven thousand dollars, all to be ap
piled the salaries of teahers Of common school:
IN this city. To more plainly show the operation
Of the system. we insert the late report of Mr.
Culley. our school treasurer. IL Is taken from
the Journal Of the 22d of March, 1864
ABSTRACT or REPORT or rREAsunrR oy school
FUHD.
The following is an abstract of the report o
the Treasurer of the Common School Funds O
indianapolis. for the year ending March 10Th
1864:
TUITION FUND.
1853. HEcErrrs
March lO-Amount In Treasury al last report. IS 200
May t9-Amonnt from County Auditor, interest
Ism X. Observation-Disclosures. SO
May ia mount from County Auditor, interest
Common School Fund. -. ............ sos Q
Nay Is-Amount from County Auditor, Liquor
License +. ...... ........... e61
May l0-Amount from County Auditor, Com
- mon school revenue. ............ 1850 Q
Dec 9-Amount from County Auditor. interest
Common school Fund ............... 1850 J
Dec 0--Amount from County Auditor Com
mon schooi Observation-Disclosures. $40 /
Dec. o--Amount from County Auditor, interest
Tl5N R3E.................. So q
sla,sas .
1863. DISBURSEMENTS.
May 2--Paid for tuition, twelve weeks. ending
to-day. 12.e33 8
June i3-Paid for tuition, ak weeks. ending to-