Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-12-24
DEL, THURSDAY, DECEMBER "a, 1858.

2. Transferring the power of taxation
from q school meeting to the board of schoo
commissioners of each hundred and town.
0. The abol ltion of single school district
and the substitd dtion of hundred and tow
districts.
STATE sUPERINTENDKNTs.
The school system is State interest. TIL,
State has appropriated and set apart larg,
fund for its support. Every locality ant
family Is brougl directly within Its influence
Through Its instrumentality, at least three
fourfhs of our youth, of both sexes are pre-
pared for the active duties of domestic social
and business lie. Il is surely great inter
est; and yet this system is without head
The State has appointed no one whose spe
cial duty it lie to watch over the publ,
instruction Z; to harmonize its workings
report defects aud suggests improvements
collect and disseminate information and
generally, to execise potent and salutarJ
influence. All this, 1t is hoped and believed
will be promoted, if not accomplished, by
the appointment of an upright, intelligent
and faithful State Superintendent. Ane
although such office is unknown In oul
system, yet 1t is no experiment, for it has
been tried, approved, and is now highly
valued in almost every State where public
schools flourish and especially with our i'm.
mediate neighbors on all sides.
COUNTY suPERINTENDENTs.
What the Sta1e Superintendent does fol
the State, the County Superintendent is ex-
pected to do for his county, and more. II
will be his duty to examine every teacher,
and give certificates to the worthy to visit
every school, ard give countenancc, instruc-
tion, and encouragement to both teachers
and pupils. And who can over estimate
the amount of rood a competent. conscien-
tious, and industrious superintendent can
do? The moral and intellectual standard
Of both teachers and pupils will be raised.
The public examination, the graded certifi-
Gates. the periodical visitations will greatly
tend to elevation and improvement
TAXATION.
One of the gravest complaints, perhaps,
heretofore urgeG against the present system,
is the uncertain method of raising money
by taxation to support the schools. AT pre-
sent 1t depends, substantially, upon the Vote
Of each school at each spring meeting.
The committee are of opinion that this is a
most unfortunate feature of the system, and
should be speedily changed. tits uncertain,
for no one can tell what to look for In ad-
vance. Even If he knew the sentiment of
every voter in the school district in regard
to a tax, he cannot know how many will be
present and vote at the election: and, con-
sequently, cannot know what will be the
result. 1t is also dntdgonistic as well as
uncertain. Those who have no children to
educate, but much property to tax; are in
terestsd in defcai ing tax; while those who
have many children and little property ART
interested in carrying tax. Hence there
is an ever recurring conflict of interesl,
which not only proves very detrimental to
the cause of education itself, but often pro
duces irritation aud ill-feeling i'll ncighbor-
hoods. By placing this responsible and
delicate power in the hands of board of
six commissioners, judicious frceholders OF
the hundred or town, periodically elected
on account ofthrir peculiar fitness, and hay
ing all their int rests in the district, thus
avoiding the inf lence ofexciting temporary
causes, 1t is believed the evils of the present
system will be avoided.
Besides this, inother change of less i'm
portance, but one entirely just and proper,
is proposed. 1t is to subject stocks and
moneys at intere 1t to taxation as other pro-
perty. By their present exemption the
owners. of this sr eces Of property, a proper
ty that is well XII own to yield as large profits
as any other, pa. no portion of the public
taxed heavily to pay their own proper share
and the others too. This should not be, and
we feel sure such inequality and injustice
cannot long continue. There is no reason,
in princi )les or Iolicy, that A. who owns
farm worth $40, 100, should be taxed 800,
while d, who owns q mortgage of $4,000
should 90 free; while in nine cases out of
ten the net inconie of the latter is more than
the former.
DISTRICTS.
The policy Of making every individual
school an indep ,ndent school district has
tried in other Sta ties and abandoned without
any regret, or desire to revive il. In prac-
tice it is found tl.at some schools are poor
and some rich; some have few scholars and
some many. There is no uniformity, not
much equality, lut great deal of dissatis-
faction. 1t is proposed to remedy this by
lilacing all the Sc hools of a hundred or town
under the same control, the Board ofSchool
Commissioners, who, acting for the general
good, can regulate the boundaries and atten-
dance according to justice and propriety, so
that all shall have at least the opportunity
to avail themselves of the benefits the sys-
tenn of public instruction was, and is, intend
ed to confer. II is not intended, or suppos-
ed, that any radical change will he effected
in the present limits of school districts. But
il is intended that all the taxes OF the hum
dred or town shall go into common treasu-
ry, and be thence dispensed to all according
to their wants, and that the burdens, as well
as tho benefits, shall be shared equally by
rich and poor alike.
The undersigned do not claim that the
plan they have the honor to submit is per-
feet. On the contrary they believe that it
will require years of trial and experience to
perfect any system that may be DEVISED
But they believe 1t is an improvement upon
the present system, and they believe further
that it is the duty of all good citizens to aid
in work so intimately connected with the
public veal. In this view and spirit they
submit the proposed amendments to the
careful examination and candid criticism Of
their fellow-citi.ens. Personally they have
no more interesi in their adoption than any
equal number OF voters and tax payers.
j. ALEXANDER FULToN,)
WILLIAM A.. REYNOLDS, Committee
j. q. CLAwsoN,
Dover, Dec, IL, 1858.