, 1870-06-28
PoINTs oF CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
70. 80. s.

OF our 6E&Ie tOTeEunenG Ii E1AL OF pQ0uC
instruction. The collection and disburse-
ment Of State and county taxes for the sup
port Of the common schools forms, next to
the preservation Of order, the most i'm
po1taut function Of the State. Yet, the
present constitution does not even men
ton the subject Of. education or schools,
except to provide TINT *tpropeny neces-
sary for schools, religious or charitable
purposes, may be exempted from taxation.''
Still less, does it authorize such An Office as
that Of State Superintendent OF Public In
struotion, or County Board Of Education,
or the maintenance of ta1os for school pur-
posea, or their collection from the property
holders Of the State. Our pres
ent constitution no more recognizes
education as matter requiring the atten-
ton If the State OF the peopla than it does
amusement, or religion, OF the fnc arts,
or the hog cholera. An accidental mn
jority, opposed to free schools in our State
Legislature, might, under our present con-
stitudon, abolish the system and it Is not
entirely clear that any taxpayer who should
take the trouble to contest the payment Of
his State and county, school tax, On the
ground tha, the constitution does not au-
thorire taxes for that purpose, would not
! have strong case, aud could make
| much trouble. The report Of
our State Auditor OF Accounts for
1869 shows that the total amount of
warrants drawn on tho Treasury for all
purposes, was 5000, 4oi.79; Of which
there we're drawn for schools, colleges and
seninariea, total Of. 81, 165, 407.82, Of
which 1854, ,5G4-93were devoted to the sup
port Of common schools. Besides this the
counties and cities levy separate school
tax, By authority Of State Law. We have
not the additional amounts so levied By
local boards, but they are quite likely, with
the common school fund, to amount to
81, ,eo0, 900. It is, at least, an anomaly in
Legislation that one-half Of all the money
raised and disbursed By tho State and un-
der its authority, should be collected and
expended without word or warrant
in the constitution. The greater the i'm
portance OF the work Of State education,
the rnore Indispensable it is that It should
hare some authority and mention in tho
constitution The fact that tho Legislature
has been compelled to ASSUMING such ex-
tensive powers in the 1natter Of education,
orto let her children grow up destitute and
Ignorant, shows tho full truth Of Governor
Pa1mer'a renaark, in hia recent 1ettnr. that
"Thn real point to be decided is, viii the
people adopt the constitution submitted to
them, OF will they live in The future, as
they hive done for several yours past, IN
der government that has such powers as
the Legislature, for tho time being, 1nay
choose 10 claim for it7
The new constitution requires the Gen
era1 Assembly to provide d thorough and
efficient system Of free schools, whereby
i'll the children Of thia State may receive
good common school education It pro-
videa that, while al funds bequeathed OF
created BY private benerolencc, for sem.
mary or university purposes, shall remain
fnyiolate, 40 educational. Institution which
Is, in any degree, under denominations
auspices, shall be sustained by taxation
It leaves religious education to be volun
, tari1y supported By the religious; ta1es nj
man to pay for tho incu1eation OF tenet'
which he does not believe, but holds tn
State to its duty to rec that al it's childrez
have the means Of obtaining such education
ss is necessary to make them good citizens
| and honest, productive workers.. +: