The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-09-30
EDUCATIONAL REFORM.
TIE IMPROVEMENT OF OUR SYSTEM
OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Who Pays the Tax :-No. 1.

Who Pays the Tax !-No. 1.
OF the sum of nearly three hundred thou'
sand dollars expended upon public education
in South Carolina, about one-fourtn is aosotoeu
and devoured by SinecureS, receiving comPen-
sat;on and rendering no services, ana lhe re-
mainder Is spent to so little purpose tna''
except in the City OF Charleston, it might as
well not be expended at all. propose, MT.
Editor. in series OF papers, to review tne
entire system, and to call the attention OF the
Legislature about to meet to few suggestions
of practical utility, persuaded and desirous
that they. too, should believe that South Caro-
lima must originate system OF public ecuca-
ton OF her. own, and should abandon tne
attempt 10 import plan unsuited to the con-
dltior of her people, and beyond the resources
Other treasury. In the course OF the discus
SIGN shall suggest and advocate the cutting
down of the South Carolina University from
it's present too extensive programme, and
return to prescribed curriculum for at least
two Qhe freshmen and sophomore) years,
doing away with the learned faculties OF medl-
cine and of law, or at least withdrawing their
salaries, and remandlng them to the fees
which they will be able to obtain from those
students that their eminent ability Will, IN
time, attract to the University; an appropria-
ntion to Clalin University for the benefit OF the
blacks, the South Carolina University being
virtually pledged, for the present. to the whites;
the Inauguration OF State Normal School, as
provided by an ordinance Of the convention OF
'ss: ;he organization of State board of exam
iners, strict and impartial, for giving certid-
Gates, and when the merit Is very great,
diplomas to teach to those, and those only,
who deserve them; the organization OF State
board of education, and Of county boards OF
education, composed of leadingScitizens, not
politicians nor legislators, and the establish
ment of two graded schools of high order
Zone for each racel at every county seat. 1t
shall not be said that these papers are without
purpose, or give forth an uncertain SOUND.
It Is evident that the State, as such, Is the
proper agent for the education of its citizens;
and it can be shown that taxation, for
purposes of education, is altogether legitl-
mate, since it Is the duty of the property
: OF the State lin case 1t can be proved that
tax for education, or any other tax, rests ex-
clusively upon property to educate the people
of the State. Experience testl1es that educa
ton, though often counteracted, Is, In itsell,
an improving process, and Site education can
be vindicated upon this simple ground, that it
tends to make net merely more Intelligent,
more sklful and more weallh-producing, but
more obedIent, more orderly, and, in all re-
spects, much better citizens. This can be
proved by the close companionshlp Of virtue
and enlightenment, and conversely Of igno-
rance and crime. Cum hoe, ergo, propter hoe.
To those who wish to read the argument In
this form, John Fosters Essay upon Popular
Ipnorancen will prove both Instructive and
convincing. prefer, at present, very briefly,
to present the argument {and it ID irreiutable)
q prtori, from the very nature Of education as
essentially moral process.
For what Is education? Is 1t cot causing
the child to exercise selfcontrol over its row
ing thoughts and desires and actions, and TO
strengthen Its will by continually collecting
its faculties and concentrating them upon the
fixed and definite end Of attaining knowledge,
under the conviction that the attainment OF
knowledge is not only desirable as an accom-
plishment, but that striving TO attain knowl-
edge is obligatory, while at school, as duty
Can such a process as this result In no i'm
provement of character, when not counteract-
ed by influences outside of 1t? Is 1t not next
to idiotic to state what the process OF educar
ton necessarily and invariably Is, and then to
depy that, If Its essential tendencies be not
thwarted by some powerful outside evil inau-
ence. 1t must improve the child and the ciu-
zen in mind, manners and morals! Fortu-
nately. this once mooted question Is rapidly
passing beyond debate, and it is now pretty
much settled, thank God !! that education Is an
unmi-ed benefit to the individuals and to 30
ciety, and that the State ought tc educate It's
citizens, and should tax Its property for the
SUPPORT of its schools. Education increases
the virtues and the enJoyments of people,
and Is, as Edmund Burke long ago strongly
out it, s.the cheap defence Of nations"
There are some, however, but fortunately
only daily decreasing few, who hold that
taxes for education are paid by property
holders for the benefit of non-property- holders.
The truth is, they benefit all classes. But
were the groundless assumption true,it will be
shown hereafter that such taxes would, never
theless, be equitable. But property-holders
never did, and never will, exclusively pay any
tax whatever. The question, "Who does pay
the te eYes ?' It is admitted, is difficult and OBJ
scure; but, surely, they are In error who hoia
that no portion Of the burden falls on the nom
property-holder or lsborer. On the contrary,
who does not know how skilful the small
class of manufacturers ever are to shit the
burden of tax. by means ofa change OF price,
upon the large class OF consumers
And when did property-holdlng employ
ers ever fail, by means Of lower
wages, or higher rents, or an Increased
rate of interest, to force employees and labor
ers to bear an equitable proportion Of any tax
that was ever laid upon them? 1t is not true,
then, that tax for purposes OF education is or
can be paid by property-holders alone. In
whatever form it be imposed, the people, the
entire people OF the State, pay 1t, In proper
fiona somewhat approaching an equitable dis