Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-03-05
UNION AND AMERIOAN WEDNESDAY MARCH 8 ISIS
sUBJECT OF PUBLIC rREE SCHOOLS

UHSECE OF PUBLIC FREE SCHO0 II
NO. 2.
In my letter No. 1 upon the subject O
"Public Free Schools" allusion was made
to the inerpediency, at present, of estab
: fishing them, owing to the large bonded
debt OF the State, the interest on which ha.
not been paid for several years and Is moi
!, yet provided for by the Legislature. For
several years past the taxes have been
, principally paid with the notes or currency
Of the Bank of Tennessee, which was 81
no value In the treasury Of the State In
paying its indebtedness; consequently the
State has not only ad to suspend the pay
ment Of the interest on her debt, but really
has had to borrow and issue warrants OF
certificates of Indebtedness to discharge the
ordinary expenses Of government.
The taxation on property in proportion
! to what it yields Is IS burdensome as 1t
can well bear, therefore 1t would be wis
dom in the Legislature to provide for
punctually paying Tin the future) the inter-
est on the State debt, and retaining in the
treasury what is necessary to defray the
every day expenses of the government. and
not increase, at present, our indebtedness
dd infnit,un in the experiment of "Pubfic
Free Schools" which, according to the
number of all the children, would REQUIRE
$6,OOO,O00 annually to establish and main
tain schools of any real and substantial
value or utility. Bypursuing such policy
we can maintain our honor and establish
our credit at home and abroad, and when
necessary, can borrow money at par in the
markets OF the world, as do other provi-
dent, practical and well conducted govern
ments.
In a community, the principal subjects Of
taxation are property, privileges and per-
sons. For the general welfare and COM
mon Defence" all these subjects should be
taxed IN proportion to the reciprocal protec-
ton, benefit and preservation they respec-
lively receive from the appropriations made
by the government. When special appro-
| priation is made by the government for the
benefit and protection Of particular sub
ject, property for example, then the tax
should be imposed on property to recipro-
cate or make return equivalent to the
benefit and protection afforded. And such
a rule, as far as practicable, should prevail
in relation TO all subjects oftaxAtion. 1t is
principle based upon reason and justics.
aud will, as far as practicable, hold good in
political economy. If the law recurring an
| appropriation, directly concerns persons,
and not property, then let the tax be i'm
posed on persons. II the law be for gen.
eral purposes or the ordinary expenses of
government, then let all the subjects oftax-
alton relatively bear their proportion. In
republican or free government, some per-
sons think that property should bear all the
burdens Of taxation; and very recently we
have seen it suggested that land should
only be taxed, and money, privileges, and |
other property should be exempt. Such |
theories would, if put into practice, amount |
to confiscation and eventually end in an
archy and agrarianisml The idea |
of taxing land alone is absurd, and |
Is not based upon any principle of equity,
reason or justice, nor is it, in accordance |
with the. theory of G republican form of |
government, where persons and things are
both respected and protected and each
should bear their relative proportion of the
burdens of government. Now, if we had
an assessment law, which in its practical
operation, would reach 8 just and appropri.
ate valuation of all the property of the peo-
pie, and then collect the taxes assessed, We
could easily provide for the payment of our
present Indebtedness without depressing the
people. Think Of excmpsing privileges and
money! Why they can be more accurately
valued, aud the profits arising therefrom,
than ,cad and unculsiVated lands that Weld
nothing. Who makes more money than
the banker, the note dealer and the success.
full merchant? and who by the laws Of this
State, are better secured ia his life, liberty
and property? Not an individual! Why
these very members of society are so well
versed in arithmetic, and especially the rule |
OF loss and gain or profit and loss, that
through their commercial boards, chambers
oil commerce, monetary rings, and other |
commercial associations, they figure up the
amount Of taxes, charge it to expenses, add
it to cost, and increase the per centunb in
profits to the amount Of tax, thereby max
ing the consumer, and especially the tiller !
Of the soil, pay the taxes at last. But that
Is not all; they have the money and the
goods that we farmers and planters
wans, and they and the manufacturers
1x the rdtue aud price of
he raw material, which the culrivator of
he earth produces by bis hard labor, and
We have to submit to whatever pyofts a
hese men of exchange choose TO impose
upon US! We submit to it cheerfully, as S
We can't avoid it, and are ignorant Of the L
nOdus 0perdndi.
Now, we have had our doubts as to the 1
beneficial effects and results Of this taxa. b
ion public school system. Il would be an
experiment. in this State in imitation of 9TH q
n States, densely populated and differently S
itusted, with crowded cities, towns and 8
'illages, where disciplining the mind to
uoordination is necessary for the preser- a
alton of morals, peace and order. In an b
agricultural country like this, very diffsr- C
mt state of things exists. We are sDarsely e
ettled, with ample space, with no large
tiles aud few towns or villages of any size d
nd plenty of room for all who desire to 81
make an ample support with industry by 81
n honest and respectable vocation. In
uch state of snciety as we have here, 81
be peope are more moral, less vicious AID "
o not require the same kind of training or 81
ducatlon TO improve the morals aud polish "
be mind that these crowded cities, manu- Il
aeturlng towns and densly populated coun- CT
res do that are more liable and exposed to d
ho contagion Of vice, immortality and cor ii
upton. These moral diseases, like phys V
al ones, are frequently produced by 10
eng IN too close contact, there 81
OF being suficiency of space o.
} avoid or stun the various yaDoFs,
We are not so certain that the so-cllled al
ublic schools, or schools sustained by tax g.
Liou, are panacea or infzllible remedy in fu
Re prevention Of poverty, vice, immortality
nd crime, even IN those States and coun- al
les where they have the dense population in
nd all the necessary Ingredients and ma 81
rials to supply and sustain such instiLu-
ons. nS
One of the great objects and ends of ed by
cation, morally, is well expressed by a
attn author, who was celebrated for his fo
isdom and bis knowledge of mankind, in th
le following lines
'Tngenuas didiscisse 6delitar artes m
Emoiiit mores, nee snit esse feros.U ly
hich, when translated POLITICALLY into Eng ca
n, reads thus: 81
rhese polshed arts have humanized mankind, TIC
ftened the rude, and Gained the bcisterous tn
mind" h.
AGRICOLA. or