The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-03-20
For The virgiuian.
FREE SCHOOLS.

10, though entered upon in apparent gooc
faith, and enforced by lava, which are strict:
" constitutional, yet there is much doubl
whether the spirit os the constitution and law:
is being carried out or even aimed At, by the
present authorities.
The true spirit Of tho constitution would
| iuauguratc system of free public institutions
accessible to all, free to all and sustained By
all the citizens of the Stale alike, according
to the capacity of each. by well regulated
| system Of taxation. There is certainly no
: thing more necessary for the people Of Vir.
GINA than the education Of the whole people
The 'ramers Of the. consttutiop, relying ou the
the past history Of Virginia, supposed tbes
were leaving the matter in the hands of wise
Legislators, who would lay q foundation on
which to build a system Of Free Public To-
s;rucion which would be both permanent and
prosperous. But the political dsgencracy OF
the times gave us legislature in keeping
With the modern style Of legislative bodies,
dissipated and somewhat reckless, which in.
augurated system, without foundation and,
10 the prospective, far from being prosper
GUS. A mere perusal Of tho law Of go & 70,
known as the school law, will give any sen.
sible man a very clear idea Of the wisdom,
skill and patriotism Of the august body by
whom it was enacted we will exan.ipe now
few Of its provisions The law creates a
few satisfied officers, who have the appoint
n; Of all subordinatcs.
It divides the counties into school districts.
By making township lines the boundaries Of
the districts, some of which townships con-
tain at least one hundred and Fifty square
miles, requiring from twenty-five to thirty
schools, TO accommodate the people 1t then
provides that three trustees shall be appoiu-
ted By the state Superintendent, (who
knows no mors about the qualifications of
those he appoints than does tho Emperor OF
Russia to manage and conduct the school
interests Of said districts. It then enumer
ates the duties of said trustees. They are
required to call the people together in the
several neighborhoods to consult with then,
about the school interests, and make known
to them all the provisions Of the school laws
TO see that proper houses are prepared, at
proper places, to accommodate all the chill
dren to see that suitable teachers are co.,
tracied with to visit the schools from time
to time, which means several times in each
session, and to have a general supervision
over all the schools in their charge. And
this gives to each Trustee, a greater amount
Of labor each year, than is performed by aoy
one ct our Legislators, at SIX dollars pr day,
and the Trustee receives not one dollar for
all his services, and more, that same Jsgisia-
turc imposes fine on the Trustee fer NAL
feasance, CT neglect, of from five to Ely
doilars-while the Legislator is paid for his
malieasapce, neglect, destination and recre-
alton, at the rate Of six dollars pr. day. l
would not have you suppose, however, that
these Trustees perform the duties imposed up
on them by the lsw,-far from it. They
meet under the general orders of their sala-
ricd superiors, talk over the merits Of GER
tain individuals, and localities, finally arrive
at the conclusion, that they wall establish
one school here, another there, and another
somewhere else, until they have named
enough to consume all TIE money, they iuten-
ded TO spend that year, at from 20 to Is dollars
pr. moata for Eve months, they then adjourn
and wait for Teachers 10 apply to the chair
man for contracts. They issue them, paying
usually the same price to each teacher, whesh.
or the school be small or large. They do no
more, until the schools close; The yay var
rants are then issued, and their work is done.
# this be the legislation We get at six dol
lars pr. day, what may we expect from meo
who have no personal interest and receive no
compensation The people are willing now
tosupport free system of public instruction,
provided, that system can be made free,
equal. and uniform. They are willing to pay
q State tax. of sufficient magnitude to defray
the expense, if judiciously expended. But
they are not willing to pay state tax.
county tag, a township tag. and neighbor-
hood tax, expanding much Of it 10 its levy,
assessment, and collection. They also want
some voice, in how, when, aud where their
money is to be expended and who is to be
benefited BY the expense. Is it not enough,
that the people are willing to be taxed for
the support Of free schools in The COMMUNE
ty? Is it not enough, that they are wiling
70 build schoolhouses and furnish them at
their owne xpense?a Or must they have men
appointed by the Superintendent, who are
not personally interested, to hold the purse
strings, and direct where the schoolhousc
shall be, who shall receive free instructions
and who shall not? 4 common school edu-
cation, is what the people desire, and expect to
receive at the free schools. They expect no
classic lore, mixed up with common school
instruction, for they hnor that where elassi.
cal and common school Instructions are given
10 the same school, that the former always
has the ascendeney, and wherever the
schools are mixed, it is an Infringement upon
the rights Of majority IF the people. We
want our schools entirely free from all sec
tional, political, and denomina.ional prejudi-
ces. We want high and low, rich AID poor
brought to common level, so far as free
school privileges are concerned. Ws want
20 favored pupils, but we Haat all to share
alike the privileges Of public Instructions,
that each may stand upon his own merits.
and each have an equal opportunity to rise
by acquired knowledge, above the common
level. IF we expect to have a system of free
public instruction in Virginia, one that will
be sustained. tostered and loved by the peo-9
Die, it must have Arm basis, foundation
approved by the people. I will svhtirs the
assertion, here, that the people will never be
satisfied until the townships are divided into
school districts, comprising one school only,
having fixed boundaries, having three trus-
tees, chosen by the citizens of each district,
and their schoolhouses located where ma.
ioritv Of the voters Of the district may elect