Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-10-02

in several cities in New York they are
demanding that. sScGlored children be
allowed to sit insclass with white .schol-
airs" And what will be the effect of a
system Of mixed schools, should it be
established amongst us? Will it Gle
yate the white children2 Will such an
association improve the morals
or the manners of the white?
No one is rash enough to make such an
assertion But every rejecting man
must be convinced that the effect viii
',e to degrade the whites, and bring
them down to the level of the negro.
And who will suffer from a system of
mixed schools? It will not be the rich;
they can send their children to- private
schools by paying higher prices. 1t is
the poor laboring white man who will
suffer. His children will be brought in
daily contact with the negro children at
these schools. Having paid the tax to
support free schools, he will be forced
to send his children to these mixed
schools or abandon their. education al
together. And are theslaboring white
men prepared to aid in. bringing a par
ty into power that faversa plan Of mix
ed schools in the lStatef& .. ,s,. {.
Moreover; can the Radical party be
trusted with the administration of the
funds raised by taxation for educational
purposes Can youisexpect more OF
them here than in those States where
they have control of the, school funds ?
In South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisi-
ana and other Southern States, they
have possession of the State govern
ments, and the, schsel funds have. been
wasted or stolens 8 In: some of these
States tine free schools are in operation
foraonly three mouths in tire year, and
in others not at all, because the funds
have been. misapplied.. And all the
higher schools and colleges are languish
ing, or have been abandoned. Com
pare these states where the Radicals
are in power, with the educational sys-
tenn in Virginia under Conservative
rule. In Virginia tEie colleges and uni
versities were never more fourishingr
Filled by All able. corps, Of professors,
they are attended by large number OF
young men well prepared by the school
for college studies; and the free school
system will compare favorably with
that of any State in the Union. Per
sons from the North, visiting these
schools, have spoken OF: them in terms
of high commentator; and it was but
the other day that large and respec-
table body OF colored Methodists, as
semblcd in this city, praised their teach
els and their organization. No Radi-
Gals in the Legislature or out of it has
found fault with the organization of the
free schools, OF the mode of conducting
them; nor has that party proposed auy
other plan OF. organization, or suggest
ed any material amendment to the plan
inaugurated by the Conservative party
and now in operation; and let it he
borne in mind that the Conservative
party established the present system of
free schools four years i'll advance OF
the period prescribed by the conslitu-
ton. In view of these facts, can you
not safely confde to the Conservative
party the management Of the free
schools which they SO promptly inaug-
urated and have SO faithfully conducted?
OF this you may rest assured, that par
ty will never consent to convert the
present system Of separate schools for
whites and blacks into system in
which whites and blacks are to be in
Discriminatory mixed ;.
4. Another important duty that de
wolves upon the Legislature is the inn
position of the taxes and the disburse-
ment of the taxes when collected. The
Legislature determines how much mon
ey shall be raised and from what
sources This is most important du-
ty. Can it be entrusted to the Radio
al party? Have they shown themselves
worthy of such confidence. Let us see
how they have managed the finances
in those States where they have control.
That will furnish a practical test OF
their fitness They have rendered
bankrupt every State whose govern
ment is ia their hands Let us com
pare the present Indebtedness of those
States with their Indebtedness when the
Radicals came into. power. The table
below will show the indebt mess OF
these States in 1867 before the Rc.di
Gals gained the ascendency, and. thei,
Indebtedness in 1871, after they had
been four years under tactical rule:
Alabama. ............ 81, 100000 sss, oOo,oo
arkansas ..n.....,..... 4,OOOG0 19,000,03
'Flor .. 5os,Soo 10000"
South Carolina. .........:.. 4,000.000 100000
These figures are taken from The
report of a Congressional committee
Since then their Indebtedness has in
creased. From this table it will be
seen that the indebtedness OF some Of
these States has increased tenfold, ir
others eight, and in none less than four
fold. And to pay the interest on this
vast Indebtedness, the rate: of taxation
has increased in the same ratio. The
taxes ar six or seven times higher thar
formerly. To show the increased rate
OF taxation, look at the amount of taxes
levied on one piece Of land in Arkan-
sas, which is taken at random from the
textbooks OF the county. 1t is "a fail
average representation:
Taxes levied on said land for 1866 ........$ 8 II
Taxes levied on said land for 1867 ......... 10 81
Ia on 1aDd mr.
Taxes1eved on said land for 1869. Al
Taxes levied on said land for 1870 21O 81
Now suppose the Radical party
should get the .ascendency in Virginia
what would be our condition? Oul
indebtedness is now about 1913, 900, 900
exeil1sipe of West VIRGINIA certificates