The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-04
The school Elections Next Friday.

The school Elections Next Friday.
An election Is to be held next Friday,
the 9Th inst, in this county outside OF the
Wheeling school district, and in all the
other counties oil the State outside Of Ger.
tain independent school districts, fot the
following school oficen: A superinten'
dent for each county, board Of educa'
ton, consisting Of three commissioners, for
each district, and a trustee for each sub
district.
At the same time b vote will be taken
whether the district boards Of education
then chosen shall be invested with au-
thorily TO make the local school levieS in
their several districts. II the vote in q
district is Nor power 10 levy" the board
will bccmpowcred to make the levies dur.
ing lis term; II II be against power 70
levy" the authority TO make the levles
will be withheld for the like term. Each
district thus acts in this important matter
independently Of all the Others. and the
evil Of such an arrangement is that the
present uniformity Of the school system
may be broken up-that there may be
schools In some districts, while in others
the school houses will stand empty and
Idle
A good deal Of apprehension has been
expressed over the operation of this local
option, II being feared that the enemies
n common schools will be able TO vote
them down in detail, and ultimately 10
break down the wholesystem. We have
not fully shared these approximations, not
because the local option in such matter
il not mischievous, but because VIC think
the masses are so much enlisted In favor
Of the schools that they will not improve
the opportunity prepared by the Legisla.
ture to bring about their overthrow. We
have supposed the popular feeling in favor
OF the schools 10 be too decided and gen
cral to warrant the fear that any consider.
able number oil persons in any district
will vote against them. 1t is Of the high.
est importance to the. welfare Of society
IN the future that the youth DO educated,
and the common schools, as they exist in
this State, appear TO be the cheapest and
best instrumentality yet devised TO that
end. We have some confidence that the
very large majority Of voting citizens re-
allze this, and that they will cast their
ballots accordingly. .r
There is another consideration that
none should fail 10 understand. The State
lCyies IL tax Of 10 cents on tho 500, and
has revenues from other sources, Tor dis
tribution among the counties for school
purposes. Each district that makes the
local school levies will get its proportion
ate share of this State fund. The district
that refuses to make the local levies will
get none of the State fund, though taxed
to raise it, and will be wholly without
schools or school funds. We do not be-
lievc the peoplein many districts will vote
thus to discriminate against themselves.
There Is another thing that leads
us to expect that "For power to levy" will
generally be carried. Those likely TO
vote against are the possessorS OF large
landed possessions or other property.
This is n comparatively limited class.
Their own votes are not sufficient 70 vote
down tho schools, while the secret ballot
makes their dependents independent OF
them at the polls. Those who have
limited amount oil property to be taxed
and children to be schooled may be de-
pended on, unless too densely ignorant to
understand their own interests, to vote for
levy, which Is voting for schools. 1t Is
only necdlul, It would seem, that the case
be understood, and that those who want
tho common school system continued,
should 60 to the polls. The schools have
friends enough in every county and dis
lrict of the State, VIC feel assured, 10 main.
tain. them, f-OnIy they come ont and
vote, und only their apathy and neglect oil
this duty can defeat the levies aud destroy
the schools