Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-02-15
COUNTY SYSTEM.

OOON11 81 STEM.
The association found the county
system of free schools the established
system Of the State. Under this sys-
tenn there were only very few coun-
ties that had good schools in operation,
although many had levied tax. But
the system had its merits, and it was
made the basis of the system finally
approved of by the association.
COUNTY, STATE AND DISTRICT.
The system recommended by the
association is one combining the State,
the county and the district systems,
retaining the valuable features of all,
and thus harmonizing all conflicting
views as to different systems. The
necessary features of this combined
system are, State Board of Educa-
ton, State Superintendent, County
Board of Education, a County Super
intendent and District School Com
missioner, and we earnestly ask your
honorable body to adopt system of
free schools with these authorities to
administer it, giving them the powers
usually granted to such school officers.
which powers are enumerated In two
of the bills now before your honor
able body. We would respectfully
represent that the system above re-
commended, instead of impairing, will
rendar more efficient the present coun-
ty system; and the 4ply addition to
the expense of the present county sys-
TEN is the salary that may be attached
to the Office of State Superintendent.
THE WAYS AND MEANS.
With regard to the means to sup
port the system recommended, we are
fully aware of the present inability of
the State to supply the full amount
of means necessary, in consequence of
our embarrassed financial condition
and, therefore, we ask of the State
only the proceeds of the interest on
the principal and interest of the school
fund now due, and State poll tax of
one dollar. The funds derived from
these sources to be distributed amongst
the counties according to their scho-
lastic population. We ask you to
fund the principal and interest of the
debt due the children of the State, in
the same manner as it is proposed to
fund the principal and interest of the
debt due the foreign bond holders,
and to pay the interest on the school
debt, when funded in the same man
ner as you will pay the interest on the
bond holders debt when funded.
TAX THE COUNTIES.
We also respectfully ask you, instead
of voluntary taxation by the counties,
to levy a tax upon property of one
mill on the dollar, to be assessed and
collected by the county, and to be paid
out by the County Trustee to school
districts of the county, according to
the scholastic population, leaving the
counties the privilege of levying, vol
unfairly such additional school tax
as they may deem necessary to prolong
schools.
We also respectfully ask you to en-
power the people of the school dis
tricts, to levy Il tax upon property for
building school-houses, for paying
other school expenses, and for pro-
longing schools. Under the decision
of our former Supreme Court, the
power cannot be conferred upon the
people of the school districts as such,
but if the school districts should be
created incorporated towns, then the
legislature of the State can confer
upon such districts the power of levy
ing tax.
DISTRICTS INCORPORATED.
We believe that the legislative body
has the power to organize the school
districts into incorporated towns, with
out any further action by the Chancery
Court, for it PROFESSIONALLY has the
power to create such civil divisions of
the counties as it may deem proper, and
also has the power to incorporate them
when created, as towns or cities, and
shoot districts are civil divisions of
the county. We, therefore, respect
fully ask you to make provisions for
the incorporation of school districts
as towns, and to confer upon them
when so incorporated, the power to
levy a tax upon property for building
school houses and other school pur-
poses.
This power in the people of the
school districts to levy a tax, is be-
lieved to be the most certain mode of
providing means for the support of
schools.
Being levied by the people directly
upon themselves, and ascertaining
their own wants, it will be more readi-
" and cheerfully levied than it would
BY representatives upon their constitu-
ents that the money, being collected
by their own officers, and paid into the
hands of their own treasurer, and paid
out by their own School Commission
ers, elected by and from themselves, it
will pass Immediately under the eye
of the taxpayers, and will be almost
under their direct control, it will,
therefore, be more economically col
lected and more faithfully distributed
than by any other mode of taxation,
and it has always been the most ac-
ceptable mode of taxation for schools
wherever adopted. This power is
granted to the people of our cities.
Why should it not be granted to the
people of rural districts? 1t is incor-
porated into every free school system
of our country. Our sister State of
Virginia has incorporated it, as well
as every feature of the system which