The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-01-31
TEXAS FREE SCHOOLS

The subject of our free schools is in
yolved in much confusion. Many
think it strange that our schools are
not everywhere in successful operation.
Many also think it strange that teach
ers of 1928 are yet unpaid. We have
few words to say on the subject.
When the last Legislature met last
January they found the whole school
machinery in the hands of Radical
officers, State, district and county,
beaded by an imported, unknown man,
named DeGress, who had come to
Texas as lieutenant in negro compa-
ny, and who had shown, in his capaci-
ity as State superintendent of public
instruction, ignorance, dishonesty, and
an utter disregard of the public opinion
of the people of Texas.
The Legislature, actuated by the pur-
est motives, went to work with good
will to reform the school law, strip it
of every Unnecessary expense. stop
stealing, and place its administration
in the hands of officers to be chosen by
the people themselves. These honora-
BILE desires and the measures growing
out of them, met and have continued
to meet with the combined opposition
of the army of school officers placed in
power by Davis, DeGress and their dis
trict pimps, called supervisors. Atevery
point the new law has met this opposi-
ton. The Legislature exhausted every
means in its power to ascertain how
much money was necessary to pay off
all teachers up to March, 1873. Com
mittees waited repeatedly on DeGress,
and always returned feeling that he
was not only incompetent but unwill-
ing to furnish full and honest state
ment of the condition of the school
funds. Adopting the best course
they could, with the lights before
them, and believing the amount suf-
ficient, they appropriated four hum
dred thousand dollars to pay off all
teachers up to last month. DeGress
told the committee that would be
enough. But II come to pass that it
only paid teachers to the end of No
vember, 1872. Who is to blame?
Certainly not the Thirteenth Legisla-
ture, but DeGress and his lieutenants.
The Thirteenth Legislature, by reason
of the Radical officers being unwilling
To make clean breast, was compelled,
in its desire to protect the people from
further pillage, to move in the dark
1t passed the present school law as the
hest Il could do, with Davis as gov.
erpor, and the senate practically tit
between Democrats and. Radicals.
They well knew The difficulty and the
impossibility, under the circumstances
Of eiacting such school law as they
and the people desired
The people must rementer thai
until now the execution of the new
law has been In the hands of thu
former school officers, not elected b,
them, but appointed as aforesaid b,
Davis, DeGress and their district sub
ordinates. Ii is beyond question tha
he great majority OF them hay
sought to bring the new law into disre
puteAby directly or indirectly falling
tsaTA Assasr its provisions in good faith
2 fos these reasons. 20 a large extent
notwitbstandSAg the last Legislatur
spprdpriated five hundred thousai'
dolis<s to pay teachers and carry OF
the schools from and after the first o
September last, but few schools hav
been established since that time. A
before said, the people ask Why? w
have given glance al the reasons.
But, practically, now Is the frst tim
the people, through Legislature fail
Hrspresenting their viii, have been i
a condition to establish 3 genuine sys
tenn Of free public schools. Now v
have a Democratic governor, senst'
hoose, and pupsvintsndeni q educs