The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-04-07
The Governors Pocket Veto OF Che Bill
to Reduce the Pay Of County
SuDerintendents.

The present Executive, notwithstand-
ing his professions of economy, is an OBJ
stacle to reform. There is no greater.
outrage on the taxpayers than the profit
gate way in which the school system Is
carried on. 1t costs them annually $780,
900, which is sufficient to pay the entire
expense of the State government honest
ly and properly administered One OF
the abuses of this system is the enormous
sums wasted in the office of County SUI
perintendent. 1t is one Of the grievances
complained of by the taxpayers in their
address to the Legislature. We will
quote from that address:
ssThe salary of County Superinten-
dent of Education might be saved by
uniting that office, having such light du-
ties, with that of Sheriff, with an extra
compensation of $50 per annum, except
when the services of a competent citizen
can be got for that sum.
The Legislature did not carry out this
suggestion in full, but after spending CON
siderable time on the subject, it went
step in that direction by reducing the pay
of County Superintendent. 1t took up
each county and fixed the pay of the
Superintendent according to the service
required. After the bill had passed both
Houses, it was tempered with by some
rascal, or rascals, supposed to have an
interest in the measure designed to be re-
formed. Before the bill could be corrected
and put into proper shape the session was
within three days of closing, and the Gov
ernor defeated itby putting itinto his peck
et His extraordinary achievement in the
interest of the tax consumers was made
the subject of a thrilling circular as fol-
laws
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION,
JACKSON, March 10th, 1873.
To County Superintendents
The bill red Iciug your salaries has not
become a law, as the Governor has refused
to sign it. Yours truly,
L. w. CARDozo, State Sup't. etc.
From this it appears that there was no
pretence of reform whatever in the
abuses of the school system. The neces-
sity was universally admitted. The will
of the Legislature, responsive to the pc
tition of the taxpayers, was unequivocally
expressed. But the occupant of the
Executive Mansion and expectant of Sen
atorial emoluments attached more impor-
lance to advancing his own personal
schemes of ambition than the discharge
of duty to the Overwhelmed tax-pay-
ers.
1t is hard enough for these impover-
ished taxpayers to educate the thousands
of children of parents who do not pay a
dime into the public treasury for that
purpose, without being saddled with
unnecessary expenses in performing the
service But Ames, the alien Governor,
who recommends Calling guns and stand
ing armies for the government of these i'll
used taxpayers, holds different opinion.
So fragrant is the crime which has been
committed in this matter by the interlop-
ing Executive, that it has called forth the
following vigorous remonstrance from the
Natchez Post, one of the staunchest Re
publican papers in the State:
"Wemust say that we very much regret
that Gov Ames has withheld his approx
al 1t is we'll known that we have been
most ardent advocate of free education
for period almost as long as Gov. Ames
has lived, and that we would approve
nothing that would retard the progress of
the cause of education. But with all due
Difference to those VINO differ from us, we
think this defeated bill was eminently a
proper one, and would have been at this
time highly advantageous to the school sys-
tenn of the State. What Mississippi wants
now is the application of every possible
dollar of her scnool revenue to the extern
sion of her school terms. The amount
saved by the reduction or Superintend-
ents' salaries would have given to the
children of the State very considerably
longer term of tuition, and would have
helped materially to pay the hard earned
pittance of the devoted teachers of our
schools. The County superintendent
have light duties to perform. that will re-
quire their attention for certainly not
more than four months of the year, and
during the balance of the year they are
mere superfuities, of no more use to the
school system than bump on a log.
Yet during all this time their pay is going
on at the expense of the legitimate use to
which the school fund should be applied
We are of those who believe that the cause
of free education is of too sacred a char
acter for the offices connected with it to
be made political rewards, and we do not
think Gov. Ames would be willing to
sacrifice single advantage for the free
education of MississippIs children. on the |
altar of political preference. We would |
like to see the educational cause in the |
hands of intelligent friends of education, |
without regard to whether they were
friends or foes of any particular party, !
andwe are sure there are thousands of true
friends of free education who would |
give their services to this sacred cause for
a much less compensation than is now al
lowed to men probably far less competent,
and who feel no interest in the subject far
Their than their pay is concerned. These
remarks are called forth by no captious
feeling on our part, but by the most honest
anxiety to see the system of free educa-
ton in our native State-where we have
advocated it so long, and when we have
shown our faith by our works. success,
and to see Mississippi take a foremost
stand among the States of the Union in
and education"
The Distractions 10 Commerce at
fhe Mouth OF the Mississippi.
On our fret ,,oc,a viii Io fovo1 a.