The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-10-06

; plain and healthy support of the prisoners
l Imprisonment In the county jail as pun
!, ishment should be made less frequent
/ Unfortunately many who are guilty o
I petty misdemeanors feel neither the bur
) den nor the disgrace of Imprisonment il
the county jail We leave it to the wis
: dom of the Legislature to devise some
other mode of punishment, which, with
. out inhicting corporal pain or bringing
forward any badge of slavery, may ye
prove more efficacious in reforming often
ders, and be less expensive to the tax
payers.
|. The law also should requite the con
victs, sentenced to the penitentiary, t.
be Immediately removed to the State
prison. They are now, in many instances
left in the county jails for many months
to the great cost of the several counties
The jail fees for day should not exceed
80 cents.
The salaries of Inspectors of the Peni
tertiary ought to be saved to the State, by
imposing the very light duties of these off
ces on other State officers, or on competent
citizens without salaries.
The trustees of the Insane, Deaf and
Dumb and Blind Asylums should be pro
hibited from using any of the funds ap
propriated to these Institutions, in the way
of salaries or fees to themselves.
The appropriations TO the State Uni
versities are beyond the means of the
State to pay. and beyond the necessities OF
these Institutions.
The salaries and mileage paid to the
/ Trustees of these Institutions ought to be
prohibited The duties of these officers
are extremely light and highly honorable
like services of all other institutions OF
learning in the State, and throughout the
Union, are rendered by the best citizens
without compensation.
Again, the expenditure of the States
money-poor as the people are-and la
boring under the most crushing taxation
for the board and support of certain
students, is wrong. The State is under
no obligation to furnish these favored few
with what is denied to the children of the
State at large The State supposes she
discharges her duty to the great mass OF
her children, when she furnishes schools
free of tuition for four months in the year.
These schools are for the people at large ;
the colleges and universities are for the
more fortunate few. Not more than one
in a thousand, even in the most favored
countries, ever go to college. 1t is wrong
that nine hundred and ninety-nine should
be burdened with taxation so crushing
that they are derived, in many instances,
of the means of even going to common
school-in order that one fortunate person
shall have extraordinary benefits denied
to the Others We therefore ask that the
scholarships in the two Universities be
abolished. These remarks apply, also, tC
the Normal schools.
Whilst we cordially endorse the wis
dom of that policy which extends to the
children of the State the advantages Of
a free common school education, we re-
spectfully submit that our present legis
lation in that pect is radically defec
tive in theory, and in its practical work
ings isa great wrong rather than of benefi
to her citizens. The present rate of tax
alton for purposes of education and the
appropriations made for that purpose
amounts to the enormous sum of 1915,
900 annually-greatly more than is nee
essary for carrying on the State govern
ment. We suggest that the mistake il
this matter has been this {: The attemp
has been made on an impoverished State
with all its industrial pursuits in derang
ed and constantly changing condition. anG
all of its property values greatly depre
ciated, to suddenly inaugurate complete
, system of common schools fully adequate
to the wants of the whole people of thu
State, and to extend this even to a col
i legiate education. Whilst this would b.
well enough perhaps in great, prosper
GUS and wealthy commonwealth, yet thu
attempt in our State in its present condi
ton has been productive of such an enor
nous taxation as to bring ruin to thu
doors of the parent in the attempt to ed
ucate the child, and to produce in tn
public mind a growing and annually in
creasing hostility to the policy of free ed
ucation itself. We therefore respectful,
suggest thorough change of the law il
; this respect-that the present tax for edu
cational purposes be greatly reduced
that free education be restricted simpl
+ to elementary grammar schools, that tn
] pay of County Superintendent be re
! duced as herein recommended tha
q the effort be directed to the gradual an
a economical building up of a commo
school system which shall not by its enoI
nous exactions excite the hostility of tn
: citizen, but viii rather attract to itse
. his support and affection.
The Commissioner of Immigration
i an unnecessary office. His duties al
nothing his services of no value. w
', suggest that his salary might be abo
ished, or be made merely nominal, an
y all appropriations subject to his contr,
IS be repealed.
: The salaries of County Superintendent
) of Education might be saved by unitin
. that office having such light duties, wit
II that of Sheriff, with an extra compens
Il ton of $50 per annum, except when Il
services of competent citizen can be g
,o for that sum.
Il The salaries of teachers in the comma
a schools are far greater than is necessal
i to secure the services of the persol
4 emplyed. For second-class schools s.
If per month would be ample, and for fir.
or class $50.
q On this subject We suggest that
70 constitutional amendment is necessary
i. order to give to the present comm.
8 schools the benefits of fines, forfeitur
er and licences now required to be funded
ed The sessions of the Legislatu
Re should be biennial. It is within the pow
On OF the Legislature to fix by law that
Ia should meet only once in two years. II
We | is the plain meaning of Section 6, A
III of the Constitution. We as
as. however, that biennial sessions be not L
ed to the discretion Of the Legislature,
m that the rule be adopted by constitution
re- amendment. M
Ity The Constitution should also
Ter amended so as to prohibit all spec
Legislation. A great portion Of the I'll
MT of the Legislature is now spent in maxi
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