The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-01-04


by imposing the very light duties of these
Offices ON other State officers, or on
competent citizens without salaries.
The Trustees of the Insane, Deaf aud
Dumb and blind Asylums, should be pro-
hibited from using any of the funds APP
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 honora-
BILE like services of all other institutions
of learning in the State, and throughout
the Union, are rendered by the best citi-
zens without compensation.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Again, the expenditure of the States
money-poor as the people are--and Ia
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 deprived, in many instances,
of the means of even going to common
school-in order that one fortunate per-
son shall have extraordinary benefits de-
MED to the others. We therefore ask
that the scholarships in the two Univer-
sites be abolished. These remarks ap-
ply, also, to the Normal schools.
Whilst we cordially endorse the wisdom
of that policy which extends to the chill
dren of the State the advantages of a
free common school education, we re-
spectfully submit that our present legis-
lation in that respect is radically defec-
tive in theory, and in its practical work
ings is great wrong rather than of bene-
fit to her citizens. The present rate of
taxation for purposes of education, and
the appropriations made for that purpose,
amount to the enormous sum of $685.
900 annual y-greatly more than is nee
essary for carrying on the State govern
ment. We suggest that the mistake In
| this matter has been this: The attempt
has been made on an impoverished State,
with all its industrial pursuits in de-
ranged and constantly changing condi-
ton, and all of its property values greatly
| deprecated, to suddenly iuaugurate a
complete system of common schools fully
adequate to the wants of the whole people
of the State, and to extend this even to a
collegiate education. Whilst this would
be well enough perhaps in a great, pros
porous and wealthy commonwealth, yet
| the attempt in our State in its present
condition has been nrnduntivn Of euoh an
enormous taxation as to bring rum to the
doors of the parent in the attempt to ed
ucate the child, and to produce in the
public mind growing and annually in
creasing hostility to the policy of free ed
ucation itself. We therefore respectfully
suggest thorough change in the law in
this respect-that the present tax for edu-
cational purposes be greatly reduced
that free education be restricted simply
to elementary grammar schools, that the
pay of County Superintendent be re-
duced as herein recommended-and that
the effort be directed to the gradual and
economical building up of common
school system which shall not by its enor-
nous exactions excite the hostility of the
citizen, but will rather attract to itself
his support and affection.
The salaries of County Superintendent
of Education might be saved by uniting
that office, having such light duties, with
that of Sheriff, with an extra compensa-
ton of $50 per annum, except when the
services of a competent citizen can be got
for that sum.
The salaries of teachers in the common
schools are far greater than is necessary
to secure the services of the persons
employed. For second class schools S25
per month would be ample, and for first
class $50
On this subject we suggest that a
order to give to the present common
schools the benefits of fines, forfeitures
and licenses now required to be funded.
AN UNNECESSARY OFFICE,
The Commissioner of Immigration is
an unnecessary Office. His duties are
nothing; his services of no value. We
suggest that his salary might be abolished,
or be made merel Y nominal, and all ap-
preparations subject to his control be re-
pealed.
BIENNIAL SESSIONS.
The sessions of the Legislature should
be biennial. 1t is within the power of
the Legislature to fix by law that it
should meet only once In two wears.
This is the plain meaning of Section s.
Art. Ii, of the Constitution. We ask
however that biennial coec;o,,. L