Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-10-05
WASHINGTON.
From our own Correspondent.

W Aoh sOSPS' avn,
MeSsrs. Editors:
The Government of the District of
Columbia being under the control of
Congress has had her public schools
crippled by the determination of the
salary grabber, Hon. Samuel J. Ran
dali, to be able to show an apparent
saving in the appropriations for the
expenses of the Government by the
Southern House of Representatives,
the amount of taxation being limited
SO much that it has been found abso-
lutely necessary to shorten the school
term two months during the year.
There is great injustice in this from
the fact that the Government has new
er contributed one cent towards main
tanning the public schools Of this Dis
trict, while she has donated large
tracts of lands to every state and terri
tory in the Union for school purposes,
from the proceeds of these lands many
Of the Western states have built up
and sustain some of the finest Univer-
sites in the country.
This District has claims upon the
general Government for educational
purposes that no other section of the
Union has, owing to there being so
many children of Government employ
ers who are educated at the public
schools at the expense Of the resident
taxpayers. A government employee
being, in hearty every instance, resi-
dent of the state from which he is ap-
pointed does not pay taxes here but in
| his own state The children Of this
class of persons constitute large por-
ton of those who attend the public
schools of this city. The government
should provide, at least, for this class
Of scholars instead of requiring the
property holders Of this city to edu
cate them. Notwithstanding these
facts there are but few cities in the
entire country that can truly boast Of
as good schools or as fine school build
ings as this city can. 1t is greatly tt
be regretted that such fine schools
should be cut short in their usefulness
This action of the Southern Democracy
in destroying, in manner, the useful
ness Of the public schools of this cit,
is perfectly CONSTANT with the action
of the Southern States. What South
that are free to all On the contrary
they approve Of the burning Of schoo
houses and the driving out of the
country or numbering those who are
willing to teach the colored citizen
! One great reason for this is their de
sire to keep the colored citizen il
ignorance that they may continue tc
deprive them of their just earnings
am creditably informed, by person
who speaks from personal experience
in the state Of Mississippi. that where
a colored citizen leases a plantation and
as is usually the case, has to obtain
credit for supplies during the growing
of the crops, it is the usual custom OF
the merchants there to charge them
double what they would a white man
for the same article. Pork which they
were selling ct fifteen cents a pound,
they charged the colored man thirty
cents a pound, and being unable to
read they were unable to know whetn-
er they got the quantity charged them
or not and were often cheated by Civ
ing one dollar bill to them for ten
dollar bill. This seems almost incred-
ible but is any more than the fact that
nearly every Southern Democrat still
believes that slavery with all its
blightning effects is a Divine Institu
ton and looks upon the freedman as SO
much lost property?
Mr.. Tilden In his letter of accent
ance says there is no royal road for a
Government more than for an individ-
ual or corporation. What you want
to do now is to cut down your expen-
ses and live within your income. I
would give all the legerdemain of
finance and laundering; would give
the whole of it for the old homely
maxim, "LiVe within your income"
From a statement lately published
by the Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury it is shown that the Republi-
can has saved from its income each
year as follows: Viz.
1866 5 1929, 203, OF
1867 .133, O91, 335.11
1868 %, 297, 1884