Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-09-08
HOW SHE RADICALS ROBBED
THE SCHOOL FUND.

clearly one of the first duties of
State, if it would be prosperous and
happy, to educate it's children. No
political party, therefore, having con-
troll of the government to such an ex-
tent as to shape it's action, can be held |
blameless if the children of the State,
especially and particularly the poor
children of the State, do not have
placed within th cir reach facilities for
acquiring at least those ordinary
branches OF education that citizen
must possess t. enable him to transact
the every day business affairs of life.
Let us apply this test to the Radical
party since it came into power in
April. 1868. From that time until the
1st of October, the beginning of the
next fiscal year, Here was not dollar
spent for teaching unless 500 paid to
Pilgrim Ashley, then Superintendent
of Public instruction, for services of
clerk can be SO considered.
During the fiscal year beginning on
the LIST of October. 1868. there was
spent out of the Educational Fund
1857, 1853 IS. Not one dollar of this
large amount was spent i'll teaching
the poor children of North CAROLINA to
read or write. Instead of that, the
Radical Legislature took $159, 900 of
that amount and paid it in part to
themselves under the name of per
diem at the rate of seven dollars a day.
For this and other purposes equally
opposed to the advancement of the
cause of education. we say, the Radi-
cal Legislature used $159, 900. Three
Thousand dollars of the money was
loaned to the University to pay the
Salaries of professors such as Ashley's
brother iu-law, Professor Martling,
SO called; Settles cousin, Professor
Patrick, the banjo player; John Pools
brother, President Sol. Pool; and
Dickson, the Professor of Agriculture,
who, in making contracts for clearing
the college lands, it is said, specially
reserved to the college the right to cut
ali of the hickory and tall gum trees
because ''they would split SO easy and
make such elegant rails" and Dickson
was about the best man in the lot!
The balance of the amount, Sc, 1885,
| 10, is put down to what is called the
''expense account" In this account
we find that one J. W. Hood, a negro
preacher, was paid 1926 as agent of the
Board of Education. He made a re-.
port declaring that the whites had
burned the school-houses of the blacks
and were interfering with their educa-
ton. This report is a part of the
work that this negro preacher Hood
was paid 1926 for in the year 1868.
| Not dollar of this large sum of
$167, 1853 Is was spent in teaching
children to read and write. We get
these figures from the Radical Audi
tors official report.
During the fiscal year beginning LIST
| of October, 1869, there was spent out
| of the Educational Fund the sum of
$203, All. Oh. which was expended as
| follows:
Invested in State Bonds. $15O,OOO 90
d. A. Jenkins, $50 90
SOper, IS 90
Costs in law suit, % 90
Poll tax returned, 415 Is
Paid to teachers of schools, 80, 9S1 Sc
Paid to John Hood, 1,778 90
Loaned to University, 10000 90
Loaned to Deaf and Dumb
Asylum, 1900 90
Total, 1908, All OIL
The investment in State bonds has.
of course, proved an entire loss as
have the amounts paid to John Hood
and loaned to the University. In
deed, it is thought Professor Dickson
will get his gum rails before the Edu
cational Fund will get back its tie n
Thousand dollars.
Not one-ffth of the whole amount
expended was applied to Common
Schools Out of over two hundred
thousand dollars expended, less than
thirty nine thousand was paid to
teachers!
Let us look into this matter little
further. $4,000 was invested in
Special Tax State Bonds. These bonds
are worthless, but the money with
which they were bought was good
money. $l48,OOO of it came from the
sale of 1000 shares of stock in the
Wilmington & Weldon Railroad Com
pany. The par value of this stock was
800, 900, and according to the terms
of the late lease of that road, the par
ties who bought those 1000 shares
will receive each year $4,000! Had
this stock been held, the Educational
Fund would now receive yearly in
come of $4,000 instead of holding
worthless coupons of worthless Spe-
cial Tax Bonds
Comment is unnecessary. If our
people feel On interest in the cause of
education, and desire an economical
administration of their affairs, let |
them vote for the candidates of the
democratic party.
HOW THE RECORD STANDS. |
In the matter of exempting prop |
erty from taxation it is curious to note |
the difference between the course of |
the Radical party and that of the |
Democratic party. By the Candy
Constitution the Legislature was per-
mitted to exempt from taxation three
hundred dollars worth o: the follow
ing property, to-wit:
wearing apparel, arms for muster,
household and kitchen furniture, the