Arizona weekly miner., 1877-01-05
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

Legislative business. Since the last Legis
 lature convened, the population, wealth an,
 Industries of the Territory have rapidly in
 creased peace and order have, in the main
 been preserved, and the outlook for the flu
 ture advancement has. at no period of ou
 history, been so encouraging IL therefor
 devolyes upon you, with renewed force. |,
 foster, with jealous care, every material in
 terest; to enforce the most rigid economy
 to harmonize all conflicting interests. and |,
 work in union to advance every part of th,
 Territory, always remembering that eacl
 section is a part of the whole and as eaci
 part is injured or improved, the whole i,
 delayed or advanced.
 EDUCATION.
 The education of the rising generation
 has kept steady pace with the increase of
 population and wealth. For detailed infor.
 nation on this subject, l refer you to my
 reports to the Board of Education, copie,
 of which will be laid before you. Accord.
 ing to the census taken in May, 1876. there
 are in the Territory, between the ages of 6
 and 2l years, 2.955 children, of whom l .4gi
 are boys and i ,464 are girls, showing an n-
 crease over the year previous of 1T. Of
 this number. i,l51 have attended school. and
 1,45O were returned as able to read and
 write, making an increase of J42 who can
 read and write over the return of the ore
 vIous year. This is a very marked and grat-
 flying decline in illiteracy, and from the
 present efficiency and prosperity of the
 school system, a continued or ever greater
 decline in illitcracy may confidently be expected. The financial reports from the several counties of receipts, and ,iisburse- ments for school purposes for 1876 are not completed up to the close of the year. hence
 l am not able, at this time. to report the same, but, will as soon as received, l.v them
 before you. The total receipts from all sources for school purposes during the year 1875 were $2s, ,759 02, making au increase of Sj,927 60 over the combined rece Dts for the two pre- vious years. The disbursements were S24, ,l5l 97, being an increased expcn- diture over that of the two previous wears of S3,140 50. This large increase of revenue has been found necessary to supply the con- stsnt demand for new schools. the number having increased from 9, as reported two years ago, To l9. and the same ratio for in- creased school facilities may be looked for Tn inc future as the country is developed and populated. 4 tax of 45 cents on each SlOO IS levied and collected on all the taxa ble property in each of the counties of the Territory for school purposes, and tax of 10 cents on each Sl00 is collected and paid into the Territorial treasury for like pur- pose IL is believed that the revenue refer red to will be found sufficient to maintain the school'system and provide for the con stantly increasing demands upon it. After watching carefully the present school law during the past two years, am of the opin- ion that, in the main, it meets the require ments as we'll as any law that can be devised. School laws, of all others. should be changed as seldom as possible, for various reasons. of which l shall mention: First. nearly all of the people have more or less duties ,o per form under the law, and sudden or arbitrary changes are liable to confuse; second, when a law operates well, changes are dangerous and rarely beneficial. In view of these facts would only recommend the law to be SO changed aS to provide that census sf the l school children be taken biennially instead l of annually. and the school year close Dec | 18th, instead of Dec. 3lst By the latter I change reports from the several counties can 1 be forwarded to the Superintendent of Pub 1 lie Instruction in time to incorporate them l n reports tO the Legislature at the com 1 of the session Tine people of | he Territory are so strongly attached to our | public system, and SD Chcerfully contribute he required means to maintain il, that it is | lar1ly necessary for me to admonish YOU to ,uard well this sacred trust that is now con ided to your fostering care. At home and abroad the action of previous Legislatures n enacting laws to establish and sustain rec schools, where the rich and poor can btain the rudiments of education, has been ooked upon with admiration. Hundreds of 'oys and girls within our domain give grate- ul thanks to those who have provided the means by which their young minds have been and they themselves are being repared for lives of usefulness. The thous nds more who are following on, look to vou fith confident hope, that while in your ands no blow shall be given that will in- lriously effect their interests. The school oom Is peculiarly an American institution. { is organized and kept free from sectarian T political influences; the pupil is given the ldiments of an education at least, and roper moral instruction This way. those all creeds and political views meet on Iual footing with no word spoken or thought lat can in the least bias or influence them. ih " oh'h ANco1ldtloh eatn one learns tO ,spect and love the other regardless of re- gious or political difference. When tber 'e called upon the stage of action they will ( lrry with them the remembrance of their s hool association, and this will preclude T e possibility of such intolerance. in conse- { lence of an honest difference of opinion. { might result if each sect was educated by $ self. ' It is becoming the settled conviction, with | le wisest and best statesmen the world a Ter, that to expect and to require the faith $ | performance of good citizenship the cit I en must be given the advantages of 4 q mmon school education; after this has been | ,,ne upon hiS own action depends his future e e. IL Is evident that to accomplish this l. and object system must be devised equal li d just 10 all. Hence, common neutral ( ound has been marked off while the fol- < wers of the cross and the crescent may st eet in union and harmony and learn the $; 'sons that will fit them for usefulness D thout the sacrifice of single principle. z surrender thiS system, and yield to a di- C sion of the school fund upon sectional ri ounds, could only result in the destrnction c the general plan for the education of inc ri asses, and would lead as it always has sl lerever tried, to the education of the few la d ignorance of the many. This pronos;. ri m Is so self-evident and experience has CT proved 1t so, that it does not require ar.