Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-01-04
TIE PRACTICAL ISSUE.

AaA 4AA0AAeRA AoNbAs
The Appeal, in reply to the LEDGER
Of the 18th, refers to the agitation Of the
high school question and the strong ef-
fort blythe LEDGER to make that question
an issue at the last election, and would
have Us recognize in the action of the
board, as now constituted, the result Of
an expression Of the people at that cleo
ton in favor of sustaining the high
school. This impression is wrong because
only half the board would represent
popular opinion, as expressed at that
time, and that half we're nominated asd
elected without regard to their views on
this question. The measure was forgot
ten 10 our cordial Endorsement of the
men, and it is to prevent a repetition OF
this very grave mistake that an expires.
sion should be secured from every nomi.
nee-that in casting our ballots On the
seventeenth, we should consider, not
the man, but "for the tax" or
against the tax" Mr.. Smith
fsvors high schools, and offers, not
himself, but his opinion. he may be e
mar qualified to sit in the senate of the
nation, one whom we admire and re.
spect. In the abstract the city would be
fortunate in securing him as a school
visitor; but allied to his opinion be loses
his identity, and his name reads not
Smith" but Taxation" That is the
question. 1t is not whether high schools
are good institutions; it is not so much
whether we want them or not. It is
whether we want to be taxed to pay for
them. OF course we want them. Like
true Americans Of the nineteenth CEN
tury, we want all we can get and more
besides. We want several new rail
rcsSs; we want q bridge across
the Mississippi; we want several
new lines Of street cars; we want, oh
how sadly, new pavemeuts on our busiest
thoroughfares. Each particular want has
its jealous advocates, who trot out their
hobbies on all occasions, and we really
wonder how we can retain our DINNER
Girl standing without them. The LEDGER
wants them all. The people appreciate
the benefits that would follow; bat the
real question is, do we want TO be taxed
to purchase them2 The fact about the
high school is that with it all the schools
must be closed q month sooner than
without it. The rule in q democracy is
the greatest good to the greatest
number. Shall the rule prevail,
or shall over three thousand children
be taxed one months tuition to pay
for the higher education Of a privileged
feW-one hundred and twenty2 Now, we
defy the Appeal to name a child in the
high school who could not afford to pay
tuition at Miss Higbee's, the State
Female College, Mr.. Stewards or .eue
other of the very superior institutions in
our midst. We are equally willing to
find a thousand in our grammar schools
who could not afford to pay their tuition
bat who would be turned out on the
commons" if our grammar schools
closed. Shall these thousand poor chill
dren pay for the education ola mere hand
full Of independent ones2 This would
be 3 tax indeed-a tax of ten per cent
levied on the education of our mos
needy children, collected Sin kind anC
paid to the privileged few. Or, the alter
native is q direct tax on the property o
our oppressed city in which Eve hun
dred persons would pay for every on,
benefited. This is the true status, snt
such agrarian appeals as made BY oul
contemporary in these lines, I'VE shall
SEQ the poor man going cheerfulll
to his toll, lending willingly BIZ
skill and brain to the building
up Of our city, with the assurance
that bis aspirations for bis children
need not be limited by his poverty" etc.
ae intended to conceal the true question
with glittering generalities to captur,
the popular vote with a fallacy worthy o
the Gracchi. The true way of putting i
il, whether the poor mar will Tend biz
brain and skill to the building up of GU.
city when be sees the children that h,
now has turned out Of school while the
are young to support an institution tina
actual figures prove they will never en-
ter. Any parent that can support anc
spare the help Of a son or daughter o
sixteen can pay their tuition. And Har
yard or Vasser colleges transported t,
- bic very door and open free of tuition
would oDiy prove Tautalian bOuntieI
whsn be is forced to let them go to worl
10 help in msintSining the rest of th,