Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-12-10

elements OF the States strength, Granting
the friends OF public free-schOols everything
they wish or claim for them granting that
the State ought to provide them, and that
they ought to be thrown open freely without
money and without price that they are abb
solutely in theory above any and every pub-
lie or private objection; that their blessings,
permeatins every class Of life and pursuit,
will ,. gl,4gf sew I. tat.,s. mn. ..-.'.-
INvIGORATE, ELEVATE, AND BEAUTIFY
100. THE COMMONWEALTH;
even then it does not follow that we ought
to violate established law and plighted faith
to uphold them because we know that
without the recognition of these latter their
friends cannot by any possibility long pre-
serve the benefits which they seem so abun-
dainty to promise themselves.
When think OF these things, there Is
nothing have ever sa id that need wish to
retract. would not, because would not
detracr anythls & from the credit and honor
Of my State whatever might be my views
Of the expediency OF her course or policy.
So when find this great benefaction lying
in the path OF her history will not stutify
her conduct and diminish her fame by say
ing that the means for the benefaction were
to be provided at another's expense. She
did not so intend, and she has so expressly
declared in the writing OF endowment.
place no value upon intellectual educa-
ton without the moral accompaniment. ln-
deed, would much prefer ignorance for
such an education does not make good men
or good citizens, but puts weapons in the
hands OF the wicked to accomplish evil pur-
poses. Mephistopheles is none the less wick
ed, only the more so, because he is simply
intellectually cultivated. Education mental
and moral, must go together, hand in hand,
and then will both its power and goodness
work for the common welfare. When free
schools are established they ought to be the
best that culture and the means at hand can
devise and perfect; but above everything
there ought to breathe through them in their
different departments and grades the purest
morality, and their foundations and super
structure ought to be proof against the
charge that they were built Of money which
should properly have gone to others. What
sort Of citizens would youths educated in
such way make, or wherein is any benefit
to result to the individual or the State /? l
therefore repeat, that if the people Of Vir-
ginia want public free schools they must pay
for them out Of their own means. Audit Is
no relief to say that the Constitution pro-
vides for them it also provides for their sup
port by taxation-the only way in which
they can be provided for-and at the same
time provides for other things of equal dig
nifty and Of equal obligations. to say the
least. '- ~ 'P.'4'=s ~ ~
But under the Constitution and law as now
interpreted, and the inadequacy of the rev.
enues, the public creditors who have not tax
receivable coupons have disappeared from
the scene altogether, for they get nothing;
and those holding tax-receivable coupons
getting their dues leaves the issue no longer
negett the public creditors who have not tax
between the creditors and the public free
school system, but between the public free
scool system and the State. One third in
amount of the public creditors get nothing,
SO that, as matters now Stand after the sup
port Of the Government the revenues are
divided between them, as mass, and the
public free schools, not being sufficient to
pay both. The public creditors and their
friends say theirs is first in point OF time and
THE FRIENDS OF THE PUBLIC FREE
s. N.it..otl SCHOOLS
insist with equal force that just the contrary
is true. The letter Of the Constitution pro-
vides for both; aud most respectfully in
sist that the terms OF that Constitution must
be complied with.
i do not think it requires any preambles,
bills, or acts Of Assembly to satisfy us that
the life Of the State must be preserved, and
that in and on it are involved and based ev-
cry question and every interest. In it the
public creditor finds his only hope OF JUS
tice; for it he trusted. The public free
school upon its bosom rests, and without it
would have neither local habitation nor
name. The State must live, or the hopes OF
the creditor and the free schools both perish.
This is 60 plain that whilst write it | feel
as, ii ! We're simply writing truism. Ia.
And yet talk. quite vague and hard to un-
derstand, is heard about robbery, misappli-
cation. misrepresentation, diversion OF the
the school fund. | AIN sure those VINO use .
these ugly terms. do not intend them in
criminal sense. yet they are calculated to de-
ceive the Ignorant, but cannot possibly mis-
lead those whOlOOk at the revenues and ex-
penditures of the State. When those reve-
nuesa are applied according to- established
rule both OF the General Assembly and the /,
highest courts to preserve that organism in
which cohere the rights of life, liberty, aud
property which are the fruit OF civilizations,
and which could not survive one moment
the reign OF law, and without which every
thing would resolve itself into chaos--public
free schools and all-and if there is deficit
it does not prove robbery or any other base
crime, it simply proves that there is a detic-
iency Of money in the treasury to meet the
requirements. /, therefore, do not suppose
any reasoning or reasonable man ought to be
mislead by these harsh, and, to say the least,
not very decorous terms. II such has been
the impression OF any one hitherto, am
sure a very slight examination will unde-
ceive him. / think the friends of the schools
will do much more for their promotion and
success by avowing at once that there is not
revenue sufficient to carry them on properly,
and urging increased taxation for the pur-
pose, rather than charging innocent men
with grave offences. 1 am very sure that