Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-07-03
Schools.
For the Herald

Mr.. EDITOR -
The friends Of the pub
lie schools, considering the seemingly
inextricable confusion Of the finances oil
the State, are growing more and more
anxious as the future ofPublc Instruc-
ton. The Legislature has met, wran-
gled and done nothing. So that in this
matter too, as in all others, he
sovereign people must do something
and not'any longer wait attendance up
on her wrangling politicians. If the
schools are to be continued, money
must be had to pay for them. Under
existing management money cannot be
had. Therefore, in order to run the
schools, the present management OF
the State finances must be radically
changed. The courts have decided that
all taxes and fines may be paid in
coupons, which Of course is done. The
small amount of currency paid in goes
toward paying State officials. To ne
there seems to be but one way to
remedy the matter, and that is to
petition the Legislature to submit to
the people an amendment TO the con-
stitution giving each county the right to
levy and expend Its own school tax, in
whatever currency it prefers. This
was done at the last Legislature, but
the people then expected a reorganiza-
ton of the whole State finances, and nc
especial importance was attached to the
particular matter. We must nor make
it a political issue, if we expect to &C
complish anything. The friends Of the
schools ought to organize in every coun-
ty of the State and make their petition
in terms not to be misunderstood. l
recommend, then, that we call meetings
all over the county, as soon as practi-
cable, to consider this matter. Some
persons may think that because l adyo-
cate this step am IN favor of readjust-
inc the debt, because this locks like
drawing away from the State Treasury
money that has been gong towards
paying the debt, and would continue to
90 in this direction. On the contrary,
am decidedly in favor Of paying every
cent of the just Indebtedness Of tho
State, according to the figures submitted
to the last House.
If the proposition wee, to suspend
the school for a few years and pay the
debt, or run the schools and not pay the
debt, I should most emphatically favor
the former alternative. But neither OF
these alternatives is the issue. Whether
the debt is paid or not, the people will
have schools. That being true, | adyo-
cate the maintenance of public schools,
as being far better and cheaper than
private schools. 1t is not worth while
for me to discuss this feature Of the
subject here, as l am speaking to
the friends Of public instruction,
not striving to make converts to
that doctrine. In opposition to the
step l advocatelt has been said
by members of the Legislature that 1t
is useless to attempt it because Eastern
Va, will defeat it. This may be true,
but if the facts are brought plainly be-
fore that section l think it will support
it. There is no question about the
Valley. Shenandoah Co., for instance,
paws about $4,000 school tax to the
State, ABBOTT $4,000 (which are eXpen.
ded in her own bounds. But why
SHOULD not Eastern Virginia support !:
What school tax she does pay Is IN the
form Of coupons and goes to pay in
terest Oh the debt, 50 that her schools
derive no benefit from it. Under the
change l advocate, what school tax she
pays may be in currency and will be
something for her schools, whereas
now she gets nothing. Who can believe
that if the matter be clearly brought up
before her she will oppose it?
Il. D. HAISLIP.