Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-24

being made either to repeal suspend or di-
vert the mill tax from its legitimate purpose
There is a bill now pending TO reduce the per
capita tax from eighty to sixty cents. If tins
bill becomes a law and the militia is repealed
or suspended, then the schools in more than
four hundred towns and plantations in our
State, will be shortened nearly onehalf. That
is, district that now has winter term
of twelve weeks, will be reduced to six, one
of eight to four, one of six to three,
which for all practical purposes virtually
closes up the small schools
The free high school act Is admitted To DC
right If not, why not repeal it: The mil
tax is right. saws c. 7. Brown was for it. am
now. but times are hard, let us suspend it.
WHY suspend it if right and just: Who asks
for its repeal or suspension? DO the labor
ing men of the State? The farmers and me
chanics or any class, who by their toll. seek
to feed clothe and educate their children:
Is there petition coming from any class of
our population asking for such legislation:
Within the past year we have heard great
deal said about the dear people the farmers
and toilers in field and shop How they were
oppressed bv the iron heel of the millionaire,
the bankers and bloated bondholdcrs. But
now from this same class, the very men who
made these appeals for the toicr, comes the
cry to suspend the free high school, suspend,
repeal or divert the mill taxa tax levied on
the accumulated wealth of the State, the banks.
railroads and all our great corporations for
the education of the humblest child in the
humblcst cot in our State. The farmers and
81. ,,l.. thnr in ar fiji
should know that these propositions if sue
cessful are to rob their children otnearlv one
half of their educational privileges. That
they are blows aimed at the very life blood
of our common school systcnl-ncnacc the
very existence of the schools in many of the
smallest districts. The wickcdness of these
propositions becomes more apparent, when
we consider the reasons given for them.
What are they? Economy. The times are
hard. now let us rob and staryc the minds and
hearts of the children of our State See
what an admission is here made by great
reformer. ''lf we do not this" said one OF
these leaders in party caucus, 1--WE can make
but small show for our party in the way OF
retrcnchment." remark that aifirms this.
The affairs of the State have been so
well managed in the past that I'M
what Unless we rob the children
political capital You will hear the remark
in and around the Capitol, 'this is the place
to buy voters" This explains the whole mat
ter. The youth are to be robbed that capital
may be had with which to buy votes. If the
bill to reduce the per capita tax becomes IA
law, and the mill tax is repealed, suspended
or diverted, then the term of schools in our
own city will be reduced nearly one half. 4
manager of the New Era has been in town re-
Gently inquiring after the mill tax. anxious to
know what effect its repeal would have on our
common schools-and when informed that
the result of its repeal would be to rob the
youth in the smaller districts of one-third or
more Of their schooling and in some districts
to close them up, exclaimed: IL am for the
repeal That is what | want, close them up
and let the people see the workings of John
Shcrman's infamous financial policy"
Here you see another reiormcr ready to
sacrifice the common schools for capital with
which to buy votes. | once knew a farmer
of quite large means, but very penurious.
who had large stock of cattle, many OF
them Young and promising, but hay being
scarce and very high in price, in order that
he might save a few tons for the market so
pinched and starved his Young stock that
ALWAYS afterwards might be seen on their horns |
an indent, that ever reminded the farmer of
his cruelty and selfshness. With these mod
ern reformers political capital is scarce.
or somebody must be sold to raise
the wind And as the old farmer pinched
and starved his young herd till their symme
try and beauty were blasted, so {. p, New
Era, and other elders of the new dispersal
ton, would pinch and starye the minds of
our children. create an hiatus in them, to
efface them, not for the honor of the State. |
(for no sane man will deny but the State
does most honor and enrich itself, when its
aim is to give to every child within its Dor
ders the highest culture) but for IA political
showing. And we would submit, in view of
the reasons given above for the change of
the per capita tax and the suspension of the
mill tax, that after the whole is simmered
down, the residum left is manifestation OF
the meanest dcmagogsm and party selfshness
ever exhibited in this State :.