The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-09-11
THE STATE LEVY,

II Free Schools, CONSTITUTION, AFe' Il, Se0
THE STATE LEVY,
The Constitution provides TX y tina
taxation shall be equal and uniform
throughout the State" and also XII, 3.
dor raisingin each county or district, by
the authority of tho people thereof, such .
proportion OF the amount required Tor the
support OF free schools therein as shall be
prescribed by general laws" Now, as our
much esteemed ex-State Superintendent,
Benjamin W. Byrne, very cogently ex-
presses It, zone OF the most important
rules for constituting law is, that statute
must be so construed, il possible, as TO put
10 operation all its parts" So TO make the
Constitution consistent with itself, we
must construe this latter clause to refer to
general law allowing any district, by a
popular vote, to establish high, graded or
aormal school, or 10 run its common
,chools beyond the prescribed minimum
Of four months, which minimum 1t
rs clearly the province oil the State TO
guarantee, by the plain wording oil the
opening sections Of the tenth and twelfth
articles OF the Constitution. Having dis
posed OF the Constitutional point let US
row examine the practical workings OF
this unequal taxation.
The difference between private and pub.
lie schools is that the former, being sup
ported BY voluntary enterprise, are, there
ore, matter OF chance, whereas the lat
Ter, being supported by regular taxation,
ire, accordingly matter OF coursei hut
his taxation by districts, being a step
rom individual payments as in snbscrip.
ion schools, is a clear evasion OF the es.
,ential principle OF schools, as well Us oil
he State.
Inthe same year in which the present
Constitution went into operation, Mercer
county, with uniform levy oil fifty cents
m tie hundred dollars in every District,
plus ten cents State lax, making sixty
cents, had but two and fcur'fiilhs months
school on the average, while Jefferson
county, with an average District levy oil
ixteen and eight huDdreth cents, plus
EN- cents as above, making little over
wenty.six CENTS, had nearly seven and
threeaf6ufth months school, or more than
ak times as much school in proportion to
the assessment. as the former county, SO
IS in the old Virginia sYstem-il. system
1t can becalled-of private schools, educa'
don seems to be intended for the rich Dis
riots, as it was in thoee DAYS for the rich
individuals, the State Fund being treated
as mere charity, instead Of being made
large enough to put allon an equal footing
MANY Woodworking farmer has said, ~
Thought the Free School system was in
tended to help the poor people TO gel
schooling for their children! but now my
faxes smount to more than the old cost o.
schooling by subscription, and we are GU
down 10 two or three months school II
the year, while rich people in other Dis
riots get their four months with less ta>
than we pay here"
Now, iu all candor, Let it be asked, who
hat processes to be friend ottree schools
can with any consistency uphold so pslpa
Die violation-rather say contradiction,
Of the fundamental idea OF the system
The people OF this region having for I'll
,een wears submitted TO the imposition o
being compelled TO pay doubled notIIeble
their share OF tax, and get less than theil
lawful minimum Of schools, arc now iull'
awake to their interest, and demand thu
change that Justice itself demands. Or
the other hand, the region that most zeal
ously upholds this system OF oppression !!
The very one that took the lead in tina
famous movement recalcitratipg ostensi
bly, against the ordinance Of secession
really against that class legislating, gov
eminent at Richmond that had Away
built up the older sections OF the STATE
Mt the expense OF our trans.A llegheny re
pions. The fact Is, the popular histories o
The war notwithstanding, that said war wa
not The cause Of the division OF the State
but favorable opportunity seized upoSr
Tor the fultillment OF long'cberished de
sire OF our citizens for an opportunity Z
control their own legislation. The Tuck
Ahoes begging their pardon, shonlt
have said F. F. vs. Of the ante btllttH
days looked on their Quokee neighbor
yery much as our British cousins did OF
all Americans in colonial times. Wines
the sneer of Lynchburg paper atthe hon
Wsitman 7. Wiley when candidate 10
Lieutenant Governor-Gounttng him al
awkward backwoodsman.
"History repeats iueli;" and now tn
people who headed the movement 10
separation, having grown prosperous nm
der the new order OF things, are un
willing that their Southern brethrel
should share their prosperity.
Tread before the Teachers Association
Of West Virginia, July 9Th, 1880, by \
NJ. Lowry. attorney at law, for d. 6
Lilly, Superintendent Of Summers count
schools.
THE "1ocAL OPTION" CLAUSE.
'iBy Pru,tou Rlyen shsrrard.)
In the first place, the question arise
whence comes this principle Of "Loc
Option in the School Law? That II
Constitution required a law for the u
conditional suppression Of the liquor tra
a. md he Inrislntnra eyaded Il with