The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-03-25
FKER SCHOOLS.

FREE SCHOOLS.
The idea of free school system sup
ported mainly by a state tax, originated,
and was carried into effect during the
Radical regime. There WAS set on foot
system which involved heavy taxa
tion-one dollar on the one hundred of
valuation. There WAS organized an
army of officials-most of them incOm-
petent-who fastened on to the public
treasury like leeches, and ate out the
substance of the people. The cry of
''educate the masses" went up from
Loyal Leagues, and from all the blood
suckers of party bent upon plunder-
ing the people and bankrupting the
state. No one was opposed to the ed
ucation of the rising generation, and
an acquiescence was yielded to a princi-
Pile, right In itself. When the iron
hand OF oppression was laid upon tax
payers, when they began to consider
the mode and manner in which the
Radicals were enforcing their school
laws, then there was an expression of
dissent, and more than one case went
up to the Supreme Court by appeals
from tax payers refusing to pay tax
they believed unjust and uncOnstitu-
tional, and the Supreme Court decided
in favor of the appellants. The mode
of disbursing the school fund was pro-
nnunced outrageously wrong, and little
more than Wholesale robbery. 1t was
apparent, that many persons who fig
ured IA officers and teachers, and who
we're paid high salaries, were wofully
ignorant, and some were unscrupulous
and dishonest. When Democrats took
possession of the state government,
they began 10 change system fraught
with so many errors and evils, and they
were assaiied with the charge of "ene-
mics to free schools" by Radical hosts,
and by many others who had
been misled by a mere name.
The Democracy endeavored to relieve
the people by reducing the school tax,
and made the effort to maintain and
support system of free schools almost
wholly by taxation, and at the same
time to run the state government within
it's incomes. They failed, and foupd:lt
necessary to call into requisitIon the
other and ample resources provided by
the Constitution, hence the passage of
the law for the sale of the school lands
in small parcels. From the inaugura-
tion of the school system to the end
of the fiacal year of 1879: the books
of the Comptroller's Office show that
the people of Texas paid 81, 223, ,216 to
keep the free schools going about
eighty days each year. There are
honest men in Texaa, Governor Rob-
erts among them, who believe that a
great deal of this $7,223.216 has
been squandered, that this plan of
lovying heavy tax upon people hardly
| pressed for money ID radically
wrong in principle and impoverlahing
in practice. They pointed, and still
point, to the tax sales, to the sacrifices
made to save property from being lev
led, and to the fact, that many home
steads have been sold, and families
left homeless. They ask that the re-
cords of the school board, and of the
Comptroiler's office, be examined to
elucidate the attainments of parsons
acting as educators, and they aver
| that some of the schoolmasters are in a
state of beastly ignorance, unable
tn write their own names. They
assert that during a recent year over
800, 900 of the school fund was
squandered, having been paid out to
teachers upon lists containing names
of parties not attending school single
day. It was very natural for men who
regard the interests of Texas and the
welfare of her people, to move in the
direction of reform in so important a
matter. They did 80. They reduced
the amount annually appropriated to
maintain free schools from one-fourth
of the general revenue, an indefinite
sum, which was estimated at 5000, 600
in 1888, and the present year it is
about $500, 900 less. and yet the reports
justify the assertion that the free
schools are in more prosperous con-
dition than heretofore; that the econ
omy recommended by Governor Rob-
erts, and carried into effect by the
Sixteenth Legislature, has been bless
ing to the taxpayers, to the people gen.
orally, and to the children of scholas-
tic age. Yet we are told by newspa-
pers and by ranting politicians, by
Radicals, Greenbackers and hungry
Democratic, that Governor Roberts and
a majority of the Sixteenth Legisla-
ture, are the inveterate enemies of free
schools. It is really refreshing to con-
template the manner in which Green
hackers and'aspiring Democrats, other
wise known as two-bit progressives,
haYe stepped into the last ditch with
the Radicals, and to hear how Justify
they shout for the perpetuation OF the
lsst relic of Radical oppression and
misrule. E. ]. Davis, Bill Alexander,
Jimmy Newcomb and Charlie Stewart,
Crane, Barlow and others make strange
bed-fellows.
THE Philadelphia Times says Thomas
F. Bayard is one of the few Presiden-
tial candidates who has become promi-