The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-05-12
SCHOOL FUNDS.
4 Glance at the Rise OF Free
Schools.
SALT LAKE CRY, May 5. 1880

courts, and the report OF the teri
torial superintendent OF schools, ca
attention TO my closing remarks
my letter OF the 14lh 0! April.
| then said, alter noticing tn
amount of msnsy expended by tn
: people of the territory in educationa
matters, that this leads me to refer &
a few historical events which bsv
Influenced the system of education
in the states, and which has giyeI
tone to the acts of Congress on thi
subject; also 10 the acts OF Congress
and added, "these will appear in nJ
next"
When the colonies, thntsen IL
number, were contending for theiI
independence and resisting by force
of arms the claims of England under
George III, each colony. except
Maryland, had nnUccnpied and I'M
improved lands, to which they could
resort for raising funds for any pur-
pose to which they might wish to
apply them. This is not our cOndi-
ton. We have DO public land. Tne
| United States owns the land.
The public land then owned by the
colonies, if they succeeded ia gaining
their independence, would belong TO
the body polite. 10 tak9 the funds
arising from its sale and apply it for
the general good, education being
part, was only taking of the common
fund for the common good. 1t was
not taxing. by force OF law, one per
son to educate another PERSONS
children. To sell this land and lay
out the fund arising from the sale or
interest and annually apply the in
terest, or to lease the land for an
annual rent, and apply the rent
annually, to educational purposes,
was only to take the common fund
owned equslly by each person born
or to be born for the common good.
1t was only asserting in the law what
was in the public mind, that educa-
ton was good and OF common in
telest, that all we're entitled to have |
a common share in its benefits.
Now, l am not able, from my own
library, to state infinitely how many |
of the states. on gaining their inde-
pendence, thus appropriated the
funds arising from the sale OF this
land, but some did appropriate part
of such funds. I will here add that
a section of country forty miles
square, and this is only small part
OF state, would contain 800 square
miles, which makes the number of l.
GA. 600 acres. This, at only S2per acre,
would raise the little sum of 81. 04S,-
600. This sum ct an annual interest Of
only 6 per cent, will yield a little
more than 1922. 600 per snuUm, a
sum nearly double our Ga rdL0rcm
AK. The difference between them
md us is this, they have a common
iource from which to raise common
unds; we have no such common
ource. therefore we-because We
to direct taxation.
states having large quantities OF pub
10 lands would only have to apply a
mall part Of their funds arising from I
be sale thereof to educational mat i
ers. they not feeling it; but we, not 2
aving any such common source, 10 O
eel it. At that time there was S
arge extent Of unimproyed country o
orthwest and southwest Of the River t
,hio. which in due time was coded to 81
le United States for the common o
God. a
In 1857 Congress passed an ordi- 0
ance for the government OF that
art of this country which lies north
the River Ohio, in the third article .
which it is stated that religion, :
lorslity and knowledge being neces- -
lry to a good government and the :, "a
applness of mankind, schools "
nd the means Of education q
lsll forever be encouraged" y
his shows the sense of Congress on =
lie subject OF schools and the means -
education, and explains why that "
1dy subsequently, legislated in favor ~
the means OF education But there u
ere other means employed 10 pro- =
tote intellectual pursuits, and at a -
uch earlier date. In 1913, King
Imes |. authorized the members OF
Ie Church of England to assist the OIL
embers of that church to erect to
lufches aud schools in Virginia lii
Limitations for the education OF the "
lildren Of the Indians and Of the I'd
,lonists, aud soon alter 10, 600 acres Il
land was set apart for the support L
the college, aud 100 colonists were "
mt from England TO cultivate these Ia
nds. In 1919 the governor was in st
ructed by the company to see that at
Ich town, borough and hamlet pre- s;
lred, by just means, a certain num- II
II Of their children to be brought up tV
the fret elements Of literature, "
Id that the most toBardly among th
em should be sent to the college &C
ey intended to erect. Other means pl
ere then employed to effect that IN. 50
lt8kiug. These were called the 81!
llegs and free schools. These 81.
hools, in some sense. were free, yet &C
en- az now, they cost the time, the &C
come of land and the money of the
ore wealthy part OF the inhabitants. SO
There was established at Cambridge, al
massachusetts,, near Boston, a school, Il
I'd the richer inhabitants of Boston sp
1886 subscribed toward the main re
nance OF a free schoolmasler. This 81
difiused the elements OF an educa- re
IN, and met with such favor that la
g inhabitants bound some house or 81
nd for a yearly allowance forever, 81
I'd many benevolently disposed lett Ell
Zscies in their wills and the towns Sc
ade allowances cut of the common or
ock, or set apart portion OF land "
be improved forever for the main az
nance OF free school. st
In the State of New York the
utch West India Company bound dc
Ielf to maintain good and fit Is
eachers, schoOlmasters and COM Il
rters OF the sick. which evidently de-
cant preachers Of the established "
lurch OF Holland, by which the W
aiming of Christian youth wac to be al
divided for. %
LIN the house by the parents. de-
U.-In the schools by the school SO
schers. 81
III.-In the churches by ministers, 10
ders and ostechists especially sp- @
)inted for the purpose. 70
We further fnd that the outline 0(
i'd most of the essential features Of 10
e system OF common schools now in til
.erRtion in the New England states, pi
Id in the states which have since III