The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-06-03
WHAT DRmOCRATS HAVE BOR-
BOWED.


already been a vast permanent fund set
aside for tbem.-BreFhdn Banner.
The STATEsMAS would have only
the permanent fund applied by the
state to free education, and, even with
this, Texas, directly, would be giving
to each child's education more than
any northern state gives for the same
purpose. These states, from which
Texas pretended to copy its present
free school system, have done much less
than Texas. The Texas system was es.
tsblished by Radical administration
In the interest of expendIDg vast deal
of money with political agents of the
Republican party. Education was the
pretext, under which nearly 81, 900, 900
were spent and heavy debt burden inn
posed upon Taxpayers, In support of
tax-consuming dependencies. 1t mat
tered not to the Radical administration
how much money was spent, for mem
bers of the Republican party in Texas
paid nothing toward the fund. There
was an army of leeches to be supported.
They came in the van of conquering
armies, and to them was delegated the
tack of sucking the lifeblood of a con-
quered and impoverished people. Wild
extravaganza was species of ven-
geapce practiced against these peo-
pie, and the free school system
was used for the benefit of po-
litical bloodsuckers. 1t became sys-
TEN, political more than anything
else, and the beauty of this plan
was that an agent of the Republican
party should be maintained in every
.chool community in the state. 1t was
a powerful political engine, and had
the Davis government been composed
of men having the real interests Of the
people at heart, it could have sue
ceeded In controlling Texas politics
but instead of thls, these agents as
sumed the character Of spies over the
people, and hence the administration
became the most obnoxious ever known
in Texas. As political influence, the
school system appeared to be possessed
of weight, and many, it was supposed,
especially the colored people, looked
upon it. with favor. Therefore, Demo.
crats, as has been their custom fol
many years, concluded to swell
ranks by adopting an error and fraud,
and at Corsicana, in 1872, for the first
time. it put the Radical free schoo
plank in its platform. At every con.
Yention since then the same plank hal
been stuck into the framework of the
party, until Democrats are found whC
swear by the system with more yen
geance than did ever any personal EN-
ploye of DeGress, in his educationa
bureau. Why Democrats should hav'
followed the pernicious system may b.
accounted for alone in the fact tina
they were satisfied no votes would b.
lost by adopting it, and that SOM
might lie gained thereby. Why die
they not, in the very beginning, if pro
posing to enlarge on the anti-bellun
system, place the party in line for 6
change in the constitution of 1876
This might have been done, but wheI
we reflect that few trading Demo
Gratis and the Republicans aud Inde
pendents of the last constitutional con
vention combined for the purpose Of
purpetuating this Radical system, /
may be wrong 10 even attempt to holc
Democrats responsible for fsilur,
to make change. Texas should hsv,
then changed to the local system
of other states, by which the pow
sr of central state governments i
controlled and communities left Il
fix their own educational systems. Thi
plan brings taxation for school pur
poses nearer home, and this is the sys
tenn that would have been established
in Texas had not Governor DaYis de
sired an army of political agents in al
parts of the state. Under this loca
system the permanent fund could still
be distributed by the state, as in New
York and other northern states, snt
this permiscuous system of taxini
everybody and all property fer th
benefit of communities, where fire.
schools are not even organized, woult
be avoided. The principle involved
in the abstract, is dangerous enough
aud this local system of taxation
would at least have the merit of con
fning the power to tax where it near
est belongs. The Democratic party
I though retaining the Radical sys
tenn, has stripped it of it
political character, teachers no long
er owing place and pay to cen
trail power, but to local boards. 1t j
strange indeed that this system, vhicl
was fastened upon us by Radicslisn
for partisan purposes, should have sucl
pesrnest support from the Banner ant
from others. The annual revenue
from the permanent school fund, as
now is, gives to each child IN tn
state over one dollar and fifty cents
and If this local taxing system were in
augursted, thers would be free school
only where they are practicable, and {
vast deal Of money, now thrown swsy
by the state, would be saved, and thl
cause of education would not suffer
but would be stimulated. The Stat
OF Texas, direct, pays to free educa
ton about ak times as much as th,
State OF New York. direct. or. II
other words, il the children of New
York depended alone upon the stat,
for free education they would be giveI
fifty cents per oapits, while those o
Texas now receive, direct from the state
three dollars. Were the latter to re
ceive benefits derived above from tn
permanent fund, in its. presen
state, they would still get thre
times Is much as New York, IN
direct way, gives to its children. Fa
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