The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-02-24

large, but II the members deaired to in
crease them, II their constituents Werl
GlRmoring for the privilege Of paytnl
more, he thought q much wiser plal
Would be to increase the State tar AMI
wipe out this debt which had accumulated
'n their hands.
Mr. BRcHWITH
lol!oWeu' Said this speaker:
AZ q paf1aan Of the free school system
nope Lhe amendment will not prevail
Inc pest iIlen1A Of that system must ad
mt tnat tneIe u large class OF our people
who look with diaiSvor upon the free
school system, and do NOT belisvs there
Is any measure which would 1--WE mors
widespread dlssatislsction In many pSrtC
OF the State than an increase In the Sac
sGhooltax,
This is not tax imposed for the neces
sary support Of the government; the
wheels OF government would continue tc
Yeyolve II there were not free school II
the State. But 1t is the exercise Of tina
paramount power in the State by whtGt
private property is taken for publi'
uses, power granted by the iund
Rmental law OF the State; bu
back Of that power, rests the princi
pie, firm as the rocks Of our mountains
that private property shall not be taket
without Just compensation.
And the right to pay this State sChoo
tax, includes the principal OF Compensa
ton to the party whose propeaty is thu
taken, y.
That compensation, supposed or real
consists in the advantage which each clti
zen derives from the improved condition
OF society, aud more enlightened citizen
ship.
But this advantage or compensation Il
necessarily increased by expanding thu
money in the school district in which thu
money Is raised, (it, as we believe, educa
ton rehnea men and makes better Citi
zens OF them.) II 10 q greater benefit to q
man that his next door nelghbOr should
be an educated men, than that his fellow
COuntryman In remote part OF the State
should be educated. Then II Ia Q natural
rule OF Justice that the burden OF support.
ing the free schools should be borne
by. the respective school districts,
and the Constitution Eproyldes that this
shall be done.
Legislation which provides that the free
schools shall be supported by State tax
Ia in violation OF the plain letter OF the
Constitution; and legislation which looks
TO the shifting OF the burden oil the sup
port from the district to the State Ia In
violation oil the spirit OF the Constitution,
MR.. coz
made brief but business like argument
against theamendment. The points made
were, first, that in the older and more
thickly settled sections Of the State pro-
perty is appraised for purposes Of taxation
far beyond Its real value, hence the un-
equal burden OF taxation upon these sec.
tons, not only for State sChool purposes
but for all State purposes.
seCond-The imposition Of an increased
State levy for free schools would 30 an
tagonize public sentiment in the more
p0pul0us counties ss to endanger the free
school system in the State.
Third-The amount contributed by o
State tax In all the States in the Union as
compared with the amount contributed
by local levies Is about In the proportion
OF one to five. West Virginia already by
q ten cent levy on each one hundred dol.
lars contributes far greater proportion Of
the whole school expenses than this.
Fonrth-The development OF the State
Is 80 unequal that an increase Of the State
tax for school purposes would work great
injustice, known as ct the present time
extremely inexpedient.
Mr.. Cresap took part In the discussion
also, He strongly favored the amend.
ment. The present system, he said to
those members who represented wealthy
and populous counties, "is fun for you,
but II Is death for US. He pointed out
that the wealthy were better able 10 pay
even higher taxes than the poor were 10
pay lower ones.
MR. MORROW
spoke as Chairman Of the Education Com.
mittee with which the bill originated.
He said: ...
Mn. sPEAKER:-4 had hoped that the
discussion Of the pending amendment
might have been wholly left to others, but
as chairman OF the Committee on EduCa.
ton, from which the bill comes, my
friends have chosen 10 call upon me TO
declare my views upon this proposition.
In what | shall have 10 Hsy, cir, shall
assume that the free school system has no
foe in this House. l assume that we
are all friends OF that system, and indeed
experience surprise that gentlemen
should leel called upon now, 10 this the
age Of common SCHOOLS, and after eighteen
years experience Of the system in our
State, TO avow their devotion to that Bys.
Lem. ! do not feel called upon TO make
any such syowal, and l think that II would
be better to conduct discussions upon the
that the common school Bys.
lem is not merely the system oil the pres
Bnt, but that 1t Is destined to endure long
alter this Lying generation Of men shall
have passed away, :.
Sir, reject the basis Of the argument
Di my friend from PoCahontas. It ls rad.
ically detective. The public school sys.
tenn is not, in this State, nor in any State
Of this Union, 30 far as | know or believe,
based upon the proposition that II Is the
duty OF the State to educate the youth OF
the State. ! admit the duty Of the State
In tlijs regard; but the proposition does
not contain the whole truth. II is the
duty Of the State, indeed, to provide for
the education Of the youth but II Ia the
duty, also, OF the parents who bring chill.
dren Into the world to educate them and
IL is that the State, recognizing
these two concurrent duties. adopts them
as the compound basis Of the common
school system. The Slate owes duty,
aud therefore the State raises a common
fund BY taxing all the property Of all the
citizens at an uniform rate. hut the
parent owes duty also, and therefore the
State requires each school district TO raise
O local land by taxing the property Of its
citizens to slppietpsnt its listrilutable
share Of the GENERAL school fund. While
| am In favor Of Comman schools, am
oppoSed 70 making the system one Of pure
communion,