The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-09-04

uo sner conxeesr Awe Democracs
an xntf tho fshbife trhoeis.
z tpx,..t, from 1psecA u MAJOR Sobn w. Daniel
Trx siIly. SWALLOW, and utterly bsselesi
lnycteace Il Being made By some pSrtlsss
4 ionrnals that the RcAdiustef party cause.
HE Inc r,5oeni,g IN 1880 o. 1000 schools, sno
.eetifsd 10 EN- HE funds which, as fney say
Iltbe .KHpdeTs diverted. Misrepresentation
lin pofities has never surpassed -'nis 3'V7<
and hollow pretcncc. .,t.o
! 1. In the 1rst place, the Copseiva,l,o
Democracy never diverted or withneiu
dollar of school money from ibe puYhs
! schools. For some years the ,cDool iunu
was partially cut Of by operation OF tuc
| ronpons which were C>eated by tue iunulps
act Of 1871. Against that act q mslof''y .,
the Conservatiye-Dem roleu, eu'
against II I voted and spoke. The "laith-
ri sIlicsv 81 the new coSIitioh voted for
| and secured The passage OF tDst ac,, III"
mon them rests the main responsibility.
VOTE os The FcsDISG BILL, 1871;
Here is the vote in the Honse oil DeIo-
gates upon The passage oil that ACT, given
-, aud il speaks for Itself:
NAYs-Messrs q. Turoer lspeatsrl Aleel p Yss
her. boiling, Bowen. Bradley, Bfisior, W; a: Du-
sn,, Bnfkhoider. Campbell, Chase DANIEL &C.
will add here, what have often said,
that 7 was one OF the original founders OF
the publIc.scbool system 10 The Legislature
az 18g9-'T0. and have been ever since tneir
consistent and persistent friend, advocating
tbem AZ The most assured and the cheapest
means Of public educstIon. The recorded
vote 10 the House OF Delegates attests my
assertion.
VOTE on THE SCHOOL BILL, loiO'
49,. A,isa paOWpil. III. Bell. III. M
All Rooeter. Dofiipg Bowen, BryckinridRe, Brls-
tow. BuchEnsn Burgess. linrknoloer ChAse' Nne"
niDg. Coles. CrenshsT, DANibh' &C
REPEAL. OF REcEIvABILITK OF COUPONS.
. In the spcoud place, the Conservative
Democracy promptly did all 10 their power
10 prevent the coupons which hao Deen
made receivable for taxes from cutting on
the school fund.
Nv act of March 7, 1872, it was declared
"that hereafter IL shall not be laWlul lot
the officers charged with the collection OF
taxes or other demands OF the State, due
now or that shall hereafter become due, 10
receive IN payment thereof anything eNe
than gold or silver coin. Unlleu STATES
Treasury notes, or notes OF tue naIloha,
banks Of the United States" (see AcIs OF
1912, y. 14l.)
Here, then, was legislative act annuiIlng,
IS far % the Legislature could annui' tne
receipt Il The coupons for taxes, restoIins
as far as the Legislature could restore us
entire control over the revenues, and trans
hitting the school fund ard oil other Iunds
from the operation Of the coupons.
And this would bave effectuslly saved the
schools and given the State complete sway
over the Treasury; but the supreme court
of ADpeals held that the act was uncon.il'
IA.
that cause OF the Federal Constitution
which saws that ono State shall pass any
law importing the obligations OF con-
tract.O The State said the Court bad made
contract by The funding act TO receive The
coupons for taxes, and that contract the
Constitution prohibited it to impair or UNDO.
Thus II Is clear that the Conseryatiye-De-
mocracy ID did not originally pass the set
which frenched on the school fund, and ~
thst il speedily repealed that oct and did
what IL could TO obyiale IFS effect.
RESTORATION or THE SCHOOLS BY THE con-
SENTATIVE DEMOCRACY.
3. In the third place, the official records
show that the Conservative Democracy have
fully restored he easy and ready flow OF the
school money 10 its ri=btiuI destination.
Every dollar annually due the schools
slition party sccompllShes this result. No
act Of any Coalition officer IS Instrumental
in efrecling II, save in so far as he obeys the
mandate Of law which the Conservative
Democracy passed and lald before him Tor
bis guidance. The Ccalitionisls were in
mower IN the General Assembly in lSi9-'0O.
But they did nothing to effect this great re-
suit. They did not repeal, they did not
amend, the measures OF the Conservative
Democracy which Effected it. They only
looked on the work and saw that II was
good.
THE BsNKEL SCHOOL ACT.
On the 3D. OF March, 1879, the Governor
approved the act known as 1.-THE Henkel
School Act" which was entitled "An Actt0
secure to the Public Free Schools the money
set apart by the Constitution and GatrS for
their benefit" which may be found in Acts
Of 1878 10, p. l57. The Conservative
Democracy were the orgiDators, promoters,
snd supporters OF this act and with them
| advocated and voted for IL. Some OF the
CoSlilOnisis derided it. Mr.. Riddleberger
declared after It's passage that 1t was not
worth ga cancelled postage-stamD."
But now it has been tried and found eff
Client.
Mr.. Rufner, the Superintendent OF Pub
| lie Instruction, in bis school report OF 1880,
page 81. gives the following table OF the
"Amouu,s OF State School Money Re-
eeiyed.v Read 1t, ponder it. and zee how
effectively the Henkel school bill has done
its work. " II has done good service so
| far" ssys Mr. RutTuer, and let us praise the
bridge that carries us over the stream.
TUE IuouxTS OF STATE scuOOT AoSAY RE-