Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-02-16
THE ENORMOUS FRAUD UPON
THE SCHOOLS"


THE SCHOOLS"
"Up to last year the amount taken
from the school fund amounted TO Sl27,-
5ll IS. This, too, in the way OF princi-
pal only. The interest on this amount
for one year at 6 per cent. is s. 600. Any
person OF common sense can see that II
this interest was paid las the COnstitu-
ton requires it to be paid every year.
there would be exactly $3.50 more
money, in addition to the regular levy Of
| 10 cents on the 500 for school purpO-
ses. distributed TO the schools Of the
State. - Yesterdays Lniyi'igsncer.
We give the editor OF the IateHiSe.cer
credit for sense enough and informa-
ton enough to know that the above
statement, which is the gist Of long
article published yesterday, is not true.
While we take no exceptions to the
general stat sments, he knows, or ought
to know, that the conclusion he draws
from them is false, and designed to ere.
ate wrong impression.
His object is to induce the people OF
the State to believe that the Democratic
party is practicing a systematic "Rob-
berry Of the Schools"
Robbery Of the Schools" is tue title
of the article to which We refer.
We have more than once replied to
the above statement by saying that the
schools had not been deprived OF one
dollar by reason OF the non-payment OF
interest on the States debt to the
"School Fund" Every man in the
State, who knows anything OF the opera
ton OF the school machinery, knows
this to be true. He knows that the
schools OF his county were supported
last year Just as they have been sup.
ported in previous years. There was
the same amount Oh money raised for
their support as in previous years. The
schools were kept open for the same
period as in previous years. And there
was no complaint that the schools OF
his county did not have the same
amount OF money as in previous years.
From no county OF the State, and
from no source whatever, has this COM,
plant that the schools were being rob-
bed" been heard or intimated, save
from that veracious journal, the Wheel
ing hisHigeRcer.
Nor have they been robbed, directly
or indirectly, of one dollar, one dime,
or one cent.
Now we do not pretend to say that il
the State had paid the interest due the
School Fund annually, as it should have
done, and is not to be excused for neg
Letting to do, the interest would not
have been distributed TO the schools.
But what happened when the State
did not pay this interest?
Were the schools robbed?
We answer that when the several
counties of the State were notified last
year, that they would receive a
certain pCcifiel sum for school pur-
poses from the STATE, each county sim
ply calculated what balance was neces-
sary to be raised from the county to
make up the requisite sum for running
their schools the prescribed period Of
time, and they levied tax iorit. This
they do every year. They must do it
before they are entitled to any aid from
the State.
Now, il is plain that il the State had
paid the interest due the School Fund,
there would have been that much more
money distributed by the State, and that
much less to be raised in the counties.
But no school was stopped; no school
was robbed; no school was stinted ofits
annual allowance; and no school had
one dollar less by reason OF the nom
payment otthe interest from the State.
But, the inieiEJsncsr will say, if the
State had paid the interest, the counties
would have had less school tax to pay.
They would have paid less "schoOlta
but more. STATE tar.
That is to say, il the people had not
been taxed to meet the deficiency in the
States contribution 10 the schools, they
would have been taxed to meet the in.
terest due the School Fund. II they had
not paid more county tax they would
have paid more State tax. II they had
not been taxed for their county schools
they would have been taxed to raise the
interest due the School Fund. 1t would
simply have been taking money out of
one hand TO put it in the other. The
States debt is the peoples debt in any
phase it may be considered.
So that the difference between paw
Jog 10 the schools and paying to the
School Fund, is as the difference be-
tween tweedledee and tweedledum.
But this is what the InteRigncer makes
such mouth over.
There has been no year in which the
Legislature has not recognized this debt
to the school Fund" 1t made an sp-
preparation for the interest at the last
session, but there was not money
saough to meet it. The Aate has had
extraordinary expensas ,oA,ast - A.