The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-07-14

DONED.
But even If this IS nos all admitted to be tru
and IL were desirable 70 do So the free schO,
system Of Mississippi cannot be lawful
abaAdened-It may ne neglected 1t cannt
be abolished. The Chicka=aw School Fun
aud the sixteenth sections, and the funds IL
rived from them are by the terms OF the grant
under which they were received from the Gen
eral Government, forever dedicated FIRE
schools ami while the Constitution of tn
State remains it j., the proceeds from TIA
sale of lands beLou CIng to the State, anu Of a
lands now. Or here f1er YES ed in The State b
escheat, chase or forfeiture for taxes. an
the cl ST proceeds Of all fines collected 70
breach Of the penal laws; and all moneys re
c-ived Tor liquor licenses and ali money
paid ~ equivalents for persons exemp
from military dutT; and all mDneys do
IA ed 80 the State for school purposes and al
moneys derived from poll tax, shall Be lnVtolG
biz appropriated for The support Of free schools
aud laws ami devices 10 divert these funds, o
any or either Of them, IF IN this purpose, hav'
nor been. and cannot be sust&ined--l STAT
Board of Education vs. City of West Point II
. Miss. b3o; State Board o. Education VS.. Cit
Of Aberdeen 81 IL. JlS. . leu VS. Lampkin
CO. Sap. etc 81 H.. -5o; Moron vs. Grenads
Academy & NJ 775; Bishop vs.. Mcdonald
- Mss. Bill
Bat It may BE- said that the Constitution
/ may be changed, and it may-but only by
I popular vote, and vino can doubt what the
+ popular judgment wOuid be, what Ii shout
/ b., On a proposition to change the Constitu-
/ ton IL this respect; | submit then, that our
/ free school system cannot be abandoned; thai
+ IL ought not to be neglected. and that il i oui
+ duty well our interest to foster, enlarge,
+ yitahze and perfect IL
/ RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES, BESIDES
PROPERTY TAX.
The sixteenth sections and the funds derive
/ from them. the latter amounting last year, TO
/ one hundred and TWO thousand. one hundred
and slxty-two (6l02, 1922 doliars-the Chicka-
saw School fuud-tHe annual interest now
+ paid on which, as appears from the apprOpria-
/ ton bill Of the last Legislature amounts TO
/ sixty i've thousand Two hundred 800, ZOO dol
I iars-the proceeds from the REDEEM pti0n Of
I lands sold for taxes, amounting last year to
f SIX thousand one hundred and Ell gh IT, seven
I l46. 1871 dOIars-the proceeds from fines and
fOrtelJures. amounting last year, u nifty seven
/ thousand four hundred and eighty Ell ght sol =
4SS) d0llars-the proceeds from hnuOr licenses,
amounting last year, TO one hundred and six
tv-three thousand eight hundred and eleven
! (Sl63blD dollars and the proceeds from the
poll tax, now one dollar per CAPITA with but
few exemptions, on all male inha bitants of the
State, over twenty-one and under hfty-hve
years OF age-On one hundred and seyent -
six thousand one hundred and seyenty-seven
tIl6 ltI1 polls. the HumOer assessed last year (;
but toe amount of poll tax collected, have
not been able to ascertain, tor the reason Tn at
collectors settle on this account with county
authorities, some of the resources of the
STATE for common school purposes, without
resOrting to direct properly. Add
to the sum derived from these sources a small
lax on her taxable property, the assessed val
ue of which last year one hundred aud
fifteen mi lions, one hundred and thirty thous-
aud, six hundred and tftyOne (Sll5, l3D 65l)
dollars, aud it seems they would be sufficient
To render the common school system all it
should be, far finances concerned.
And under the Constitution, the poll-tax may
he two dollars per capita, aud If the poIl-taK
were raised to the constitutional maximum
and rraf far rpkv arglz roll
ing the burd ems of supporting the free schools,
between those who own taxable property and
those who do not.
And besides the State now owns ia fee SIM
pie about three hund ell and sixty thousand
1850, 0O0l acres of Iand-Ind holds forfeited
for taxes, about five millions (5,OO0,OO0J Of
acres of land aud whatever may be derived
by sale or redemption from this source, must,
under the Constitution, as | have shown, be
devoted to free schools.
PRESENT SCHOOL LAWS AN EXCELLENT
SYSTEM, AS FAR AS THEY GO.
Our present system OF common school la VS.
improved as they have been from time to time,
with a State Board of Education, and n gem
eral supervision OF the schools and education
al interests of the STATE, by u State Superin-
tendent Of Education, whose Office, a the seat
Of government, Is the General intelligence Of
fee on all subjects OF educltional interest for
the whole State, aud with local supervision of
the schools by County superintendent of Edu-
cation, in every county, and by trustees of
each school, elected by the patrons of the
schoJl-wtth the functions of assessing, col
lectiug and discussing tne school funds by
) ate and county officers without tn ? creation
of new officers for these purpOses-with the
provisions that ample free school facilities
shall be afforded TO all educable children in
the State, but that white ami eolored pupils
shall be taught IN separate schOOls-that a
uniform series Of text books shall be adopted
aud not changed for five year. after their
adOpuon-that the sessions OF the school shall
b. opened and closed uniformly, unless other
wise directed by the patrons thereof-that
Boards of Supervisors and of Mayor and AL
dermen shall levy annually certain taxes for
the support of free schools in their respective
disirJcts-thar children of different counties
and school districts may attend the same
school, but that the county or district of their
resid ence shall ne chArge1ble with their tuition
that any school districts neglecting 10 main
tain a free school schools therein for at
least four months, in any year, shall be ex-
ciuded from partlcI patton IN the free school
fund for that year. and with the provisions
regulating the number and localities of
schools, and fixing the pay and qualifications
of teachers, bat conferring power on local
school authorities to increase the compensa-
ton of teachers beyond that prescribed by
the statute, or to employ competent teachers
at less rate and rendering 1t an lndtctable or
fence for any County Supe c.nte ndent or official
to speculate in any manner directly or Indl-
rectly, in any teachers warrants, or pay GER
titicates, etc.-all constitute an excellent sys-
States Commissioner of Education, spoke with
appreciation of our revised school laws of 1878
Report u s. Conn. of Ed, lS19-l36-l
And there can be no doubt but tn at the
changes made in these laws by the Code of
1850 increasing 10 some extent the pay OF
County Superint neutrality-suspicious. the mum
Der and location of schools in each township
comforting power on local school authorities to
increase the pay of teachers beyond that pre-
seribed by the statute, or to employ competent
teachers at less rate-ehanging the mode of
leasing school lands, and requiring Boards of
Mayor aud Aldermen in towns constituting
separate school districts TO levy annually Ger
tain taxes for the benefit of free schools there's
in, etc, valuable Improvements on the
laws of 1878.
SUPPOSED DEFECTS IN PRESENT SCHOOL
SYSTEM
The system as far as it goes, then, is an ex-
cellent one; but it may justly be objected that
it does not go far enough, and have no doubt
but this has resulted from lear of producing
prejudice against the system by pressing it too
far, and beyond the financial capacity of the
people, rather than from failure on the part
of those who framed the present laws, to OBJ
serve and appreciate the defects to which
shall refer. The first defect in the system
that occurs to me, =, that sufficient comPen-
sation is not provided for County Superih-
tendents. The average annual pay of County
Superintendents in the State now, is one hun
dred aud eighty-One dollars and fifteen cents,
($lSl15) Under the Acts of 1875, 1t was
Is much too low now. as 1t was too high
under the law of 1873 II should be such
TO secure good men, and the best men for the
position; aud their whole time should be de-
voted te the duties of the Office Faithful and
intelli gent loyal supervision of the schools.
while the system Is comparatively peE, and
in our condition, is absolutely necessary to
their efficiency. Under the present law,
County Superintendents, while charged with
many and important duties, are not required
TO visit or inspect schools. II is recognized
that on their present pay. they could not do
this in addition to the other duties imposed on
them 1t is q missioner to call them County
Superintendents of Education. unless they
supeTinteFd the schools. by- visiting. inspect
ing and giving them personal attention. and
they cannot do this, UNLESS they are paid for
it.
Again, under the present laws, no compen-
| sation is provided for Trustees of Schools. and
iury service is the only duty or obligation
fro whieh they are relieved on account OF
their ofice. So I4eans, it seems TO me, should
be omitted or neglected. shish IS calculated