The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-09-19


claimed that if there was any one depart
ment Of the government that would suf-
fer from the advent Of Democratic rale,
that department would be the public
school system. They charged that the
Democrats were opposed to free schools !;
they drew comparisons between the New
England and Western States and the
States of the South as regarded the con-
dition of free public instruction previous
to 1850; they attempted to ridicule the
system established in Florida immedi-
ately after the war, and said that If the
Democrats got into power they would
practically abolish the fine educational
system that they, the Republicans, had
put in operation.
We will not now consider the ques-
ton whether or not the system adopted
under the present Constitution was the
best that could have been devised to
meet the peculiar character and needs of
our State. But is pertinent to inquire
whether or not these predictions have
been fulfilled. What of the practical
abolition of the system? What are the
facts in the case j?
In January, 1877, DIR. Hicks, the retir-
ing State Superintendent, announced pub
licly that there were at that time seven
hundred schools in the State. Recent in
designations, however, show that there
had been organized only six hundred
and fifty-six schools at the time this state
ment was made. In October, 1880, not
quite four years thereafter, as shown by
Superintendent Haisley's report, there
were eleven hundred and thirty-One, or
an increase of four hundred and seventy
five schools in less than four years. Re
ports from all the counties have not been
received since 1880, but it is fair to as
sumo that the number of schools organ
lied and operated up to this time cannot
fall short of twelve hundred. In other
words, there have been an increase of
over one hundred schools for each year
during Democratic rule.
But this is not all that has been done.
Under the Republican management, the
extravaganza and in some instances dis
HONESTY connected with the administra,
ton of the school funds, had the effect OF
making the property holders and all the
more intelligent portion of our popula
ton enemies of the system. But upon
the advent of Democratic government
these abuses were corrected, a judiciout
and economical management of school
moneys required the assessment of &
smaller school tax, and in this way pub
lie sentiment has been turned in favor Of
free schools.
Although an economical policy ha'
prevailed and new schools, from time t.
time, been put in operation, the length
of the term has not been diminished. In
deed, in many instances longer tim'
has been given than the Republican
| allowed. In GnlS IL ma,
also be mentioned, that in many of tn
counties there were heavy obligation
against the school board, left as legacie
by the Republicans to their Democratic
successors. These had to be met, yet a
the same time there were demands o.
schools. 1t was a difficult position il
which to be placed, but the boards il
every instance inspired confidence on tn
part of the creditors by careful man
agement, and the result has been that il
a few years they have succeeded in can
ceiling all indebtedness.
These are the facts And now we ask
what more could have been expected
Our progress has been not only rapid
but it has been genuine and substantial
and in the face of many difficulties. Ant
thus the prophetic utterances of the Re
publican party are shown to have beer
false, and to have been worthless except
to furnish another illustration of the man
ner in which the Southern Democrats ar,
misrepresented and slandered.