San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-05-11

set OF lazy negro laborers, who have
not yet learned to make their $3.50 per
day. To insure. good work fair play
has TO be- given, or there is no truth in
history or human nature. We see no
reason why mental work OF the most
benevolent character should be de-
graded below the rudiments Of physi-
cal labor as TO its rewards.
NO LOCAL TAXATION
In referring to the important subject
of local taxation, your committee would
quote the terse and pertinent language
OF recent and we'll informed writer
upon the point; The terms of our
schools are entirely too short, and such
must continue to be the case in the
rural communities until the law permits
local taxatioL for their continuance be-
yond the time during which they can
be maintained by the State appropria-
tons. There is no reason why the
country communities should not be
permitted to do this, as well as cities
and towns. The residents of cities are
no more interested in the education of
their children than are thSse living
without their limits, and there is no
good reason why the latter should not
have equal facilities for maintaining
their schools as long as they are willing
to tax themselves for their support.
Nor is there any reason for discriminate
ing in favor of cities and towns, as is
done by permitting them alone to ex-
tend the scholastic age and the pre-
scribed course of studies. Other States
have found local taxation absolutely
NECESSARY, and Texas will never have
respectable system of public schools
until the principle is applied here. A
careful consideration of the facts rem
ders it evident that we have bad
school law that can not, under its pro-
visions, be otherwise than badly adj
ministered, thus rendering an econo-
mical expenditure of the school fund
impossible. Complaint, too. is made
that the State makes just sufficient
provision for free schools. to destroy
the private ones, thus depriving the
children of the State of good schools
of any kind, and there seems to be good
reason to consider the complaint just.
In due course of time 1t is confidently
expected that the resources of the pub
lie schools flowing from the current
interest of the funds set apart by the
constitution for their support, will
reach such dimensions as will make the
system self-sustaining, in which event
all further aid by taxation will be un-
necessary but until that consumma-
ton is arrived at the schools largely
depend upon the portion of the general
revenues of the State, set apart for
that purpose. It has been found how
ever, by actual experience, even with
; this help, and with the further relief
afforded by the clause permitting the
, local taxation of the inhabitants OF
cities and towns for scolastic purposes,
that the available funds are utterly
} inadequate to establish such full and
: competent system as is in successful
J operation in some parts of Europe and
in the majority of the older States OF
J the Union. The only legitimate relief
under the circumstances appears to be
, the extension of the privilege of local
: taxation generally for school purposes,
which would be consistent with the dl-
| rect spirit of republican institutions
and supported by practical and COM
mon sense principle, and popular SEN
: timent. It becomes apparent on con-
, sideration that no system of public
, schools can prove vital or permanently
} successful that is not supported and
| encouraged by the prevailing sentiment
: of the people. 1t is evident that the
| people of Texas have been for years
, going through transitive state in re-
, ference to public schools. This pro-
: gressiye change is steadily going on
now. The substantial condition OF
s the people twenty, ten and even five
5 years ago was very different from what
/ i it is now. Their wants were conse.
r quently different, and the law that un'
/ dertook to supply a relief for those
8 wants, confessedly ever increasing
/ however fitting at the time OF its form
8 alton, is necessarily deficient under the
: altered circumstances of the present
t and q fortiori will be of aid in those o.
! the future. It is not the Intention oi
!, your committee to introduce III this
t report the slightest tinge Of politics
a but it is necessary, as a fact, to state
. that the public school land was con
n fessedly a compromise between two
: extreme propositions. There was exist
= ing at the time a strong body of re
f spectacle citizens, who were opposed
e to the principle of the modern public
+ schools. This party honestly believed
Y that the State should and could confirm
a educational benefaction to the indigen
/. classes. In opposition to this position
}, were found those who advocated thu
n establishment of such a system as tina
It prevailing in Switzerland, Prussia, New
e York, Pennsylvania, aud some Of tn
t Wetern States, in which the State wa
/ made responsible ior the education o