The evening light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1881-1883, 1882-07-07
From the Freie Presse, July 6.
The school Tax.

collect the persecution during the years 1872
and 1873 against the school tax on the part of
the democracy. All The stump speakers of
the state were let loose against the republi-
cans; everywhere could be heard the bowling
about the school tax.
They were men like Roberts, Terrell, Ire.
land, Devine, Giddings and many others, who
proved to the democracy of that day that free
schools were communistic institutions that
| took the money Of one to educate the children
Of another. With the same right you might
| take the clothing of one to dress another's
children. The state had nothing to do with
the education of children it was a private
matter. Yea, even one Of these democratic
heroes, Ashbel Smith, went SO far as to declare
publicly that the poor working man was best
of if he did not receive any education and re-
NAMED totally ignorant.
taxpayers convention was called to Aus
tin. and here it was shown that the whole state
would 60 to ruin if the school tax was
not abolished. In the meantime school
houses were built everywhere, and free
schools were opened were never before one
ray of en!ghtment and education had fallen,
you could see bands of little ones flocking to
the teacher to hear words Of wisdom from his
lips If this could have been kept up for
some few years longer things would look diff
ferent in Texas But the democrats at last
| gained their point, they succeeded to get de-
cision from the supreme court of the state, &C
cording to which the levying of a school tax
| OF one per cent. ad valorem was declared un-
constitutional. This acted like a destructive
tornado on the already blooming system of
| schools. Some school houses were left
n ShaI
finished were taken possession Of
| by church congregations; with the ex
ception of large Cities where the citi-
| zens maintained educational institutions, the
majority of our youth grew up in indolent
| ignorance and vice. The lawless condition Of
| which we complain to-day are some Of the
| consequences of the breaking up of the free
schools.
| But what cared the democracy They
kept the money that belonged to the little ones
and which would have been beneficial to them
in their own pockets. In connection with
this, the shameful circumstances occurred that
those sheriffs who had already collected this
tax put the money in their own pocket, and
to this day the democratic adminstra-
tons have not made one single attempt to
to call them to account for this theft from the
people.
AS a matter of course this breaking up Of
the free schools caused a great deal of dissat-
isfaction, even among the masses of demo-
Gratis, and in order to appease them the de-
mocracy promised in each one of their con-
ventions the initiation of a system of public
schools" The first promise of this kind was
given ten years ago, but where are the free
schools? -Four months in the year they shall
be kept open, aside from the fact that four
months in the twelve does not even Compare
with the playing school, and begins and ends
without cause or effect; the puny sum allowed
| by the state to the teachers was not even suf-
hcient to pay them for four months. IE fac.
there is to-day no system of public schools in
Texas "a large amount of the sacred school
fund of the people of Texas goes to sectarian
schools.
X X
But all at once it seems to dawn even in the
ranks of democracy, and the existing system
of free schools can not be thought Of And
now they come to the idea, incredible as it
may seem, to adopt the plan fthe republicans
SO often condemned by the democracy, to raise
direct school tax. Lieut.. Gov. Storey some
days past delivered speech to a democratic
meeting, in which he explained the necessity
| OF levying school tax. His words must have
been of convincing nature, for the democrats
framed resolutions in which they recommend
an amendment to the constitution to the effect
that the legislature shall have power to make
law to that effect. Wonderfully enough the
democratic press of the state endorses these
| resolutions.
| Any one acquainted with the history of the
parties for the last twenty years past must &C
knowledge the fact, that the best planks in the
platform Of the present democratic party have
been stolen from the republicans. This is
proof that the fundamental rules of the re-
publicans were just and progressive They
live. Those who in times past commended and
battled against them have finally to adopt
them as their own. They have agreed to the
freedom and elective franchise Of the negro:
they have seen the righteousness of the with
drawing OF paper money as blessing for the
people. From free trade they have
even risen up to protective tariff
for revenue only. And now even they
comprehend, at last, after they have seen the
blessings of free schools with their own ewes
that school tax is one OF the absolute neces-
sites for the people,
Thus they come gradually TO be republicans
and take the wind out of their sails
How long will it be when they throw aside
the hallucinations of Capitalization of power
on the part Of republicans and the danger Of
loss of states rights! These two are the scare
crows by the means of which demagogues of
the party scare the people. But it is dawning
everywhere. Some day the people of Texas
will shake of the yoke of bourbonism.
This is time of coincidence. Elk, Gov.
Davis advises the republicans not to nominate
a state ticket, and Wash Jones gives the
preenbackerS the same iDiunctiop ub;cb * a.,