Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-02-20
THE SCHOOL TAX.
Tho Remarks Of Mcssrs. Fisher and Robin
sen on tho Subjscs.
Correspondence of the Gazette.

Correspondence OF the Gazette.
Austin, February lin the debate
on the school tax Mr.. Fisher said he
opposed all amendments and supper
ted the report of the committee,f and
said let us trust future legislatures
they may be as honorable and trust
worthy as well us intelligent gentle
men as we are. If they deem IL ex-
petlient they may not levy tax more
than five cents on the 500; this bill
. lily restricts them from leyying n tax
TO exceed twenty-five cents on the
500.
am in favor of the twenty-five
cents and opposed TO limiting the
maximum to fifteen cents and repeat
the words of the greatest mind that
exists ut the present day, Prince Bis
marck of Germany Educate your
people and you make each man
King
1 therefore trust that we will not be
parsmonious In this matter. cam
not 90 back TO my county and face
the poor people there and say that my
vote was cast to deprive their chill
drcn of the benefits of All education.
this matter M il shown by this substi-
tutc joint resolution now under consid-
Grafton by making the maximum rate
OF taxation one-iourth of one per cent.
IL IL now proposed to further COM
promise and reduce the maximum to
on e-eighth per cent, and | am sur
prised that this last proposition should
meet with any support In the legisla-
| ture Of this great and growing state.
am personally In favor of the maximum
Of one-half Of one per cent, and think
/ reflect the sentiment OF the people of
my section of the state and especially
of the section ! have the honor to rep
| resent.
The only argument hear in favor
| Of the lowest maximum Is "the
| people will not ratify it,"
And remarkable one 1t is.
REMARKS or MIR. ROBfNs0N OF JACK.
Mr.. Robinson said: Here, to-day,
TO this legislature Is presented an OPP
portunity to make It's first step that
will DO IL material advancement to-
wards carrying out the pledges Of the
democratic party in this state, to pro-
vide revenue for the successful main
tenance Of an efficient system of pub
lie free schools in Texas.
There are, IA Ia well known, mem
bers here who desire no direct tax for
the support OF schools, and others who
would willingly support an amend
| nent to the constitution permitting q
tax of one-half of one per
| cent. The committees of the
two houses have compromised
indeed. AT the last state convention
IL was positively and plainly stated
that the democratic party was pledged
to inaugurate and maintain an efii-
|, cient system Of free schools, and on
| the platform promulgated by that con-
vention were we reelected. 1t was the
boast efHh andidate that democracy
II led IL and that the grand
old party never failed to carry out it's
pledges and respond TO the demands
of the public. Now some of the MEM
ters on this floor are such friends to
free schools that they are afraid to
permit the people to vote on an amend
ment to the constitution providing
that tax may be levied Mt the (discre-
ton of future legislatures) making 1t
possible to have good schools In Texas
az well ~ elsewhere.
cannot believe that the opposition
arises wholly from fears of failure of
the people TO adopt the amendment,
but rather that they are sectional and
peculiar to the southern and eastern
portion of the state where exist n very
large class Of people, who II II said are
improvident and will reap n benefit
from the free schools with
out contributing anything to-
ward their support. Too long
have the people suffered by
reason of this sentiment In Texas.
School reform demanded by the peo
| pie has been overlooked, laws enacted
that ARE discriminating and unjust
toward the people at large.
A change must come and IL the DEM
ocratic party will not make IL and re-
spond TO the demands of the people she
will lose, and rightly too, their esteem.
Independents and republicans will
take our places and give the people
needed legislation.
! The south and east need not look
| to northern Texas for democratic ma
! j0ritics, II this legislature fails to res
| pond to the demands of the people to
| platform OF the democratic party of
Texas. Tho people of my section love
| Texas In her entirety, boast of the
magnitude of her territory and talk of
the possibilities of her rapid advance
ment In all that goes to make a great
state and are willing to make all rea-
sonable concessions and compromises
with the other portions of this state,
but as strong and firm as are these Mt
tachments, they can he broken and
| believe no more effective course
! than that line pursued by some
! of the members could be adopted
to induce our people To ask for IA dis
memberment OF this great state.
| am willing To make concessions to
other sections. but in compromising,
cannot and viii not go beyond what
is in my opinion reasonable.
! What, Democrats compromising
among themselves on that which Is
demanded of the pnrtys Ies, | will
do H. but regret the circumstance.
which ilnpel me to IT,