The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-18
rhA p,,hlio Schools.


and especially the speakers OF the Demo
cratic party, great service In posting
them as TO the matters discussed In the
following letter:
RICHMOND, VA, September II, 1883.
To the Editor OF the Dispatch:
The Malone party are trying TO produce
the impression that 10 them is due the
prosperity OF the free-school system in the
state. This claim Is without foundation,
and the record shows conclusvely that all
the measures under which the system is
now prospecting were originated and en-
acted into laws by the Democratic party in
this State. The Constitution, Article VIII,
section 3, directed the system to be put
into full force by the year 1876 The next
Democratic Legislature passed AN act on
the 18th OF July, 1870, which put in full
force at once the admirable system devised
by DR.. Ruflner, which has not been mate
rally changed since.
Under the operation OF the funding act
OF 1871, an act passed by the votes OF the
Republicans In the Legislature, the reve-
nue. proved insufficient TO pay the coupons
given for interest on the funded debt, the
expenses OF government, and the school
quota. and the year lS1S-'I9 was particu-
larry hard upon the school fund derived
from the state taxes, reducing il nearly one
half. Thereupon the llenkcl bill was pass
ed March 3, 1870. which is still in opera
ton, and which completely protected the
school fund from interference from any
quarter. This measure was passed at the
instance OF conference Of Democratic
members who were also advocates OF the
McCulIoch bill for reIunding the public
debt, as / stated in letter TO you from the
mountains. now have the Journals be-
fore me, and find at Page 600, Senate Jour
nal. 1850. that Senator G. T. Smith in
troduced the bill, and at page 36S, on ITS
passage in the Senate, the vote was record
ed
AYrs.-i,efts, Bland Bliss, Brooke. Daniel,
Dickinson Elliott, Gale. Go ode. Griffin. HairstoD,
Hart Of Halifax, Hurt f Pittsylvana. johnson,
koiner. Lee, Marshall. Mouton, Murray. Phlegar.
slemp, smith. Splitter, Tanner, Tyler, Walston,
Ward, and WOrtham-29.
OF these, twenty-thrce or four were
Democrats. When the bill came to the
House il was taken up, OH the motion Of
Mr.. Ilenkcl, and passed by vote Of 1OS
ayes. Page 40 Of Journal No votes
were cast against it in either body on its
final passage.
The other measure to which the pros.
perity of schools is due is the act requiring
the arrears due the fund by the State to be
paid in quarterly instalmcnts-found in
Session Acts of 1S77-'1S, page 237. This
measure was introduced by Mr.. Graves,
OF Bedford, Democrat and Debt-Payer,
as appears at page 104 OF the House Jour
nal of 1S77-'7S, and was passed by a vote
OF SO to IA [page 1861, and in the Senate by
a vote OF 81 ayes with no vote in the mega
tive [pace All. The opposition in the
House came from members who were not
satisfied with the statement of what were
the arrears due the schools, which were
stated in the bill.
Ii will be remembered that the Legisla-
ture which passed these acts for the bene-
fit of the schools also passed the McCul-
Loeb bill for the settlement OF the debt,
being well satisfied that the revenues OF the
State would be sufficient 10 pay expenses
OF Government, the interest which would
accrue under shat settlement, and the
school quota. including the arrears. That
their estimates were correct has been now
demonstrated by the revenue subsequently
collected.
find in the report Of Mr.. Farr, Super
intendent Of Public instruction, Tor the
year ending July 81, 1882, at page 80, COM
parative summaries Of the years 1879, 1850,
1881. and 1882, which seems to be cunning
" devised as a campaign document, and
which by suppreSSio Ueri makes an en-
tirely erroneous impression. Had Mr..
Farr intended to show fairly the working
Of the system he would have given the
summary of each year from the beginning.
! But instead Of this he has selected the year
ending 31st July, 1879, TO begin with,
which shows only about hall of the numbers
OF schools and scholars OF each OF the two
preceding years, and which was, as have
said. peculiarly hard year on the schools,
not only because the fund had been reduced
by the interest and coupons, but because,
as is stated by DR.. Ruliner at page Of his
report. in some cases the supervisors
diminished the school leyies." Atthe same
page Dr.. Ruflner gives tue following sum-