Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-09-26
The Public Schools.
From the Richmond Dispatch

ocratic party, great service IN posting
them as to the matters discussed in the
following letter:
RICHMOND. VA. Sept. II, '83,
To the Editor ofthe Dispatch.
The Malone party are trying to pro-
duco the impression that to them is due
the prosperity Of the iree-school system
in the State. This claim Is without
foundation, and the record shows con-
cluslvely that all the measures under
which the system is now prosperlng
were originated and enacted into laws
by the Democratic party in this State.
The Constitution. Article VIII, Sec
8, directed the system to be put it into
full force by the year 1876. The next
Democratic Legislature passed an act
on the 1lth of July, 1870, which put IN
full force at once the admirable system
devised By DR.. Ruffner, which has not
been materially changed since.
Under the operation of the Funding
Act of 1871, an act passed BY the votes
of the Republicans Of the Legislature
the revenue proved insufficient to pay
the coupons given for interest on the
funded debt, the expenses OF govern
ment and school quota, and the year
l878.'79 was particularly hard upon the
school fund derived from The State tax
es, reducing 1t nearly one half. There
upon the Henkel Bill was passed
March 3, 1879, which is still in opera
ton, and which completely protected
the school fund from interference from
any quart er. This measure was pass
ed as the instance Of a conference as
Democratic members, who were also
advocates of the McCulloch bill for re-
funding the public debt, as L stated in
a letter to you from the mountains. l
now have the journals before me, aud
fud at page 355, Senate Journal, 1873
70, that Senator &. 7. Smith introduc :
ed the bill, and at page 360, on Its pas :
sage in the Senate, the vote was re-
corded
AYES Bets, B laind, Bliss, Brooke,
Eanel, Dickinson, Elliott, Gale, GOode.
Griffin, Hairston, Hurt OF Halifax, Hurt
of Pittsylyania, Johnson, Koiner, Lee,
Marshall, Mou ton, Murray, Phelgar, ,
Semp, Smith, Splitter Tanner, Tylerf,
Walslon, Ward and WOrtham-29.
OF these, twenty-three or four were
Democrats. When the bill came to the
House It was taken up, on the motion
of Mr.. Henkel, and passed by vote Of
l0S ayes. Page 4s6 Of Journal. Nc
votes were cast against it IN eth body
on its final passage.
The other measure 10 which the pros
perity OF schools is due, is the act re-
curing the arrears due the fund BY the
State to be paid IN quarterly install
ments-found in Session Acts Of 1917
'7S, page 237. This measure was in
trodrccd by Mr.. Graves, OF Bedford, q
Democrat and Debt.Payer, as appears
at page l04 Of the House Journal OF
lS77-'7S, and was passed by vote Of
SO to IA [page 53Gl and the Senate by
vote of 81 ayes, with no vote in the
negative [page ALL The opposition
in the House came from members who
we're not satisfied with the statement
of what were the arrears due the schools
which were stated in the bill.
1t will be remembered that the Leg
islature which passed these acts for the
benefit of the schools also passed the
McCulloch bill for the settlement OF
the debt, being well satisfied that the
revenues Of the State would be sufi-
cient to pay expenses Of Government,
the interest which would accrue under
that settlement, and the school quota,
including the arrears. That their estl-
mates were correct has been now DEM
onstrated by the revenue subsequently
collected.
| find In the report of Mr.. Farr,
Superinteuden of Public Instruction.
for the year ending July 81, 1882, al
page 55, comparative summaries OF the
years 1879, 1880, 1881 and 1882, which
seems 10 be cunuingly devised as a
campaign document, and which by q
suppressio reri makes an entirely erro-
neous impression. Had Mr.. Farr ln'
tended to show fairly the working OF
the system he would have given the
summary of each year from the begin
nIug. But instead of this he has selec-
ted the year ending Slst July, 1879, to
begin with, which shows only about
half of the number of fschools and schol-
ars of each of the two preceding years.
aud which was, as l have said, a pecu'
liarly hard year year on the schools,
not only because the fund had been re-
duced by the interest and coupons, bu'
because, as is stated by DR.. Rufruer t
page of his report, in some cases the
supervisors diminished the schoo
Ileyies.n At the same page DR.. Rnffnel
gives the following summaries:
Schools. Enrolled Attendance
1877 46I2 1o4,974 117,S4,
| 1873. ........ ..%foto " ~ r,f--,
1879. 79..........2,49l los,04 65,7l
Mr.. Farr gives Up. 55 OF report oflSS2,
1880. .s5i 220.736 l2s,4Ot
1881. b3S2 2S9,04e lS tSi
1852. 5,6s7 257,3e2 l4i,0Oi
An examination Of this table vii
show the effect Of the Democratic
measures adopted 10 sustain the schools
The first year of the operation OF the