The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-02-14
Our State Finances sud Our School
System.


mississippi has nov six Colleges aud
High Schools supported in whole or in
part by the State three white and
three cOlored which are open ten
months "a the wear She has about ten
thousand common schools, which are
run four months in the wear. and to the
unwise and unnatural disproportion in
support fund distributed by our com.
mon mother, ! now desire to direct the
attention Of the skepuoal reader,
respectfully refer him To the reports Of
the Auditor Of public Accounts aud
the Superintendent Of Public Educa
ton, (the last in print at this writingl
for veriticaiion Of the following figures
-lss9.-
Total amouuS appropriated 20 the Col
lcges and High SchOals .....,,..a. IS tee {g0 %
Total amount psd out of tho state
Treasury to the credit OF The Common
school und a,,,..., i..t loedal ~
Total number Of Students IN the Col.
ieges during the yraf inot exceeding rs
Common schools ls',.'.,.-..~.as.'.. " w llGosi
Average per capita allowance 20 the
Coilege students, paid ont OF state
treasury s,..,.,,.,N ltA q
Avsrasv per capita allowance 10 the
haysand girls In The Common schools,
paid out Of state Treasury Ntrsfg-tiss Csrif
--tsS5-
Tstsl amount appropriated to the Coli
legs ana u,gh Schools. a.a...s 10000 90
Total aaount paid out IT the state
Treasury 10 tue Common schools ,.a ios, 22i %
Total numher Of students IN the OIL
lrees and High schools ..a..........,... N5a
Common schools ......,..r....,.,,..,..qv seo.99s
Average per capita allowance to tltc tal-
legcs students, Out OF STATE Treasury jos Sc
Average per capita allowance 20 pupils
~ the Common schools paid uut ot
state rrssay ~ ..,...e.,...,.., S,regy.top oco,'
Average salary oi Professors in the ul-
iescs per month, about si5u 90 or per
term OF ten mon lhs ........... ...,.... 1870 90
Avcraso salary ut Teachers Ia the Conn
mon Schools, per month, s2s, or yer
term OF il2 on
Our school system Is like a pyramid
with the apex towards the gIound
We expend $3.50, 600 On round numbers)
on less than 1000 OF the favored sous
and daughters Of Mississippi, in the
space Of two years, aud during the sdu e
period we dole out to the 250,000 boys
aud girls in the common schools $50,
600, or about 81 80 each Under the
practical workings of such Am educa.
tional system as ours, Who will be sur
prised, when told that there is not gotr
moneg enough IN hc State Treasury to
pay the sam annual distribution 10 the
common schooi fandl And if "the edu
cation Of the masses is the safeguard uf
free people" who will deny the prop
osition, that the protection afforded
Mississippi IN tl,is 'pugF Hgc il
weak indeed. For the further illustra
iion Of this branch Of the subject, /
beg the indulgence Of the reader, while
present few facts and figures con
uected with the A. & NJ. College,:
The President Of that institution
tells rs: 'In the two sessions since my
last report (l8SS and 1884, and 1891 and
1850, we had for the first, 257 students,
(l22 in 10 College classes, 1876 in the
Preparatory Department. graduating
class, o. In the second session, POI stu.
dents (lIi II The College glasses, $50 in
the Preparatory Department., grada.
ating class, ll.")
During these two wears the Slate
Treasury contributed s70,92s II to the
support of lhe College, and the proceeds
cf the farm, dairy, etc, sweled this
amount to $50, ,70S4l. The average
number Of College students in attend.
ance during the two years waa l32, aud
the average number of Preparatory
common schooD students was 142.
Now, If we concede that ii ii isa correct
public policy to appropriate out Of
the State Treasury more than 800
per capita TO enable majority of
tho boys at the A. 4 NJ. College to
study what ought to be taught in
every common school in the State,
while less than one dollar is distributed
TO each Of the boys and girls in the
State less fortunate than themselves, the
estimate should 6e made on an average
attendance Of 27i each year. A simple
calculation, then, will show that The
State appropriation for 1884 and 1885
amounts TO the neat little sum Of Sl6l..
81 per capita. annually. But suppose
the State should deal with the prepara
tory young gentlemen, a large number Of
whom reside in the locality Of the Col
lege, as 1t does with its poor children,
and cut them off with paltry dollar
each. Then ii will be seen that for
every student in the College classes, at
this Institution, the handsome sum Of
SS2S00 is appropriated annually. Aud
let it be remembered that this
amount does not include board, clothing
or books II stands for tuition only,
which is all the State proposes 20 donate
TO the bene6ciaries of any Of It's Colleges.
Pretty steep tuition call it, in view Of
the fact that $1,000 per term Of ten
months is all that is charged by many
OF the m0st renowned educational insti.
tntions in the land. Indeed the Presi-
dent Of the A. & NJ. College tells US in
his last report: Tuition is free to Mis-
sissippi students Boys from other States
are charged tuition fee Of $1,000 for
the session" This, ! construe to mean
$40 90 for term Of ten months, and
take it the A. & NJ. vill be accepted az
standard authority on this point. An
other branch Of my Investigation reveal
ing the results aecruing 70 the people Of
the State from an outlay Of 1904, ,0O0
(see Governors message 1850 WAS TO
me astounding. The President says:
"Of 27 living graduates IA Of them are
engaged affirming or kindred persuits. .
The word kindred penuits" may, and
probably does embrace the majority oi
the fourteen farmer graduates turned out
Of the A. & VI. College during the six
years il has been in operation. ! an
| told one of the number is = tomb