The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-20

six mills of State taxation as fixed by til,
Constitution of 1879 there can never b,
funds enough to put the Public School in.
terests upon a satisfactory basis. That
amount was fixed by the Constitutions
Convention because of the reaction against
the excessive taxation under tho Radical
regime in this State and without regard tx
reason or its own acts. 1t recognized 8
State debt Of about $4,000, 600, the inter.
est on which has to be provided for annrl.
ally and which required two and seven.
eighths mills for 1885 and will require the
same rate for succeeding years. To build
the levees and maintain them requires one
mill. The General Fund requires two
mills to keep the State home credit at par,
and it could only be given one mill, in or
der to give One and one-eighth to the School
Fund of 1885. 1t is evident that some fund
must suffer. 1t was hoped that the one
mill and the State licenses would be suffi-
cient to poy the necessary annual expenses
of tho State government 1t does not ap-
pear to have done so. It is evident that
with such continually clashing interests
there will be a continual struggle in which
the funds of tho Public Schools must
take part.
l have plan which l think will meet
aud overcome the difficulties of the situa-
ton, and that plan is, by an amendment
to the Constitution to increase the rate of
State taxation to mills and to devote the
extra mills exclusively to the benefit of
the Public School fund. 1t would then he
beyond the control of the Legislature and
the school fund would have . certain fixed
support. Some portion of the remaining
six mills could also be given to that fund,
and this provision, with the poll taxes,
ought to give as much as is needed. l
shall offer such an amendment at the next
session Of the Legislature.
This proposition on my part, which has
to limited extent found its way already
into the papers, has provoked some crit
cism and opposition. This article is al
ready too long to permit ME to argue the
question Of the utility of public education
in the abstract. am willing to cross
lances with any one in such discussion
hereafter. 1t will perhaps be sufficient for
the present purpose to say that Louisiana,
according to the census Of 1eSO, stands
next to the head in the list Of all the States
in this Union for ilIiteracy. That in
a diagram showing the prevalence of
illiteracy in the States, the mark oppo-
site her name is the largest and black.
est of them all but one. This pre-
vents immigration and tue introduction
of capital, both of which we need more
than any other State. We owe it to
our fair name abroad to wipe off the
blot of ignorance that attaches to us.
| believe, moreover, that very large
majority Of the people of Louisiana are
appreciative Of the solid advantages of
education for its own sake and that
they would willingly and cheerfully |
submit to the increase of taxation for
so lan1ablc purpose, provided that
they could he assured that the sum
realized would be appropriated exclu.
siveIy to that object. An amendment
to the Constitution would pnt the mat
ter in such shape that the fund could !
not be tempered with nor diverted. |
Unless this can be done, and until
the amendment can lie voted for in
1888, | am in favor Of taking enough
from the interest fund to run the Pub !
lie Schools. In my opinion the State
can better afford to default in the paw
ment of its debts and to postpone the
payment of the interest on her debts,
han to allow her children to grow up
in ignorance.
Very respectfully,
ROBT. P. HUNTER.