Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-03-18


special road and bridge tax. Such courts,
however, are not disposed 20 take auyah-
tage of this clause IN the law TO use u rs
an engine OF oppression, which u becomes
In It's application, from the fact that an
subject TO r0ad duty would thus be doubly
taxed, FIRST by i've days labor ana then W
money
The law Is both unjust aud Intellectual.
II Is unjust because IL imposes unequai
burdens upon the people and thereby
violates article 8, section !, OF the stale
constitution, which expressly PROVIDES
"that taxation shall be equal and uni
form" This law, IN its operation, con-
forms 10 neither II these provisions, IL
imposes upon the laborer between the
ages OF eighteen and iorty-iiyc tax,
equal, In effect, 10 50, while the million
aire over forty-iiye years OF age IS eX'
empt II is Intellectual from the causes
above enumerated. In behalf OF common
Justice aud better roads, would favor a
repeal of the law. Let the legislature
enact law imposing poll-tax OF ~ per
capita upon all adult male citizens as
road fund, and, II necessary, empower
the commissioners court to levy a special
tax In augmentation Of this fund sull-
Gent 10 kttIl lllt lUulN III f-VhN pan
Let road overseers be appointed as un-
der the present law Empower them TO
make contracts for necessary labor to
keep the roads In good condition Re
uuire them TO give bond In reasonable
amount for fsithful performance OF
their duties. Allow them reasonable
compensation to be paid out of the road
and bridge fund, By order of the commits
sioners' court.
This would give two important adyan-
tages over tine present lazy; FIRST, each IN
diyidual would thus be required to con-
tribute toward public benefit according
10 his means; second, we would have
better thoroughtares and thereby faCil-
itate public travel. There are other OBJ
ectional features of the law that require
amendment, but as do not propose any
extended discussion Of the subject, suf-
fee It to say that laws that would perhaps
best subserye the interest of an agricul-
tural section, might possibly initiate
very seriously against the interest Of a
purely grazing country
SCHOOL LAW.
In regard to the school law, we have q
question much more difficult OF solution,
aud one that has taxed the ability OF the
best minds OF the country. 1t is one oil
those laws which can only be perfected
after years of Intelligent study aud
close application, making such changes
on amendments from time &c
time as the public good should dictate
( Ia new state like ours the organization
of q public free-school system must, II
/ the very nature OF things, meetwith many
/ difficulties and disappolntmentS, which
1 time aud experience alone can overcome
1 The greatest difficulties experienced II
/ conducting the schools is not attributed
I so much to any lmperfections of the law
as to the unaccountable apathy OF thu
/ patrons IN the matter of education,
1 have no changes to suggest save in tn,
matter of apportoning the adyaloren
! school tax. Justice would seem to de
mand that each county should receive th
I fun benefit Of all taxes levied against II
/ citizens for school purposes, after dc
Quoting necessary eNpenscsfor collecting
etc.
Considering the immense area Of on
state and the diversified interests OF IL
people, It were hardly possible TO enac
uniform laws that would lot operate ad
versely TO some local or sectional inter
est. This fact should not be forgotten b.
our law-giyors, and the local-Option caus
should be more frequently used,
WILLIAM KUYKENDALI,
County Judge, McMullen County.