Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-04-13
Federal Aid in kentucky.
fCommcrcial.l

Public support OF schools is the rec
ognized principle to-day, private
schools having proven wholly made
quate for the education of the masses.
Whether schools are supported by
the city or the State or the United
States, does not affect this principle.
1t can not matterto Pike County, in
Kentucky, whether the outside aid
which is indispensable to the keeping
up of the common schools there comes
altogether from the taxpayers of the
Weather counties, or in part from
the more liberal resources of the ma
tional treasury. The money is the
thing, and the purpose back of it.
1t has been the policy Of the United
States government, since the days of
Washington, to foster the education
of the people. In practice, the peo-
pie of every State have been benefited
by that policy, receiving donations of
lands or money.
Federal aid supplied the fcunda-
ton of the common school system in
Kentucky. When some of the ablest
minds of the State, including George
Robertson, prepared an elaborate re-
port upon the question of founding
school system, presented TO the Leg
islature in 1922, embodying sugges-
tons from Thomas Jefferson aud
other men of national influence, the
obstacle to the adoption of the report
was the lack of money. Resolutions
were passed by the Legislature re-
questlng Congress to make distribu-
ton of public lands "for the pur-
poses of education" of which Ken
tucky's share would have been
100000 acres. This plan failed.
Fourteen years later Congress made
a distribution of the surplus money
in the Treasury, of which Ken
lucky received $l,433,757. Though
no provision of the law imposed on
our State the obligation to devote
this fund exclusively to "purpose'of
education," yet it was asked on this
plea and granted with this expectan-
cy. This is the origin of our COM
mon-school fund ; it formed the only
dependence of the schools for many
years, and from it portion of our
annual school revenues is derived
now.
1t was not until the commons schools
founded upon Federal aid had DEM
onstrated the value of such schools,
that the State began to levy a tax
"for purposes of education" The
first tax was meant only TO supple
ment the Federal aid. From time to
time. as the desire of popular educa-
ton increased, the school taxes were
increased also, until there is now
distributed by the State $1,0OO,0OO
year for common schools.
In determining the property of the
Federal-aid measure now so ably
championed by Congressman Willis,
the past experience of this State
should be considered, instead ofmele
ly assuming, as many critics of the
measure do, that harmful effects will
be produced. Did the fund of ST.
100000, in 1916, asked for by the State
for educational purposes, tend to
"centralize" the Federal government /?
Did it paralyze local efforts in behalf
of education? Was its use by the
State unconstitutional? These ques-
tions should be answered affirmative
ly before any great weight can be at
tached to the current objection to
Federal aid for the schools.
There is printed to-day call for a
meeting of Kentuckians to advocate
the Willis plan. We hope that the
meeting will be held. ,'