Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-01-17
rsELP-HEIp IN Tnm souru.
More and More Recognition OF a
Rfatr Esiit,e HarRraft,ImcaS.

| NAu1uhtbh Va tAp AAhbttd AHu3b US uHpE
local taxation In the states every one
comedies that" said Benjamin Harrison
in speech upon the project OF Federal
aid to education ia the south, delivered
In the Senate on the 25th OF March, 1884.
"0ne dollar voted by the people OF any
school district for this support OF common
Schools" he added, sis worth $40 given
out of the treasury o; the United Staies.
1t evincas On interest in education, and
guarantees CAREFUL and Intelligent
supervision. Only local supervision
and interest will bring these constituent
cies that are now so backward In the race
OF education abreast with other states In
my Judgment, there conld be no worse
policy than to throw in q single year Into
those states SIS, 600, coo out Of the national
| treasury.
Nearly five years have passed. since this
speech was delivered, and each year has
more thoroughly vinaicated the sound
ness of the views here expressed. Re-
peated defeats of schemes for appropti-
ating large sums from the Federal
treasury for Schools In tho south
hava led the southern people to SEQ the
noncss:ty OF raising more money for edu.
oational purposes themselves. Tine legis-
lature elected in Tennessee two years ago
more than doabled the amoant OF She
state tax devoted to the conmon schools,
and the officials of more than ono oDunty
promptly followed this coed example by
largely Increasing the amount OF the loeal
tax devoted to the Kane purpose.
Within four years Flori 10 increased the
amount expended upon common Bchools
from 8l33 260 to $500, 900, aud the re-
port OF the superintendent for 1858 shows
an annual expenditure of S4i9, 29G. This
rapid increase in the school iund raised
by the people has been accompanied by
that "locpi supervision epd Interest,"
which MIR. Harmon held were guaranteed
under such circumstances, ard the result
is that Florida is rapidly bong drought
abreast with other htatebn In which sjhool
SYSTEMS thus conducted have been estab.
lisbsd for generations.
Georgia, which prides herself upon
being "the Empire state OF thu sjouth,n
has long been backward in tine matter OF
public education. she suffered more
thsn any other eiata 10 the south from
tho decentralization wnloh attended ,hs
prospect OF gstting money for nor schools
from Washington, instesi of raising tho
money herself. six yeasB ago this winter,
Mr.. Gustavus j. Orr, tha state school
commissioner, pointed cut in Ills report
to the Legislature that 1--WE have reached
point where We can continue orr (
schools in operation six months without
unduiy burdaning the peupls,n and
bill proposing to levy . state tag large
enough to accomplish that end vas Ia. 1
troduced, hut IT WIS defeated openly OH
the ground that they might ut the
needed n,nrey ont OF the Federal lroas.
ury. Instead Of rsifiIg for the education
of the mssies upon 'tlocal taxation ID tho
mates, /" the Ge9rgians deliberately placed
their trust in the expected appropriations
from outside the state.
Happily the appropriations from Wash
ington never Came, aud the people ut last
realized that they must depepd unon
themselves, The press of the state 30.
came aroused. The newspapers pointed
out that the state has baan growing ia
prosperity ~ i wnn3ortul pace Of iato
years; thatssicce 1879 the tolal smount OF
property returned hes increased from
$2si, 9b9, 54S 70 1857 I67 ABS or nearly
So Por oont, aliJ ut tAal tl,ti amount Yti.
propriated foE c0lnlnon schools was ~
Emal as TO ba contempt Il ayEr
quarter less than is raised by Florida.
whose valuation by the last Federal GEN.
sus was only about one eigath aB large IA
that OF Georgia. Tho Rev. Dr.. Haywood
pfeaohed sermon NJ Atlanta which ex-
posed Gil the humiiiating facts, aud was
wen calculated to shame lhB people into
action. Leading menSeis Of the Lsgisls-
lure soon responded, and upon the as.
sempling OF That body memJSr OF flo
Senate introduced bill TO raiga mopev
enough 10 Keep the aceuois cpen III
months IN the year, which Il aq long IN
the limit in such DorlhaEnGtaieB Rs d i'm.
New Hampshir0 ana Yetla5nt. oNl
tional aid, he said, "ggeng fu-thfr III
thsn heretofore. We must hsln oufaslyes
tho sooner the bettasn Tho l,Frisiatn,e
bas ut last yielded 70 the demnuja Of ma.
gressive sentiment, and one bfanpb bna
Just passed Eiil, waich ia snre Ia
accepted by the other, appropriatiup half
million dollGsa fer the public Sc9ogia
This action is tho more signife,n, All
encouraging from the fact thai il wan aA4n
after an attempt had been ulads 10 MD
tain the old do.nothing policy by the intro.
duction of resolution nrcipo Ire atrtlSs
representative in OppRrsfs Il secnre III
passage OF the Blais Hill wLicb womI5
swell the Georgia school fund rrota Tho
Federal treasury, Instead OF from the
pockets Of Georgia tx paytls. The
Macon 1c.egya2d, in urging tie committee
70 Pigson'hole this resolution, az "a, heen
been done, used the same Argument which
Mr. Harrison had urged in taa seppts.
what GeoIgla wants, +" said tho ~
grape, is an efficient system Of pn6lic
schools, supported by the conttibnliona
OF her people and entirely in their con.
tfoi. When the people are taxed At
rsctly for tho support Of the schhols
they Will see that the mnney III wisely II
pended. They will have neither ~
power nor the inclination to do ihisp
the money expended for educational M
poses, or large psrt OF it, comes fr5m
the central government. No matter wbat
the termB OF tho Blair bill nav he. tn
real control OF the schools will eten,nails
rest with the power thet sui nar,s tbsm
we believe the passage ot the Blair bir
VIII make permanently faurishipy NH.
he school system Impossible
Tho opinion of the Macon Ye,eor1,B a
Democratic paper in Georgia il sha,6g
by Harrison Reed of JacssonyjIle n ~
publican, who was formerly coya516r ~
Florida. Referring to the assamption NJ
Mr.. Blair that the triumph Of The Renrh
ilo9n party assured tins PASSAGE az Nj,
bill, ex.Govarpor Reed, ia a iatt4r "a n.
Milwaukee Seatiliel, protested AGAINST INK
idea most earnestly. "Ths Soufbet,,
Staten" he said, "have abundaas Ia
sources for ell practical purposes Of ain
eational and sobolaslical ady,ne.na1+
aud oil that ia now needed 10 a slriot ~
foreement of existing laws and co1sijtn .
tlonai obligations" Ex,GUyesnar MA
holds that mo more special leqiolsfion j.
Ihia direction is needed or sA5uld for =
moment be entertained" and savs. IN
am glad that the record of Gen. ri trrj.,n
while gannfor iuqli6a, 49,. ..,s.7E -At''u