Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-08-06
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
ARGUMENT AGAINST THE PRO
POSED AMENDMENT.
A Bold Step Towards the Final Destruc-
ton of the Wisest Act of States I
manship Texas Ever Saw.


Editor Gazette.
You take my house when you do take the prop
| That doth sustain my house you take my life
When you do take the means whereby live
-IShakespeare.
The proposed amendment to the conStitu-
ton to transfer annually l per cent of the
permanent school fund to the available
school fund is bold step toward the final
destruction of the wiSeSt act of statesman
| ship ever accomplished during the history
of Texas. The founders of this empire state
of Texas placed a high estimate upon the
craftsmanship of their descendants when
they set aside over thirty-two million
acres of land as an endowment for
the children of Texas. They gave the land
with the happy thought that it would be
held as a sacred inheritance by the lawz
makers of each succeeding legislature to
the latest posterity. They believed that
future statesmen would make judicious
sales of the land and provide for safe in
veStmentS The income or interest on the
investments constitutes at the present more
than one-half of the available school fund.
In other words, VIC have two and one-half
months public schools from this source,
and only two months from other sources.
The income on the sales and the leasing of
the lands is increasing every year. The
lands are gradually enhancing in value. Ac-
Illdl SCJlIGfS are On -OIlS lilile DIT HUI
crate rates of interest, and many poor peo-
pie are securing homes. Money belonging
to the permanent fund is accommodating in
the state treasury faster than avenues for
its investment can be found. Our Governor
Hogg suggested that ii be invested in rail
road bonds and new roads be built into the
undeveloped West with first mortgages in
favor of the state. The Texas Farmer sug
gested that it be loaned to the people on real
estate security. Both of these ideas
and others were repudiated by the legislG-
ture. Statesmen could not agree and the
matter has been referred to the people. The
legislators acknowledged their inability to
settle the question and are now advising
the people TO commence the destruction of
the common schools of the state by grad
Ually taking away the prop that doth sus-
tain them Mr. Jester, the author of the
amendment, thinks that in a few years the
fund will be larger than Is absolutely
necessary to maintain the schools, and that,
81 ,000, 900 taken away from it every year
kAsall not be missed. The increased value in
the lands for the next quarter of cent? ly-
he thinks, will more than balance theessR
million transferred annually in the same
time. Does he stop to consider that ave
nues for investment at the end of the
twenty-five years will be like they are at
present, unless the school fund diminishes
in size? If it grows larger in the twenty
have the same knOtty question of invest
ment to deal with? and will not the chances
for bad investment be the same as to-day.
The fund to-day is larger than our present
Lawmakers can handle, they affirm. If tine
investment of public funds was yet an IN
tried feat, dangerous experiment, the
custOdiaus of the school fund should not
finch when duty bids them act. The CON
stitution tells III what manner it shall be
invested = If the present scope for in
yeStment is too narrow, let the constitution
be amended so that the people can borrow
money from the state on land as security.
But, " says the legislator, the home
stead law will not allow poor people to
mortgage their land" Then amend the
homestead clause III the constitution, by
putting except to the state government, "
somewhere in it, The longer the perma-
nent fund remains in land the safer it Will
be- and so long as the land sold on time re-
mains under mortgage, II Will bring III avail
able funds for the support of the schools.
The difference between the position of the
settler who buys home from the state on
forty years time, with the right to pay one
fortieth of the principal with the interest
every year, and the man who mortgages his
home for money borrowed from the state on
forty years time, with the right to pay one
fortieth of the principal with the interest
on the note. is one of ''tweedledum and
L"ccuIGuCt AL dtb VI lLllS hIllIi ci lilc
part of: the legislature would scatter the
fund where it is needed, and scatter it
quickly. The Jester amendment does not
propose to lessen the taxes OF the people.
II does not propose to take off the 12I5 per
cent school tax.
1t does not propose to increase the perma-
nent school fund. but on the contrary it
proposes to destroy it at the rate of 81 ,000,
600 per year Its defenders say, lets edu-
cate our own children and let posterity take
care of itself" Suppose that f. j. Davis
and his clan had proposed such plan and
put il into execution during the dark days
of reconstruction, how would the people of
to-day regard them The wisdom and pa
triotism of leaders like Houston and Rusk
go for nothing when the sacred inheritance
of the children of Texas mot to-day, but
all time TO Gomez is snatched away by the
ruthless hand OF the idle dreamer who seeks
to educate his own children with the money
of his grandchildren and his grand-child-
rens grandchildren. Voters of Texas
Take warning You have an opportunity
before you to follow the example and ad-
vice of the fathers of Texas or you can pat
tern after the fool who killed the goose
that laid the golden egg. You can cut
down the tree in order to ge, the fruit, but
however sweet, short will be the enjoyment
thereof. Better let our public schools live
on scanty fare than to live sumptuously
Wnlte ana lnen Ole OF starvation. lake
this public fund that belongs to posterity
and destroy it. Posterity will not be robbed
of the history that tells how their money
was stolen. Posterity will brand you as
thieves who took away the prop that sup
ported the public schools of Texas. Must
the elder sons of Texas destroy the inherit
ance of their younger brotherss Never !
While the Alamo and San Jacinto, too, are
rememberedl Neverl TEACHER