The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-04-15
The State School Tax.

Two daily papers in the state have
shown spirit Of hostility to the 6ve-
percent state school tax law, ostensibly
because of the manner in which the
tax is levied and its proceeds distrib-
uted, or because, as one of the papers
declares, it does not believe in COM
munism." The real animus of the
hostility to this law appears to be in the
fact alleged that the city in which these
papers are published under this law
pays to the other communities Of the
state more money than it receives from
them. Selfshness, pure and simple,
seems to be the real source of the OBJ
jections to the law. The touchstone by
which these papers judge any public
law appears to be, How will it affect
this community? If a law does not
work to the material advantage of the
city it is wholly bad and ought to be
wiped off the statute book.
Judged on this ground the state school
tax is condemned as communistic,"
socialistic," in the worst meaning that
has been given these terms. For SIM
liar reason the fve-per-cent state road
tax is placed in the same category. The
extent to which the community in ques-
ton is said to suffer from these two
acts of communism or socialism is $10,-
600 annually. In their statements of
these matters these broad-minded and
enlightened editors are careful to make
no account of the fact that by the op-
Grafton of another communistic or So
cialistic law their city gained some
Sc, 500 in the redistribution of the
United States surplus money in 1901, a
sum that was taken from the smaller
and poorer towns, which have been
growing smaller and poorer with every
decade, and given to this community
that is waxing richer in material wealth
and population. They shut their eyes
to the rich requests and streams Of
treasure that from other parts of the
state, from the state and the national
treasures, have been for years pouring
into their city to enhance its richness in
educational resources and to add to its
material wealth and prosperity. Amid
all these golden blessings we find it's
papers whining like misers because
out of its abundance the city contrib
utes, under the law, from the thousands
it receives some paltry fraction to
ameliorate the condition OF small and
poor sister communities which are
themselves taxed in equal ratio for the
common veal.
BY process of reasoning similar to
that by which one of the contempora-
ries comes to a condemnation of the
state school and the highway taxes, he
should release the citizen who has no
children from taxation for the support
of schools for his neighbors' children !;
the citizen who has no horse and car
riage from taxation for the maintenance
of the highways. Call the principle on
which these laws are based communism,
or socialism, or populism, it is q rose
that by any other name would smell as
sweet
1t is worthy of note in this connection
that the two dailies in question are sup
porting for the governorship the candi-
dacy of Josiah Grout. The fact is sig
ni6cant as indicating the possible opin-
ions of Mr.. Grout in respect of this
hve-per-cent state school tax. Does he
favor the law, or is he opposed to it?
His course at critical juncture, in
1892, when the law was repealed in the
senate by his active or tacit assent, may
not be conclusive as to his present opin-
ions, but it serves.to illustrate hisquality
as legislator, guarding the states most
vital interest, education.
The 6ve-per-cent state school tax law
was passed in 1890. 1t was designed to
equalize school taxation between the
towns as the town system does between
the districts. Upon this ground the
enactment of the law was asked. Every
state in the Union has similar law
To the small towns, the rural towns
with small grand lists and large tai
rates, it was measure of right ant
justice. 1t was measure of wise ant