The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-04

der Present Conditions Woul Only
Help the Teachers.
To the Editor: 1t is no part of wis
1om to contend with an editor in the
columns of his own newspaper. The
advantage of position is altogether with
the editor. But with your permission
and in the best of spirit permit me to
add a few more thoughts to the discus
sion of the school tax. With due res
pect to the editor, l still contend that
the question of good or bad execution of
the school law did not, at first. enter
nto the controversy concerning the school
tax. 1t was, so to speak, an after
thought and was forced upon the avow-
ed advocates of the school tax by the
Indignation of an outraged
people. 1t is only within the past few
days that some of the school tax cham
pions have softened sufficiently to say
that under certain conditions the peo-
pie ought to vote against schools"
And, it seems to me, that such a conces-
sion is a begging of the question. Why
advocate the adoption of a law that
does confessedly work hardship upon
many of the counties of the State that
are helpless to avoid the wrong? Why
pass a law that is bound to work dis
astrously to many of the best people
of the State? 1t hardly seems right to
force us to be the authors of our own
misdoing that other people may enjoy
the benefits that will accrue to them
from taxes in the general fund of the
State, that have been wrung from us.
There is great stress laid upon the ex-
tension of the school period, but some
things have been lost sight of in that
sentiment too The people, who are ex-
pected to be most benefited by longer
period Of public schools, are not in a
condition to avail themselves of the
privileges offered under the old law.
This deponent knoweth whereof he
speaks. The people are in such strait
ened financial conditions that they
are unable to employ labor and are COM
PEELED to keep their children at home to
make the necessaries of life. During the
a citation of this question time and
again this writer has been told by both
white and black that they were not in
a condition to dispense with the labor
Of their children even as much as four
months. So a longer school period, If
it means an advantage to any class OF
men. must only mean the betterment
of incompetent teachers to doze in the
shade Of i'll ventilated school rooms and
blink at a bakers dozen Of lazy boys
and girls. Mark this If you extend
the school period and hope to reach
the masses you must get the State to
Il Iff1DT n
and pass a compulsory school law. The
present school law, on providing for the
of schools, must, OF neces-
sity take the schools, in sparcely set
tied districts, away from large num-
Der of children and thus decrease the
number in attendance. Our brethren OF
the towns and cities seem to have for
gotten the condition that everywhere
exist in the country and hold to the
Utopian scheme of a graded school in
every magisterial district Of the State.
Come out from the shadows cast by brick
and granite walls-eat with the common
people their corn pone and middllng
meat and learn some practical common
sense ideas on the school question. ut
is condition and not theroy that con-
fronts u.s." There is much reason to
suspect that two very antagonistic ele-
ments have joined hands to fight for the
local school tax with different ends in
view. The advocates of State aid, and
they are found everywhere, hope to dis
tract the attention of the people from
the battle royal that has been, much
against their will, forced upon them and
thereby postpone if not entirely relieve
themselves from the opposition that
will not down at their bidding. The anti
State aiders. and their number is increas-
ing daily expect so to burden the peo-
pie with increased taxation for public
schools-that the people will openly re-
volt against an increase Of their burden
and demand cessation of the horse leech
crys of "give"-"give." A truce has
been on for some time, but already NUT
terings of the coming storm have been
heard-a day of reckoning between these
two discordant elements will come and
then look out to see the fur fly. Both
parties, having done their best against
our interests, we shall not care how the
fight ends and may we'll content our
selves with the thought that when
rogues fall out honest men get their
Dues"
THOS. D. BOONE.
Winton, n. c., Aug. 2.